Ever since former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee to protest police brutality and racial injustice, his protest has taken like wildfire. People who support his cause have joined him, kneeling during the national anthem, to raise awareness around the issue. But those who feel patriotic about the flag and who have pride in the United States military are not happy about this form of protest because they feel it is an insult to America.
\nThe football team from Monroe High School decided to take part in Kaepernick\u2019s protest. Many of the players took a knee during the playing of the national anthem before the game. But as soon as the players dropped down during the Star-Spangled Banner, the game\u2019s two referees knew they needed to participate in their own form of protest. According to them, they were unwilling to sit by and watch the high schoolers disrespect America like that. So they walked off the field and quit..<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Ernie was outraged to watch teens taking a knee in protest during the anthem.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not in favor of anyone disrespecting our country, our flag, the armed forces,\u201d Ernie said, according to \/\/NJ.com. \u201cWhat they\u2019re protesting has nothing to do with the national anthem, and I\u2019m against it, so I decided to protest for them kneeling, and that\u2019s what I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ernie can\u2019t understand why the protests have to go on during the anthem. He recognizes everyone\u2019s right to protest, but he doesn\u2019t know why it has to go on during the pregame ceremony when it should be all about football.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoever is disrespecting that flag and the national anthem, that\u2019s who I have a problem with. That\u2019s my protest. I don\u2019t care if it\u2019s a baby if it\u2019s an 80-year-old man, anybody. I don\u2019t care. Any race, color, I don\u2019t care who it is. It\u2019s not the way I was brought up, and it pisses me off that people are doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ernie had an inkling that the high school football players would kneel during the game. That\u2019s why he warned the league\u2019s commissions that he would quit if any of the players knelt during a game he officiated. So when the students took a knee, Ernie and his son walked off the field just like they promised they would.<\/p>\n
After the Lunardellis walked off the field, they were replaced with two cadets on the chain crew. Ernie does not think the game was official because of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat game should not count now because they did not have the right personnel on the field,\u201d he said. \u201cThese kids weren\u2019t officially carded and trained, so they\u2019re putting the kids in jeopardy. I\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ernie already has his lawyer on hand to fight the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a lawyer already set up because they\u2019re not going to run me out of town,\u201d Ernie said.<\/p>\n