Students and faculty gathered in the Women’s Center for “Let’s Talk About It… Patriotism and the NFL”, a discussion hosted by the Department of Diversity Initiatives, on Tuesday Oct. 24th.

Dr. Albert Dorsey Jr., a UNF professor, served in the Marines and believes the First Amendment allows peaceful protest.

“People have the right to peacefully assemble, it gives us the right to have a free press, and it gives us the right to protest the government for redress of grievances. That’s in the Constitution,” Dorsey Jr. said.

Former National Football League player Drayton Florence was also at the event and said that the people in Congress do not reflect America as a whole.

Dana Johnson, sophomore biomedical student, sits during the anthem but does not see it as a means of disrespect. She chooses to sit down because she does not agree with some words in the anthem.

“It’s not that I’m against anything toward military, I have relatives that are fighting as we speak, so I would never do anything to offend somebody purposely. I understand both sides and how it could be taken as offensive, but everything has two sides to it. I’m standing up by sitting down.”

Department of Diversity Initiatives plans on hosting more Let’s Talk About It… events.

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