When Protesting Doesn’t Help Your Cause
The National Football League has become involved in one of the biggest controversies in recent years involving players protesting before the start of games by refusing to give proper respect during the performance of the National Anthem.
Even President Trump has weighed in with a blunt statement of how players who refuse to stand for the National Anthem should be cut by owners immediately. It was a bold move by a president who is certainly not afraid to make bold statements.
Clearly in our country everyone has the right to protest. It’s a right guaranteed by the Constitution. As someone who has made a living through the First Amendment and freedom of expression, I have always and will always stand up for the right for anyone to protest, even when I disagree with the cause.
However, after watching this display by some (not all) NFL players, I have to wonder if the actions are actually doing anything to advance the cause they are trying to represent. Truthfully, it is only hurting it.
I will not dispute there are various social issues that need attention in our country. We do have issues with police overstepping their bounds at times. The recent example of what happened to a nurse who rightfully refused to take blood from an unconscious patient without just cause is only one example.
YouTube is filled with hundreds videos of police overstepping their bounds on arrests. Videos show them harassing citizens who are exercising their rights to carry firearms. There are even videos of preachers being arrested for simply speaking the words of the Bible in public.
In our judicial system, more and more prisoners are being found to be innocent after serving years behind bars. A recent story of a man who was on death row for three decades only to be found innocent is beyond horrible. He was finally released with apologies from prosecutors but he can never get those years back of course.
Yet, I cannot figure out how kneeling or turning your back on the National Anthem helps combat any of these issues. By doing something which rightfully angers so many Americans, NFL players are showing they really don’t care about whatever cause they supposedly are trying to advance. One has to wonder if it’s just not about millionaire football players attempting to be even more in the spotlight.
Part of the blame in all this has to rest on the owners. If the owners simply would tell players that they had to stand for the National Anthem as part of team policy then this would issue would be over. As the owner of a business you have that right.
It’s not censorship people. It would be like the owners of this newspaper deciding not to publish something that I’ve written. As the owners of this publication they have that right. If I don’t like it then I have the recourse of starting my own newspaper and then publishing it. The owners of this newspaper—or any newspaper for that matter—are under no obligation to print anything they don’t want.
Owners of a business have the right to set guidelines for their employees. If the owner wants employees to dress a certain way they have the right to do so. If the owner wants employees to respect the playing of the National Anthem, they have that right to require it.
If the player is so determined not to give proper respect to our National Anthem then he has the right to quit the team, quit receiving the millions upon millions of dollars he gets as a paycheck and go out and do something else.
A big issue in the NFL is that owners seem to be afraid to stand up to the players, who are their employees. It seems as if that has gotten lost in all of this.
Yes, there are injustices in this country. However, NFL players are actually hurting those causes by insulting a large percentage of Americans, fans, veterans, current military personnel and even our president by doing something which has been twisted into a free speech issue.
If you notice, the only people really defending the actions of the players are those who are directly tied to the NFL. I think that says a great deal.
As for me, I will always stand during the National Anthem. Too many men and women have paid the ultimate sacrifice for me not to. It’s not about having the right not to do it. Technically you have the right to give a Nazi salute as well but doing so would be as absurd as not standing for the National Anthem in my book.
Monticello native Chris Bridges is a long-time newspaper columnist. He welcomes feedback from readers of The Monticello News at pchrisbridges@gmail.com.