As the NFL protest finds its way into our national spotlight, a lot of fans find themselves torn between the respect they were taught to have as children for the American flag and respecting the rights of these public figures to express their opinions. Personally, I wholeheartedly support these players because I think it's really important to foster intellectual discord in a democracy.
Though one could certainly argue that these players should not be protesting because they are paid by fans that came to see a game, it is important to realize that they are not actually disrupting the games and that this is a great example of peaceful protest. Furthermore, it really should be point out that these players do not "owe" it to their fans to suppress their own political beliefs, they exist outside of the game and so do their problems. If you're going to have a field that is dominated by black excellence, expect social activism to make its entrance. We are past the point at which black excellence is suppose to separate the person from being black.
Additionally, some people have also suggest that the athletes should really be doing this on their own time and not on the fans'; to which I would like to raise the point that social activism, for many, is not "a hobby", but a life work and legacy that aims to inspire change for the generations after. There will never be a "right" time and place to protest because it is meant to be disruptive; it is a tool to bring attention to things that people might not have to think about before. In terms of achieving that goal, peacefully kneeling during the anthem certainly raises a conversation without risking riots or looting or things that actually detrimental to society. If you do not want people to protest on the streets because it can lead to potential violence and the absence of tangible demonstrations can lull people into thinking that there are little to no injustice and you do not want people to quietly protest on a more individual level; can you really say that America give its citizens the right to assemble?
The Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that the steelers as a team would not come out for the national anthem. However, Lineman Alejandro Villanueva, a former captain in the army and ex ranger who served 3 tours in Afghanistan, defied his coaches wish and chose to come out and take part in the national anthem to show his respect for our country. Later, Coach Tomlin said that he was disappointed and upset with Alejandro because he wanted the steelers to be one. Do you think it's right for a coach to tell his players to take part in a statement in an act they may or may not believe in?
ReplyDeleteI believe he later released his own statement saying that he regretted coming out by himself because it made it seem as though the Steelers were not supporting him, even though it was the opposite. I definitely understand the coach wanting to have a united front, but it seems as though the coach was not pressing him to pick a side at all, which is really important for me to say whether something is "right" or "wrong".
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