By Sam Frescoe
http://samfrescoeproject.blogspot.com/
#SamFrescoe
Here we go again; righteousness done poorly is overcome by
stupidity done well.
Over the prior weekend, the NFL went toe-to-toe with the
American culture at large. Player after player, and team after team, condoned
and encouraged the corruption of a pious gesture. Coach after coach, owner
after owner, and the League itself openly cast their once proud “Super Bowl
World Champion” heritage down to pettiness. Why? Because their hurt feelings
were more important than their heritage and the foundation upon which that
heritage rests.
That’s right! Grown men that handsomely profit from the promotion
of a childhood game took it upon themselves to behave like brats in the name of
righteousness. In doing so, they dishonored themselves, their teams, their
League, their fans, and their sport; they dishonored their names, their
families, and those that built the ivory tower upon which they sit; they
dishonored a time American unity, symbols of that unity, and (by extension)
Americans themselves. – It just goes to show that the saying is true, “Stupid
is, as stupid does.”
Dear NFL Protesters – Even though you are formerly educated,
in possession of extraordinary fitness, and are gainfully employed you still
lack intelligence, mental capacity to think for yourself, and humility personifying
gratitude. – The belief that you represent the voices of the oppressed because
you feel that one man offended you is stupid. – The belief that your conduct
couldn’t be understood in any other way than team cohesion is stupid. – The
belief that the use of a rude and widely unpopular gesture makes you righteous
champions of social justice is stupid.
Dear NFL Protesters – In a single weekend you successfully
remade yourselves into the newest personification of the problems and attitudes
that you claim to be resisting.
Here We Go Again
This past weekend, a number of NFL players, coaches, owners,
etc. choose to “take a knee” or refused to take the field during the customary
pre-game playing of the national anthem. This behavior was deemed to be fitting
and acceptable in order to demonstrate integrity while drawing attention to
social injustice.
NOTE: POTUS Comments: While the
comments of POTUS are part of the events of the weekend, those comments fall
outside the scope and purpose of this article.
NOTE: Right to Speech: While speech
is an American right, and an important factor of the events of the weekend,
this line of discussion falls outside the scope and purpose of this article.
Historical Framing – Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid
In 2016, Colin Kaepernick, former San Francisco 49ers
quarterback, started protests by sitting on the bench during the US national
anthem.
At that time, it seemed clear that Kaepernick intended his gesture to be a
mechanism for drawing attention to police brutality and social injustice.
“People are dying in vain because
this country isn't holding their end of the bargain up as far as, you know,
giving freedom and justice and liberty to everybody.”
[5]
“People don't realize what's really
going on in this country. There are a lot things that are going on that are
unjust. People aren't being held accountable for. And that's something that
needs to change. That's something that this country stands for: freedom,
liberty and justice for all.”
[6]
“Once again, I’m not
anti-American,” Kaepernick said. “I love America. I love people. That’s why I’m
doing this. I want to help make America better. I think having these
conversations helps everybody have a better understanding of where everybody is
coming from.”
Kaepernick, in a moment of clarity, rightfully broadened his
message to include politics and challenged the integrity of the electorate. –
Bravo!
“We have a presidential candidate
who's deleted emails and done things illegally and is a presidential candidate.
That doesn't make sense to me, because if that was any other person, you'd be
in prison. So what is this country really standing for?”
However, poor messaging choices made social-political space
for his aims to be recast as malicious intent.
Beginning July 2015, Kaepernick
began promoting Black Nationalist and Black Lives Matter material on his social
media platform.
“I am not going to stand up to show
pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.”
One of his leading advocates, Nessa
Daib (his girlfriend at that time) posted on Twitter, “Please take the time to
UNDERSTAND what he is saying…” versus actually explaining what we were meant to
understand.
What Kaepernick likely intended for doing good (restoring freedom,
liberty, and justice for all) was transformed into ridicule and mockery.
Weekend Framing – Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid
Now, more than a year later, the messaging has changed
again. Now, “taking a knee” is a symbol of America-hating and gross disrespect
to Americans at large, especially our warrior dead. However, there are some
that disagree with this observation.
