Why We Protest
Dear Former NFL Fan,
So I understand that you are upset because a number of NFL players took a knee, locked arms in solidarity or otherwise protested in response to the President’s outrageous attack of Colin Kaepernick.
You believe that these NFL players are somehow disrespecting the flag or the troops with their protest. And yet you elected a President who insults transgender troops , Gold Star families, and even POWs who also happen to be Senators in their party.
You believe that these NFL players are spoiled millionaires who should stick to the area of their expertise, namely sports. And yet you elected a President who had never served a minute in public office prior to holding the highest one in the land. Never mind the fact that the man’s Twitter account is a daily reminder that he habitually weighs in on issues that are way over his head.
You believe that these NFL players should be compelled by their employers to respect the National Anthem. And yet you elected a President who routinely flouts democratic norms and expresses admiration for anti-democratic strongmen.
Each argument you offer in condemnation of the NFL players/support for the Racist in Chief sounds more hollow than the next. Or maybe you’ve decided to elevate cognitive dissonance to an art form.
Whatever the case, I find it interesting that you choose to turn your back on the NFL now of all times. And don’t tell me it’s because you couldn’t stand the affront to the National Anthem — a song most of y’all couldn’t recite the lyrics to if forced by gunpoint. Or a flag that you regard with such solemnity that you fashion it into tacky apparel and paper plates.
So why did you really find the actions of the players objectionable, while turning a blind eye to the litany of domestic violence cases? Or the disturbing number of CTE injuries that have had violent and tragic consequences? Hell, where’s your outrage for the NFL billionaire owners who pressure their cities into gifting them expensive stadiums and bolting when they don’t get their way?
No, all of those issues were apparently kosher with fans like you, not to mention team owners and executives. But NFL players nonviolently expressing their right to protest is just a bridge too. Since you’re football fans, perhaps it’s the nonviolent part you object to — far better for them to crash their heads together than express an opinion, right?
In the wake of Trump’s typically bellicose rhetoric, the reason for Kaepernick’s protest has been obscured. Just so there’s no confusion, allow me to quote him directly:
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. 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.”
The “bodies in the street” is a metaphorical reference to the scores of unarmed black Americans killed by police officers in this country. It’s also a literal (and literally heartbreaking) reference to young black men like Michael Brown whose body was left to rot in the street like a dog.
Where was your righteous indignation when that happened? Oh right, you were calling his protest a “distraction” and questioning his mental stability. And yet the societal ill Kaepernick was protesting still hasn’t been healed.
So I find it interesting that you mocked Kaepernick for his protest, not to mention those who said they wouldn’t watch the games while Kaepernick continued to be blackballed by the league. You were all cool with watching a violent bloodsport so long as it transparently embraced blind patriotism and militarism. I can only conclude that you see these as truer American values than the right to free speech.
In America, our greatest natural resource isn’t oil or coal — it’s hypocrisy. And this double standard flourishes in wild abandon when it comes to policing the speech of its colored citizens. Although Kaepernick’s original motivation was to protest the unjust treatment many black people face at the hands of law enforcement, it’s clear that it’s since evolved into something more.
This weekend demonstrated that many of the players who didn’t explicitly take Kaepernick’s side at first understand now that it’s their fight as well. It’s about a white nationalist power structure, as embodied by Trump, focused on curbing dissent if it comes from black voices.
And that’s why we protest. How about you?
