A second sailor is under investigation for following in the footsteps of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and refusing to stand for the national anthem.
Intelligence Specialist 2nd Class Janaye Ervin is currently facing potential administrative action for failing to show respect to America’s national symbols, Military.com reports.
According to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickman spokesman Bill Doughty, Ervin would not stand for the national anthem while in full uniform Sept. 19.
After she refused, Ervin went public and posted about why she had her decision to disrespect the national anthem on social media.
“On September 19,2016, while in uniform, I made the conscious decision to not stand for the Star Spangled Banner because I feel like a hypocrite, singing about “land of the free” when, I know that only applies to some Americans,” Ervin wrote in a Facebook post. “I will gladly stand again, when ALL AMERICANS are afforded the same freedom. The Navy has decided to punish me for defending the Constitution and has taken away my equipment I need to do my Naval job.”
Ervin’s protest mirrors that of Kaepernick’s, in that both are throwing support behind the Black Lives Matter movement and complaining about police allegedly engaging in racial bias when dealing with blacks.
Ervin is the second sailor to refuse to stand for the national anthem. The identity of the first sailor, who did not stand for the “Colors” morning ceremony where the national anthem is played, is unknown. She is part of the Naval Air Technical Training Center in Pensacola, Fla. This sailor has been allowed to remain at her station and has undergone disciplinary action.
Kaepernick, who says he is protesting police brutality, has taken heated public criticism for his actions, but for troops, the matter is somewhat different.
Troops who don’t stand for the national anthem could face prosecution under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for violating Article 92, which states that troops can be punished for failing to obey a lawful general order.
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