Let’s suppose that I’m off-base and out-of-touch. Let’s
suppose that all of this messaging and behavior is actually a clear and defined
protest against the treatment of black and non-white people. Now, with all of
this in mind, let’s address some simple questions:
What’s changed?
- ·
Do black lives matter more than before?
- ·
Are black communities better off than before?
- ·
Are legal statues being rewritten to remove bad
law?
- ·
Is unemployment any better?
- ·
Is black-on-black crime being reduced?
- ·
Is black crime (villain or victim) being
reduced?
- ·
Is the black abortion rate declining?
- ·
Is the dropout rate of black students in
decline?
- ·
Are more black entrepreneurs being underwritten
and financed?
What’s being done to make things better?
- ·
Are blacks voting in greater numbers?
- ·
Are black business owners offering testimony and
advice to lawmakers?
- ·
Are more blacks becoming police officers?
- ·
Are more blacks seeking elected office?
- ·
Are more blacks petitioning for legislation?
It’s been more than a year sense Kaepernick brought all of
this to the forefront.
- ·
Where’s the message of unity?
- ·
Where’s the doctrine of virtue?
It’s been a year.
Hateful Righteousness – Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid
I'm not opposed to purposeful protesting. – Peaceful
protesting for a good and grand purpose is an American thing to do.
I’m not opposed to identification of wrong-doing. – If
rights are to be restored, then wrongs must be clearly identified.
I am opposed to the notion that the American way of life is
inherently corrupt and fundamentally evil. – These “protesters” want all
Americans, everywhere, to believe their entire heritage and living memory is
inherently evil, wicked, immoral, foul, horrible, disgusting, and corrupt
because they cannot bring themselves to stand for an oppressive nation. Really?
How am I supposed to take them seriously when their
messaging is egregious and shamelessly vicious?
·
If racism is real, then fairness and tolerance
must be equally real.
·
If white privilege is real, then black
disadvantage must be equally real.
·
If oppression is real, then liberation must be
equally real.
·
If fear is real, then confidence must be equally
real.
·
If resistance is real, then assistance must be
equally real.
How am I supposed to agree with them when their messaging is
incomplete (at best) and dishonest (at worst)?
·
They are athletes. They are celebrities. And, they
want me to believe or agree that they are experts on oppression because they
are professional football players?
·
They are professional football players. They are
exclusive members of a well equipped and empowered team. And, they want me to
believe or agree that they are experts in systemic oppression that is America
itself?
How am I supposed to accept their claims while disregarding
their presentation: as if speaking something aloud makes it so for everyone?
·
How can they talk about the complexities of American
society, but never acknowledge that the same society is complex enough that
others can read the same evidence and arrive at a different conclusion?
·
How can they proclaim to find it hard to believe
that others could honestly and intelligently come to a different conclusion
than themselves?
How am I supposed to accept their morality and judgment as
prudent and wise?
·
What is the source of their moral authority?
·
Who made them moral givers?
Bottom Line
Dear NFL Protesters – You cannot lift up America to new
levels by tearing down all of America to your depths. You, and those around
you, are the beneficiaries of those Americans that addressed segregation, civil
rights, voting rights, and the nonsense of Jim Crow laws long before you were
thought to be a good idea. In doing so, they did what they did, fought as they
fought, and died as they died so that everyone could benefit in ways that they
could never have foreseen. – It’s time for you to master your own nature and build
on the hard fought virtues of our American past.
At some point each American, without exception, must choose
to identify with what is graceful, virtuous, and good or with what is evil,
vicious, and bad. You cannot be a righteous champion by having it both ways.
Viciousness is a human failing, but virtue is a human triumph. Both are ever-present simply because
human beings exist. Both represent the desire of human nature to cultivate
thoughts, make decisions, and take action on those decisions. But, it’s not
human nature that puts failings and triumphs into the world; it’s individual
human beings.
Your View
Your thoughts and perspectives are important. I invite you
to tell me what you believe with the comment section.
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