What is the controversy surrounding #takeaknee

[mlmooney89]

I got beat to the link by TheBeardedDude but it is a really good read to learn what they are doing and why.

I actually just watched a debate yesterday between my coworkers because one is more world cultured while the other two are more white southern pride. The two claim white privilege isn't real anymore and that they are making this a bigger issue than it is. I agree with the world cultured lady but I got in trouble for debating at work so I stayed out of it other than to just state the facts (the white privilege ones didn't even know what was really happening)

Basically it's people like them that only see their small town of mostly white people, working Mexicans, and a splatter of any other race that are sitting there thinking none of this horrible stuff is going on anywhere else in the country simply because they don't see it first hand.

On the other side people like myself and the wordly coworker are mad at people for being so blind. The thing with Trump is because he went and said that the people during the Nazi issue recently had good people in it while these peaceful protestors are all kinds of nasty names and need to be fired.

I get that they are on company time and if the team owners don't like it they can rightfully get fired but Trump has no say in that. That is a decision for each team and Trump is just fueling the hate like always.

People like all my family and friends (most EMS and Military) are saying the flag itself is being disrespected and getting all hot and bothered over that. I've tried explaining that the national anthem is racist in itself but they scoff at me. I have also tried to explain the kneeling thing but they don't want to hear that either. You are correct in that we wear and disrespect the flag everyday but they take no notice of that.

[Minimalist]

But why is it considered disrespectful

Because black players are doing it.

[Rev. Rye]

And here's a bit of information about the controversy I just discovered:



On a side note, I discovered this through Mamie Van Doren's Facebook page. Yes, she's not only still alive, but she looks a lot better than anyone should expect someone who is older than my grandmother was when she died would look.

[henryp]

I think our disconnect is that I think Kapernick's protesting the flag is justified and doesn't need to be hedged.  Because once you start spinning it, and making excuses, and writing opinion pieces saying what he really meant, and etc... you end up with the pile of meaningless shit we saw this sunday.

Except it still isn't the flag being protested. The protest isn't that superficial

That's a bit of an Airplane! quality literal take.  Flag symbolizes America.  America treats black people poorly.  So he doesn't stand for flag.

It seems so straightforward and justified.  I don't see why anyone would complicate such a direct and strong statement.

[Minimalist]

You don't?  Really?

[TheBeardedDude]

Except it still isn't the flag being protested. The protest isn't that superficial

That's a bit of an Airplane! quality literal take.  Flag symbolizes America.  America treats black people poorly.  So he doesn't stand for flag.

It seems so straightforward and justified.  I don't see why anyone would complicate such a direct and strong statement.

Responding to this would just be me repeating myself. You oversimplify it, just like Trump and conservative pundits do.

[henryp]

It's funny how when it was about black people getting shot, there were like 6 people kneeling and a bunch of awkward hemming and hawing. But now that it's about Trump, there are 100's of players, and people are tripping over themselves to support it.

Which is why it's so important for it to be spun as not protesting the flag/america. Because white people want to get in on it, but they have to make the 'protest' palatable first.

Like when they were doing the BLM marches, and whites were like "I want to march, but the blacks are being all serious, and I felt uncomfortable holding up my futurama themed protest sign. Let's do our own! We can protest for women, and we'll wear vagina hats! Then we'll protest for science! Futurama signs will be super awesome there!" We (white folks) basically yankovic them. They make Gangster's Paradise, and we turn it into Amish Paradise, so we can have the same beat, but now it's funny and we can enjoy it more!

[Rev. Rye]

You know, given that the tradition only started during the Obama administration, you'd think the Republicans would be in favor of removing it, given that the party does whatever it can to oppose Obama, regardless of whether or not it makes sense to do so.

But since it's an empty display of virtue that can tie into the conservative worldview, that evidently must mean it should be preserved at all costs.

[brewer]

[edit]
I've tried explaining that the national anthem is racist in itself but they scoff at me. 
[edit]

Not saying that I agree or disagree but can you explain to me how the national anthem is racist? (skoff, skoff, hehehe)

My take, Kap wanted to make a protest and wanted publicity. What other time than during the national anthem would his protest be noticed during a pro football game? What other action could he take during the game that would get noticed? Throw a game? Walk off the field? If he waned to protest during a game this was probably the best action he could take. To say it's the flag or the anthem is deflecting the original purpose/motivation. 

It did look kinda hinky when he just sat in the beginning. Just another player not realizing or caring that the anthem was being played. That had happened hundreds of times prior to Kap.  

The protest, I'm fine with it. The outrage is over blown love it or leave it bullshit. Knowing america's attention span the outrage will all be over within a relatively short time unless dip shits keep fueling the fire.

[Neo-Scholastic]

It is one big misdirection. The Whitehouse (and conservative pundits in general for more than a year) paints this as a protest of the flag, when it is not and has never been a protest of the flag. It is/was a protest about police treatment of minorities, and this weekend it also became a protest of Trump

There's also a kind of interesting paradox about protests involving national symbols in my mind. To disrespect the flag is to disrespect all that it stands for which is to disrespect your right to disrespect it. The freedoms and liberties represented by the flag are also the remedies to the grievances motivating protest against it. So in a way its kind of like protesting the very thing you hope to achieve. I mean, if Americans cannot stand united in their respect for the symbols that represent our liberties, the principles that protect them, and the people who fought and died for them then what else could possible unite us as one nation?

Secondly, there is a time and a place for everything. Military funerals are not an appropriate place to protest against gay marriage. The Westbound Baptist Church may have had the right but that didn't make it right. Look, I know this supposed to be about police brutality. Maybe they should protest in front of City Hall or a Police station and not at sporting events, concerts, and other performances where people go to get away from politics and their everyday lives. People want go out with the family, tailgate, and have fun, not be preached at. These kinds of protests are about as welcome as a fart in an elevator.