Wafa Jawad ’20
Contributing Writer
In the wake of natural disasters, international crises and human rights injustices around the world, the President of the United States turned his attention and anger to standing up for the national anthem, an irrelevant and inappropriate matter to be discussing at such a tumultuous time.
Colin Kaepernick made headlines last year when he refused to stand for the national anthem, stating that he wanted to bring attention to police brutality and racial injustice. Kaepernick has not been signed this NFL season and is a free agent, but his past protests, recently taken up by a few other players, still captured Trump’s attention. At a rally in Alabama earlier this month, Trump said, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He’s fired. He’s fired!’”
Trump then continued his tirade on Twitter, commenting that, “If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL, or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect…. our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!”
What Trump does not seem to realize is that he does not have the power to fire players who are protesting injustices by kneeling or sitting during the national anthem. Our First Amendment guarantees, “The freedom of speech … the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances,” thus, kneeling during the national anthem as a form of protest is protected under the Constitution.
The President’s comments illustrate his gross misunderstanding of what makes this country great. Every time he opens his mouth to make an uneducated and divisive statement, he only empowers and brings more people together. Athletes stood in solidarity following his comments, and NFL owners came forward in support of their teams’ players.
His attempts at silencing protests, calls to walk out of stadiums and boo players who refused to stand for the anthem did not have the effect for which he was hoping. Instead, veterans and service people began expressing their support for the many athletes who sat, kneeled or locked arms on Sunday.
97-year-old WWII veteran John Middlemas was one of those veterans. “It’s not disrespectful at all. It’s what I have learned to live and die for,” he said after a tweet by his grandson went viral. Middlemas’s sentiment was shared by many veterans.
For years, athletes have been protesting inequality and injustice in the same manner. One of the most notable protests was during the 1968 Olympics, when African-American athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised their fists in political demonstration.
In 1996 NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner,” arguing the flag was a symbol of oppression; he eventually compromised with the league and stood during the anthem with his eyes closed, looking downward and reciting Islamic prayer. In 2004, Blue Jays player Carlos Delgado protested the Iraq war by remaining in the dugout while “God Bless America” played.
Amidst cries to protest peacefully, it is interesting that Kaepernick’s silent protest and those inspired by this are interpreted as being disrespectful and anti-American. If anything, those who booed the peacefully protesting athletes while the anthem played are the ones being disrespectful.
Racism has become so ingrained in the culture of the United States that when it is protested, it is viewed as protesting the country itself. When people of color, especially African-Americans, protest, it is interpreted as a heinous act, but apparently committing injustices in the name of patriotism is not.
Trump was quick to call protesting players awful names but refused to condemn white nationalists who marched in Charlottesville, arguing that there was blame on both sides. He believes protesting racial injustice in this country is anti-American, but apparently chanting Nazi slogans is not.
The fact that so many expressed their anger at protesting athletes, most of whom were African-American, simply proves the point the players were making. There is still a sharp divide in the country where people of color are viewed in a negative light. There is incredible hostility directed towards them, and their every action is policed.
In the end, what makes America great are the ideals that the nation was built on. Two of those ideals are the right to free speech and to protest.
Dissent is American, and blind patriotism is incredibly damaging. We cannot move forward and progress until we take a critical look at the inequality plaguing our country. If kneeling during the national anthem starts a conversation, we should all be on board.
