Since my original post regarding the NFL players using the National Anthem as a vehicle for peaceful, non-disruptive, First Amendment-protected protest, a counter-protest has gained some momentum.
That protest is in the form of fans boycotting the NFL. (Not watching or going to the games, not buying merchandise, etc.)
If you are one of those who are participating in this boycott, or support it, I have some thoughts for you.
First: The "NFL" didn't do this. Protesting them doesn't make much sense, because they didn't create this situation and didn't do anything to start it. Plus, what exactly is it you want them to do as a result of your protest? Fire players who use the First Amendment in a peaceful, non-disruptive, legal manner? I'm not so sure I want to live in a country that pushes that stance, do you?
Second: If you are protesting the NFL, I support your right to do that, 100%. You are an American citizen and you have rights laid out for you in the Constitution and its associated Amendments.
What I would like to ask is that you just be honest about your protest, like the NFL players are being honest about theirs.
They are protesting: RACIAL INEQUALITY.
They are protesting: THE RISE IN POLICE KILLING UNARMED BLACK PEOPLE.
That's their point. That's the stand they are making. They want to help change this systemic racism and stop the deaths it is causing.
What's your point? What stand are you making? What change would you like to see as a result of your protest?
I think those of you protesting the NFL are not being honest about it. You say things like "they hate the Flag!" and "Why do they hate America, it made them rich!" Those statements are nothing but useless cover words for the truth, a truth that you seem unwilling to come out and say.
None of these players hates the flag. And just because these men have made a lot of money as Americans, doesn't mean that racism is somehow not a massive problem in this country, one that is resulting regularly in the deaths of other Americans.
So I ask you to be honest about your protest, which seems like a reasonable request:
Be honest that you are not protesting the NFL, you are protesting certain NFL players.
Be honest that you say you love and support freedom, but not for people who bring up topics that are uncomfortable, like racial inequality.
Be honest that you say you love the Flag, the Anthem, the Constitution, but not when other people get to use them.
Be honest that you are mad at the NFL for "allowing" players to be full-fledged American citizens, rather than just possessions for your and my amusement. (That is what sports is, after all, isn't it?)
Be honest: You aren't protesting the NFL, you are protesting the notion that there still exists rampant racial inequality in America.
For whatever reason, you have a problem with the rest of us having a problem with that.
Why?
There is no ambiguity around what point the players are making, what stand they are taking, via their protest. It is crystal clear.
Those of you deciding to boycott the NFL? Not so clear. So please, do tell us what stand you are taking.
JReed Says...Be Honest.
Monday, October 2, 2017
Monday, September 25, 2017
Taking A Stand On Taking A Knee...
Taking A Knee:
Protesting by not standing for the Anthem goes back, at a minimum, to the late 1800’s. Issues such as conscription, economic injustice, the Vietnam War, nationalism and as today, racial inequality, have all been cause for this form of protest. It is not new. It is not solely owned by NFL players.
It is not:
-Violent
-Disruptive
-Hate speech
-Inciting of illegal actions
It is:
-Protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution
-Historically significant
-Chosen by the highly visible, on behalf of the “invisible”
-A pretty good example of what protest should be
I understand the reaction in emotional terms, to this particular form of protest. In fact, I would be worried if nobody felt strongly enough about the country to have a reaction. As well, I fell very strongly about the fact that after all this time, there stands a host of very real problems that need to be addressed through protest and civic engagement. You could make a solid argument that the very formation of this country was an act of grand protest. We all talk of freedom, of sacrifice, of the hundreds of thousands of American citizens that have given their lives for our country. I ask you this, “What is more ‘our country’?”:
-The Flag
-The Anthem
-The Bill of Rights
They are all representative of the United States, sure. But the first two are more a representative notion of the last. (The Constitution, Bill of Rights, et al) If we want to suppress freedom selectively based on profession and/or annual earnings, then I would argue that we would be abandoning our founding fathers, founding documents and the very reasons an act-of-protest-turned-war-for-independence even happened. The sacrifices of so many, over the last 240+ years would be for not. On this issue, I see that there is a division between those that believe in peaceful protest and the right to do it, and those that want any person who doesn’t stand for the Anthem to lose their jobs. (At a minimum) And that, after all, highlights the need for protest better than anything else. Perhaps, we should be united in creating a country for which we all want to stand, to honor and to sing praise.
JReed Says…Be Thoughtful
Protesting by not standing for the Anthem goes back, at a minimum, to the late 1800’s. Issues such as conscription, economic injustice, the Vietnam War, nationalism and as today, racial inequality, have all been cause for this form of protest. It is not new. It is not solely owned by NFL players.
It is not:
-Violent
-Disruptive
-Hate speech
-Inciting of illegal actions
It is:
-Protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution
-Historically significant
-Chosen by the highly visible, on behalf of the “invisible”
-A pretty good example of what protest should be
I understand the reaction in emotional terms, to this particular form of protest. In fact, I would be worried if nobody felt strongly enough about the country to have a reaction. As well, I fell very strongly about the fact that after all this time, there stands a host of very real problems that need to be addressed through protest and civic engagement. You could make a solid argument that the very formation of this country was an act of grand protest. We all talk of freedom, of sacrifice, of the hundreds of thousands of American citizens that have given their lives for our country. I ask you this, “What is more ‘our country’?”:
-The Flag
-The Anthem
-The Bill of Rights
They are all representative of the United States, sure. But the first two are more a representative notion of the last. (The Constitution, Bill of Rights, et al) If we want to suppress freedom selectively based on profession and/or annual earnings, then I would argue that we would be abandoning our founding fathers, founding documents and the very reasons an act-of-protest-turned-war-for-independence even happened. The sacrifices of so many, over the last 240+ years would be for not. On this issue, I see that there is a division between those that believe in peaceful protest and the right to do it, and those that want any person who doesn’t stand for the Anthem to lose their jobs. (At a minimum) And that, after all, highlights the need for protest better than anything else. Perhaps, we should be united in creating a country for which we all want to stand, to honor and to sing praise.
JReed Says…Be Thoughtful
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