Since former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee to protest police brutality and racial injustice, the movement has spread like wildfire. People who support his cause have joined him in kneeling during the national anthem to raise awareness about the situation. However, people who are patriotic about the flag and proud of the United States military oppose this kind of protest because they believe it is an insult to America.
The Monroe High School football team decided to participate in Kaepernick’s protest. Many players took a knee during the national anthem before the game. However, as soon as the players sat down during the Star-Spangled Banner, the game’s two officials realized they needed to stage their own sort of protest. They refused to sit by and let the high kids denigrate America in that manner. They walked off the field and quit.
New Jersey football officials left the field when they watched players take a knee during the pregame ceremony. The referees to stage the counter-protest were 54-year-old Ernie Lunardelli and 27-year-old Anthony Lunardelli.
Ernie was outraged to watch teens taking a knee in protest during the anthem.
“I’m not in favor of anyone disrespecting our country, our flag, the armed forces,” Ernie said, according to //NJ.com . “What they’re protesting has nothing to do with the national anthem, and I’m against it, so I decided to protest for them kneeling, and that’s what I did.”
Ernie doesn’t see why the protests have to continue during the anthem. He recognizes everyone’s right to protest, but he doesn’t understand why it has to happen at the pregame ceremony, which should be all about football.
“I have an issue with people who disrespect the flag and the national anthem. That is my protest. I don’t care whether it’s a newborn, an 80-year-old man, or anyone else. I do not care. I don’t care what race or color they are. It’s not how I was raised, and it irritates me that others are doing it.”
Ernie suspected that the high school football players would kneel during the game. That is why he warned the league’s commissions that he would resign if any of the players knelt during a game he oversaw. So, as the students took a knee, Ernie and his son walked off the field, as they had agreed.
After the Lunardellis left the field, they were replaced by two cadets from the chain crew. Because of this, Ernie does not consider the game to be official.
“That game should not count now because they did not have the right personnel on the field,” he said. “These kids weren’t officially carded and trained, so they’re putting the kids in jeopardy. I’m not.”
Ernie already has his lawyer on hand to fight the game.
“I have a lawyer already set up because they’re not going to run me out of town,” Ernie said.
