Kneeling

Colin Kaepernick, then with the San Francisco 49ers NFL team, knelt during the singing of the national anthem in an attempt to provoke debate over race and police brutality. He lost his job. The protest has spread to black players on other teams and sports. It has also become an anti-Trump protest.

Trump has spun the protest as if the players were spitting on the symbols of American patriotism: the flag and the anthem. What must be very frustrating for Mr. Kaepernick, is the discussion generated is only about whether the players should fired for lack of patriotism. The media are unwilling to discus race or police brutality. Only Trump has been allowed to set the agenda.

Oddly, kneeling in churches is a sign of respect. There is nothing inherently disrespectful about kneeling during an anthem. Some have taken to linking arms, or simply staying away during the anthem.

Trump is a white supremacist, and by using his bullhorn to shout down, misrepresent and spit on the protesters, he throws meat to his bigoted, racist base. The Trump campaign is placing Facebook ads urging fans to boycott the NFL. Oddly, Trump is also complaining that football is not violent and dangerous enough. He is like some modern Nero at the Roman games. Trump claims the protest and his opposition to it has nothing to do with race. What?? Does Trump claim the players are protesting playing the anthem at football games? Is Trump unaware that nearly all the protesters are black? The players made it very clear. They are protesting racial inequality and police brutality. Its all about race.

Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, said the players had no right to protest. They should protest on their own time. He denies their first amendment free speech rights. A protest needs a big audience. There is no point in holding a private protest in your back yard.

Trump is a child to become preoccupied with this bit of bullying when he has a nuclear war with North Korea to attend to, and millions of people stranded in Puerto Rico from hurricane Maria.

Trump is a fool. By forcing Americans to take sides in an optional fight like this, he just alienates ever more people.

~ Roedy (1948-02-04 age:70)