One thing can be said about the Chinese: they certainly know how to stand up for their anthem. Did you know that in some parts, one can be imprisoned for up to 15 days for refusing to stand? But then again, would you expect anything less from a communist country?
What I love about the United States are the freedoms that we all enjoy. On the most part we are free to do whatever we wish to do, and nobody can force us to do anything against our will. Or at least, that is the standard that we should all strive to achieve.
But wait! What was it a prominent US politician said last week concerning our national anthem?
"The NFL has decided that it will not force players to stand for the playing of our National Anthem. Total disrespect for our great country!"What kind of country would we be that claims to espouse freedoms, and then compel everyone to stand for the playing of the national anthem? Can you see the irony in such a concept? Shouldn't we be better than communist nations that force an artificial and contradictory nationalism on their people?
I know -- I know. I can't stand the likes of Kaepernick who misuse our beloved symbols in their misguided protests based on fuzzy statistics. But I also cannot be the one to throw a stone and compel them to comply with the rest of us, as what would that make me?
I also ask you to reconsider your positions on this matter. I know that a majority of you are offended by the actions of several football players, but if you truly value our freedoms, can you be that person to throw the stone of compulsion? Is that the type of patriot you really want to be?
It's bad enough that those in high positions in our government are pushing this issue -- urging the NFL to force their players to stand and going so far as to threaten their tax status. Even today, it was said: "Two dozen NFL players continue to kneel during the National Anthem, showing total disrespect to our Flag & Country. No leadership in NFL!"
It's bad enough that the press kindles the fires and keeps this whole thing going for ratings and distracting us from real news.
We don't really need to add to this mess, ourselves. Can we really be that upset about 24 players who won't stand up for the anthem? How could it possibly hurt us? Out of millions of patriotic Americans, this 24 is hardly even a blip. What do we get out of yelling for their coercion? A false sense of patriotic self-righteousness?
Rather, all this getting worked up is unproductive -- especially when there are much bigger issues to worry about.
I have an idea. Let this story die. During the anthem, the cameraman can focus on the other 99.9% of people who are standing. Why should we give Kaepernick any attention? It all went away last year (even when he continued his protests), and it can go away again.
We can get on with life, get back to watching football, and celebrate the fact that we live in the land of the free, and the home of the brave.
2 comments:
"I also ask you to reconsider your positions on this matter. I know that a majority of you are offended by the actions of several football players"
Not me. I understand perfectly why they're protesting and they have every right to. Fortunately, they live in a country in which most thinking people understand that right.
"I can't stand the likes of Kaepernick who misuse our beloved symbols in their misguided protests based on fuzzy statistics."
Don't agree that anyone is "misusing" any symbol. A protest is a protest against the establishment and that includes their beloved symbols. I pledged my life to defend this country and the rights of the people in it for 23 years. That includes their right to protest and I'd do it again.
So, since the feds don't have a central database on police shooting statistics we have to rely on other sources. what's fuzzy about this from the Washington Post: "According to the most recent census data, there are nearly 160 million more white people in America than there are black people. White people make up roughly 62 percent of the U.S. population but only about 49 percent of those who are killed by police officers. African Americans, however, account for 24 percent of those fatally shot and killed by the police despite being just 13 percent of the U.S. population. As The Post noted in a new analysis, that means black Americans are 2.5 times as likely as white Americans to be shot and killed by police officers."
Or this from Snopes? "The grim trend has carried over into 2016. Of the 1,034 people killed and tracked by Dr. Brian Burghart’s Fatal Encounters database so far this year, 215 were black while 338 were white, so thus far in 2016 black Americans have been three times more likely than white people to die in interactions with police."
Sounds to me like the stats are pretty clear, or am I missing something?
"I have an idea. Let this story die. During the anthem, the cameraman can focus on the other 99.9% of people who are standing. Why should we give Kaepernick any attention?"
I guess if you're white and don't care what happens to others whose skin or religion or country of origin or is different that yours, that's your answer. But I know that's not you, Mel. So the real question is not about a stupid kneeling football player. The question is about freedom and justice for all -- we are tired of the discriminatory war against the blacks in this country by the police, the alt-right as well as other white-dominated organizations in the U.S.? Not Kapernick, but Kapernick's cause deserves the attention of ALL Americans.
Thanks for the comments.
Big picture: Though I disagree with Kaepernick's protest and choice of venue, I am still fighting for his right to protest, most importantly -- his right to not have to stand for the pledge.
At the same time, you will probably recognize that I'm using language that would appeal to a majority of my readers. I understand why many conservatives are offended, and I was hoping to help them see that the protests are not that bad and to try to show a different perspective -- that when conservatives are fighting to take away freedoms, we are no better than the president of China, who recently instituted that 15-days-in-prison law I mentioned.
If we truly value our freedoms, then we should not push to coerce people to stand for the anthem. To do so is ... well ... un-American. That's what fascist and communist countries do.
As for the fuzzy statistics, I could do a whole separate post on that alone. It's not that the numbers you list are wrong, but rather you can't arrive at the conclusions without further assumptions (of which many don't hold true). There simply isn't enough information provided in those numbers to give the full story.
I strongly recommend reading two books that help to expose top statistics "errors" and "sins" and how easy it is to twist statistics to meet an agenda:
Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences (John Allen Paulos)
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner)
These two amazing books helped to open my eyes.
Sure, I would agree with Kaepernick in principle: black and white offenders should be treated equally, and yes ... discrimination does exist, but I think the degree to which it exists is grossly exaggerated. We're far better off than we were 40 years ago, and even 20 years ago. I think it would be much healthier to celebrate our advances, and keep pushing forward.
I could dive much further into this, but I would prefer to do so somewhere else and mainly concentrate on the anthem here in this post.
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