I kind of wonder why people are worried if a football player kneels rather than stands during the playing of the national anthem? Oh I mean I get it all right: part of the answer is so obvious! They feel the player is being disrespectful. Got it, makes perfect sense.
On the other hand I don’t believe there’s ever been a requirement to stand: it’s just been assumed that players and fans will want to do so. I mean, if a player or fan did not stand up, is there a law on the books under which he or she could be arrested and carted off to jail?
While some patriotic fans might wish for such a law, I don’t believe there really is one at present. In other words, it’s not a crime not to stand.
Well, what about the expectation, law or no law, that all athletes should naturally want to stand because they are role models?
There is some truth to this view; athletes are role models for the young. The question becomes, what kind of role models do we want them to be?
Even though they are wearing a uniform and playing on a professional team, this does not mean they cease to be American citizens. They have rights, too, which they are free to exercise.
The people who get upset the most by this “taking a knee” protest believe that the kneeling athlete is being disrespectful, rude, and frivolous. And yet we’ve not seen that attitude from any of these athletes.
All of them appear to be following the dictates of their conscience. Indeed, they must know that such “abstention” from standing for the anthem may not be good for their popularity or their paycheck, at least in the short-term.
Colin Kaepernick, the first to refuse to kneel, spoke out to explain his reasons. He meant no disrespect but believed there was a serious problem in our nation regarding the mistreatment of Black people by police.
In other words, he was engaging in a peaceful protest to shine the spotlight on injustice.
Americans have the right to protest peaceably. It says so right there in the First Amendment alongside “freedom of speech”. They even have the right, if they have the courage, to engage in non-violent civil disobedience. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us that lesson.
So getting back to the role model question, especially for parents and teachers: do you want your kids to see absolute conformity all the time or do you want them to see individuals who, on occasion, are willing to put their beliefs ahead of conformist speech and behavior?
I mean it’s the easiest thing in the world to stand for a few minutes but sometimes among those standing are some people who don’t care or aren’t listening, aren’t thinking deep thoughts or feeling deep emotions.
It’s easy to make a habit of something and then keep doing it in a habitual manner without putting much thought or feeling into it.
But even if every single person who stands feels something stirring inside of them, feels pride in being an American, or gets misty-eyed on seeing the flag raised and hearing the high notes of “and the rocket’s red glare”—well, what are they saluting and feeling if not the pride that comes from knowing we live in a country where each individual has freedom of speech and liberty of conscience?
You see, I’m thinking those who criticize the kneeling football players can’t have it both ways. Sure, the critics love the flag and believe everyone else should love the flag the way they do but the truth is, we don’t all have to act and think alike. That’s a fundamental right everybody has: the right to be different.
I would submit these kneeling athletes are not being disrespectful. I submit they are being extraordinarily respectful of the rights and liberties symbolized by the flag, such as justice and equality and freedom and dignity.
How do citizens–and athletes–express their disagreement or indignation when they perceive that our society is failing to live up to these noble ideals? Where there is a pattern of injustice, should they keep quiet?
They have decided “no, no more keeping quiet”; it is time to join their voices to others who hope to stop the unnecessary killing of unarmed Black men and women. Historically, they stand on firm ground, do they not?
People protested against slavery and offended slave-owners; people protested segregation and offended racists both north and south. Isn’t it well past time for people to protest police brutality committed under the cover of authority?
Now if the athletes were talking, listening to music, checking email, playing a video game: that would be disrespectful. But is that truly what we see?
Make no mistake: there is a huge difference between rude, disrespectful, and insulting behavior and individual athletes “taking a knee” to register a protest over social injustice. They are bearing witness!
In this latter context, we should never call “taking a knee” disrespectful because we should never forget these football players are simply exercising their rights as Americans; they have a moral and lawful right to engage in such conduct whether or not others agree with them.
If our flag stands for anything, it stands for their right to bring attention to the long string of questionable deaths of Black men and women at the hands of the police; our flag stands for the rights of all Americans to follow their conscience when circumstances call for extraordinary witness.
Pressuring them to stand is not the answer. Stopping the unnecessary deaths of Black men and women at the hands of over-eager police would remove the cause of these players’ silent protest in the first place: that is the way to go!
No disrespect intended.
