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I think I’ve found a better analogy for “taking a knee” than has been described.
To me, and as stated by the NFL players, the NFL players taking a knee during the Anthem is not a protest of the flag, or of police or the military. It is a protest of what is happening to people in our country who don’t have the platform to speak out. Some people have compared it to Rosa Parks, saying she was not protesting public transportation. That is true, but it’s not a great analogy, because she was protesting what was happening on busses, so doing so on the bus was appropriate. I think a better analogy is the counter-protest in Charlottesville. The counter protesters were not protesting Charlottesville, they were protesting the message of hate that was delivered by white supremacists. (The Supremacists had a right to spew their message of hate, and the counter protesters had a right to reject it.) Many people, including our President, suggested the counter-protesters shared fault because they chose to make their stand in the face of the legal protest by the White Supremacists. I reject that. They were there to protest the message, and they did so peacefully until forced to defend themselves from violent attack. They were there because they LOVE Charlottesville and wanted to preserve it, and because they rejected the Anti-American message of the Supremacists. To say the NFL protests are anti-American would be the same as saying that the counter protesters in Charlottesville were rejecting the FREEDOM of the white supremacists to spew their message, or that they were protesting Charlottesville. Neither could be further from the truth. They were rejecting the message, not the right, because they love their city and their nation, and they want to preserve it.
So here’s how I see it. The players taking a knee are very similar,to the counter protesters. They are not protesting the flag. They are protesting actions that are against everything the flag stands for. These guys have it made. They are very fortunate to live in America, where they can become rich doing what they love (playing football). They are mostly not the ones being oppressed, but they have a platform to speak out for those who are. If they were spoiled, entitled punks, like some have suggested, they might sit quietly and enjoy their reward. Instead, they have taken a brave stance, often at great cost to themselves, to speak out for others who are less fortunate. This is something that has gone on for decades, and has not been fixed. Quiet protests where nobody will be offended have not worked. After all, the whole reason for protest is to make people feel the discomfort, to illicit a reaction that will force people to consider that which is being protested. A few people have been talking about police brutality and disparate rights for some, but apparently nobody is listening, because things have not dramatically improved. The NFL protests have got people talking, and that’s a start. It’s dialogue. As much as the President and others may want to reframe their intentions in order to stop the discussion, the fact is it is being discussed.
The protest is that some people are not receiving the rights and treatment that is represented by our flag. It is appropriate to take a knee IN SUPPORT OF what the flag stands for until every American has equal access to those values. To tell someone to protest elsewhere is like telling the counter-protesters in Charlottesville to protest in Richmond, so they don’t offend the white supremacists. Both are the embodiment of political correctness. Both are intended at least to avoid offending those who are guilty of not supporting rights of ALL AMERICANS, and are more likely intended to silence those who challenge the status quo.
In my opinion, the most appropriate place to protest in support of the values of the American Flag is during our Anthem or during the Pledge, and in front of the widest audience possible. It is not a protest against the flag, it is a protest in support of the values the flag and our Declaration of Independence, and for the way of life that our military risks their life to preserve.
Relieving yourself needs to peformed in the proper place and time.
As entertainers, they need to play to the audience. The audience is not obligated to applaud. Especially when they tune in for entertainment and instead get some confused political message at an inappropriate time.
A confused hysterical message is in conflict with the one thing that unites us.
Thank BLM, the terrorist organization and the lies spread by democrats hate and fear mongering campaign in partnership with the media propaganda machine to divide the nation where obama and his kindred spirit, putin, left off.
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."
I am not impressed at all by the knee gesture. Instead of showing dissatisfaction with the situation, they should be thinking about how to actually make positive changes.
The knee is only showing their concern, and that's such a passive response, given how much money they make and how powerful a voice they have on social media. Why not form a foundation to and take real active to fix the problems? It's so lazy to take a knee and encourage others to follow suit. Stop looking to whitey to fix the problems. As I have suggested before, they should be encouraging the black community to increase the number of blacks becoming police officers. Since Colin Kaepernick wasn't re-signed to a new contract, he should be the first to become a police officer and patrol in a poor black majority neighborhood and show the white police officers how to do their job better.
Blacks need to be part of the solution, instead of only criticizing white people for being the problem. You can't change others, but you choose to be one of the tools of change. Stop picketing and protesting, and instead join the establishment to be the real agents of positive changes.
Trump's tweets are all dog whistles to the worst traits of his base. His recent tweet lamenting that the owners, nearly all of them white, are afraid of the big bad athletes protesting, most of them black is just another example. He constantly uses words and phrases that have connections to bigoted stereotypes.
Meh... the postmodern Left thinks milk is a symbol white supremacy.
Kaepernick is principled and has stood for what he believes in a respectable manner. He puts value on human life over a flag. He has articulated his position clearly while the President and others have exhibited ghetto, low-class behavior because they disagree. It is Kaepernick's upstanding behavior that has allowed him to be successful.
Yeah, wearing socks portraying cops as PIGS is real principled and indicative of upstanding behavior.....
Next time Kaepernick gets mugged or robbed he should call the NFL.......
Relieving yourself needs to peformed in the proper place and time.
As entertainers, they need to play to the audience. The audience is not obligated to applaud. Especially when they tune in for entertainment and instead get some confused political message at an inappropriate time.
A confused hysterical message is in conflict with the one thing that unites us.
Thank BLM, the terrorist organization and the lies spread by democrats hate and fear mongering campaign in partnership with the media propaganda machine to divide the nation where obama and his kindred spirit, putin, left off.
The protesting of the anthem was a much bigger issue a year ago when it first started. Few players were recently doing it as just six NFL players took such action before Trump decided to comment on it. the protests were dying out on their own. Trump however reignited the controversy and made it even bigger than it has first been a year ago.
Most of the nation had moved on from this. It was Trump that brought it back and divided the nation. He did so knowing it would appeal to much of his bigoted base.
You do realize that not all of Trump supporters are that narrow minded?
I understand what the NFL kneelers are trying to do but I think they are going about it the wrong way. Colin Kapernick started the movement and his message was quickly lost and now we have many players taking a knee and most have no idea why they are doing it. Is it that they hate Trump, hate Cops, hate the place that their people share in American society?
The NFL has it's own problem with many of the players who get in trouble with the law. Their talents get them out of the hood but they often retreat back to it and beat up on their spouses or in the case of Aaron Hernandez murder people.
I say that the best thing these players could do is to act like upstanding citizens which many do. They have so much power and money to influence the younger generation but what are we seeing?
Kids are taking a misguided knee at their sporting events and even for the pledge of allegiance at schools.
The kids need better examples and better heroes to look up to.
What is ironic is that we wouldn't be having this issue in the NFL if more black people were willing to kneel when a police man with his gun drawn orders him to.
Wow that reads harsh but I say Live to fight another day.
Police are not our enemy but if you break the law and get their attention and then go after them you will get roughed up and possibly shot regardless of your skin colour.
I do think Trump should stay out of this because he is making it worse.
I think I’ve found a better analogy for “taking a knee” than has been described.
To me, and as stated by the NFL players, the NFL players taking a knee during the Anthem is not a protest of the flag, or of police or the military. It is a protest of what is happening to people in our country who don’t have the platform to speak out.
I believe that would be news to most of the knee takers. The most common reason cited for the protest is alleged police brutality against blacks.
Anyone who thinks the US flag is oppressive should spend some time in the middle east or places like venezuela. They'll figure out REAL FAST the US is the greatest on earth by far
LOL. Were you chanting WE'RE NUMBER ONE!!" in your head as you posted that?
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