"Reflections On The Day President Trump United the NFL by Greg Arthur for Tuesday, 26 September 2017
To kneel or not to kneel, that is the question.
By now you have scrolled past 337 lengthy Facebook conversations about the events that took place this past Sunday, at NFL stadiums around the country. A weariness of debating the nature of honor, protest, and responsibility has set in, making you feel like you went four quarters against a massive offensive line. There has been a lot of anger, and a lot of ink spilt over this issue. (No actual ink was harmed in the writing of this blog.) After careful reflection (this is a concept completely foreign to most of the discourse you have witnessed), what are you supposed to think and feel about this divisive issue? I’m glad you asked, because I have a couple of thoughts. The divergent reactions to this peaceful protest reflect the radically different Americas that we have grown up in
My dad and my father-in law served in the military. In fact my dad spent 39 years serving the Department of the Army as a civilian. The military was always a presence in my life. Respecting the flag, and especially those who serve to defend our country, has never been a question in my world. When he retired my father was gifted a flag that flew over the capitol building. It is proudly displayed in his home office.
So when emotion begins to leak out of those who have grown up with similar ideas and experiences I understand. The freedoms we enjoy have come at a great cost. If you have been around military families you understand the unbelievable sacrifices that are continually made in the name of freedom. Anything that feels like a disrespect of those sacrifices will get you fired up quickly.
There are other American experiences, however. Many have grown up in a country where they have felt ignored, oppressed, profiled, targeted, systematically attacked, and powerless to do anything about it. They have watched systems of poverty, violence, and policies and laws enforced by our government continually rip apart and hold back their communities. The color of their skin has fundamentally changed their experience of what it is to be American. This is true for the Latino community, the Black community, and other immigrant populations. (We are painting with large brushes here, so read all this with grace, please).
It would be great if our reactions to each other simply reflected these different American experiences. For those who grew up as I did, it would be a sign of maturity and awareness to not universalize our experiences or values and impose them. We do ourselves a great disservice when we equate peaceful, protected, reasonable protest with a fundamental attack on what is right, decency, and our country. We are certainly smarter than that, or at least we should be.
If you don’t understand why people are protesting then be quiet and listen instead of talking
Our reactions to these protests prove their worth. One person simply kneeling, insteading of standing, during our national anthem has sparked millions of people to have a conversation about what is happening in our country. It has brought attention to injustices long perpetrated against the Black community in our country. It has forced those of us who live outside these injustices and the pain of them to wonder why so many people are angry or upset.
If, after all these conversations, and very clear statements about the real reasons people are protesting (and clear statements about non-reasons - such as hatred of our country, disrespecting the military, etc.) you still don’t understand, then just be quiet and listen. A wise posture in the face of protests is to humbly listen instead of talking.
Kneeling for the flag is as much about our flag or military as Rosa Parks bus protest was about transportation issues. (Credit for that line to someone on twitter - I can’t remember who)
Well, at least the President is finally promoting unity (unintentionally)
This conversation, begun a year ago around Colin Kaepernick, finally took a positive turn when the President weighed in. The vitriol with which he assaulted those protesting made even the owners and the commissioner take a stand of solidarity with the players. People have been arguing about whether or not these protests have been appropriate for a work place setting. (I think that conversation is misdirected - the NFL is something entirely different than any work place setting we know or can understand.) The day that the owners linked arms with their players, standing or kneeling, they made at least one thing clear; attacking people and assailing their character for these protests is absolutely inappropriate. That it took a ridiculous statement by the President to make that part clear is a whole other conversation, reserved for another time.
Guess what - the flag is a symbol of our ideology and the empire we serve
Yeah, here is the part where I am going to poke the bear. Do you know why we have such strong reactions to the flag? It is a symbol of our empire. It is part of the ideology we have been taught from birth, an ideology that we blindly serve without awareness. As Christians this is deeply problematic because we don’t actually pledge allegiance to anything other than the kingdom of God. When everyone else gathers together to worship a symbol of the empire we are the people who are supposed to opt out.
Do you know why we have these flag ceremonies before games, with the players expected participation? The NFL only began this as part of a military marketing strategy. The military pays the NFL millions of dollars a year to have these large patriotic displays before games, which are always televised, as a recruiting ploy. Ten years ago they weren’t part of the expected pre-game ritual of players. The very display of the flag and the singing of the national anthem are not neutral events. They are not holy moments. They are well calculated events intended to reinforce our support of and to recruit our participation in the military industrial complex that runs our country.
With all that being said, they are moments when we, despite any ulterior motives attached to them, can reflect on the cost of our freedoms and show love and support to those who continue to serve. But, if people choose to recognize the complicated realities of our country, a country where freedom and justice have never been universally applied across racial lines, by exercising their high priced freedom to protest, we should support this decision and respect it. We don’t have to join in, but we certainly shouldn’t be shocked by these protests or act as if they are inappropriate somehow. They are as American as the flag itself.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Categories: Scripture and Discipleship
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