Protesting Properly, and Getting To The Top of the Mountain

THE CONTROVERSY engendered by NFL footballs players who are inconveniently aware of African-American historical and contemporary socio-economic reality, in concert with a pervasive arrogant, dismissive, fiction of post-racial America, coupled with a healthy dose of faux self aggrandizing patriotic fervor, lingers, regrettably. If only the right wing nuts would simply acknowledge that the players have a point, that they do not intend to disrespect the national anthem, but that they merely wish to highlight a long standing and huge injustice by attracting as much attention as possible to the situation, this artificially generated controversy would abate. Frankly, the national anthem serves as a fine vehicle for legitimate protest. Kneeling during the national anthem harms no one, diminishes nobody's patriotism, and whether one is sitting or standing, the anthem plays on. Many religious groups in America do not stand for the Star Spangled Banner, for religious reasons, and they are never condemned for it. The outrage over the players is based on racism, and false indignation. Nobody who stands during the national anthem truly cares who does not stand. They care far more about the outcome of the upcoming game, and their own lives. These are people who enjoy taking offense, enjoy becoming a victim of some perceived offense, on order to create debt in others. In order to serve its purpose, all protests must gain attention, otherwise, there is no point. Martin Luther King, fifty years ago, was criticized by conservatives for walking down the middle of the street with his followers. They might have preferred that they gather instead in someone's basement, to enact social change. A solution is needed. During the national anthem, let the players all stand, hands of hearts. then, immediately after the anthem, let them walk to the middle of the football field, stand in a long line, each holding a sign which says "equality for all". In fact, it would probably work better if different players hale different signs. A few suggestions might include: "246 years", referring to the duration of slavery in America, or "1619", referring to the year in which slaves for first brought to America, "Jim Crow", "racism lingers" - the possibilities are numerous. maybe a two to five minute period of protest after the anthem, before the game begins, long enough to gain attention, long enough to outlast commercial breaks, maybe even long enough to arouse the wrath of right wing good ole white boy football fans, which is the central point of the protest. martin Luther King had no attention of accommodating his Caucasian colleagues, rather, he wanted to enhance their awareness, shame them, and motivate a desire to facilitate positive change. There may come a day, fifty years hence, when today's NFL players are enshrined as heroes alongside of MLK, who was no hero in his day, but is now, even among reluctant right wingers, who go along for the ride, or risk criticism. above all, the NFL players must not stop protesting, and if they must do so so as to appease the hostile, hypocritical white right wing of the American citizenry,, so be it. There are many ways to the mountaintop.