Protesting America from
the Sidelines
When I first saw
the clip of those Olympic winners in Mexico, fists in the air in
1968, I thought it was an anomaly. It was definitely incongruous to
the spirit and purpose of the games. I agree it is hard to keep
politics out of something that usually syncs up with the election
cycle. Specifically in '68, when war, racial tension, economic
despartiy commanded the year, the temptation to make an unexpected,
perhaps inappropriately timed, unprecedented demonstration was great.
The young fighter named Cassius Clay refused to fight in Vietnam in
1964. He was later stripped of his heavyweight title earned under the
Muslim name Muhamed Ali. He was banned from boxing, as George Carlin
said because he wouldn't kill people so the government said “we
won't let you beat them up.” He sought conscientious objector, or
CO, status. He was one of 170,000 who received such classification
deferring them from service in Southeast Asia from 1960 to 1975. They
were Jehovah wittiness, Mennonites, Quakers, and brethren. Yes Ali
was a sports figure who eloquently articulated his cause publicly,
but he was far from a random athlete on a podium raising a gloved
fist like a sore thumb.
Standing during the
Star Spangled Banner is just something I've done since I was a kid.
I'm sure I did it at the one and only football game I saw at the Met
Stadium when I was 10. I like the song, know the full story behind
it, and feel it is the very least (maybe because I was never able to
serve myself) I can do to express my respect and empathy for those
who did serve our country. Yes, that's beginning with the War of 1812
(from which the song came) which was fought for America, without
hyperbole. I think it is the idea of America, even if we find
ourselves today as far from an ideal America as ever, that's on the
table when that song is played. I like to feel proud once in a while.
Not everything is political. Now, if a player did not agree with some
policy in the NFL they might find a way to protest that. But could
they jeopardize their career, their million$ salary? Would they do
it? What do they risk not standing for the anthem? Trump might order
them to get off their knees, and I think that is wrong. I think it is
an odd, ultimately ineffective gesture that kind of mocks the first
amendment right, but no one should be forced to do—or not
do—anything, especially by an egocentric political opportunist like
Trump. In fact, if I were on that unlevel playing field, I might not
stand just to spite Trump, just (as if he needs anything) to make him
angry.
So, maybe because I
am on the left sidelines, I have mixed feelings about this. This is
as dangerously close as I've ever come to agreeing with even the “in
theory” part of a Trump view and I hate it. I can see where the
athletes are coming from, I can see where Trump is coming from. But
with him the reasons lack sincerity and at some point will benefit
HIM. I hate to think America is dead to those protesters. Look at
what it has done. All most people, on social media and the news, are
discussing is if it's okay, whether it is acceptable way to protest.
Is anyone talking race, the issue which the protest is supposed to
address? Not that I see or hear. It amounts to shock value, kind of
like when Abbie Hoffman was going to levitate the Pentagon. The
demonstration there proceeding the levitation accomplished addressing
opposition to Vietnam. I have to applaud Hoffman's theater though,
his chutzpah and mischegas (wackiness). In his case, however, he was
alone, he was not on a team on national TV on a stadium field,
perhaps mocking what people have been taught to do since they were
kids. To me it is on the very low end of political protests, not
quite in the same league as enduring n----- hurled at you a million
times or not getting up to give up a seat on a bus.
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