In a bid to stay relevant, Hillary Clinton took to Twitter on Wednesday to praise an 11-year-old girl for kneeling during the Pledge of Allegiance at her middle school.
Mariana Taylor, a sixth grader at Catonsville Middle School in Baltimore, Md., told The Washington Post that she was punished by one of her teachers for kneeling while the rest of her class stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
She says the NFL anthem protests were what inspired her to take a knee.
Conservative Review reports:
In February, Taylor was inspired by the NFL protests instigated by Colin Kaepernick and decided to echo those national anthem protests. The Washington Post reported that after Mariana had written a paper about Kaepernick for her English class at Catonsville Middle School, she began kneeling for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Taylor claims that she was reprimanded by her teacher in response, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland became involved in her case, arguing for her right to protest the Pledge. The school denied punishing Taylor in a statement.
NowThis shared Mariana’s story Wednesday morning, which Clinton retweeted with the caption, “It takes courage to exercise your right to protest injustice, especially when you’re 11! Keep up the good work Mariana.”
The protests don’t seem to be coming to an end anytime soon.
Two Miami Dolphins players knelt during the national anthem at their preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. Two Philadelphia Eagles players raised their fists while the anthem was played ahead of their game against the Steelers.
Trump blasted the players for protesting, saying, “They make a fortune doing what they love … Be happy, be cool! A football game, that fans are paying soooo much money to watch and enjoy, is no place to protest. Most of that money goes to the players anyway. Find another way to protest. Stand proudly for your National Anthem or be Suspended Without Pay!”
The NFL has until the official season starts on Sept. 6 to finalize its policy on the anthem protests which has been put on hold as part of a standstill agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association, according to NFL.com.
“Under the collective bargaining agreement, the maximum discipline for conduct detrimental to the club is a week's salary or a suspension of up to four games,” writes NFL.com. “A source informed of the situation told NFL Network's Michael Silver, however, it is unrealistic that any player would be suspended four games for kneeling during the anthem if the policy was enforced.
“The NFL approved the new national anthem policy in May, requiring players and league personnel on the sideline to stand. Players and personnel also have the option to remain in the locker room if they don't choose to stand.”
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