The latest uproar in the news involves athletes all across the United States, yet has virtually nothing to do with sports. A movement, begun by Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers, is the latest politicized controversy to diffuse throughout the country. Opponents of Kaepernick’s actions claim that kneeling or sitting or any action other than standing with hand over heart during the national anthem is disrespectful to all of the brave men and women who have fought for this country in our military.
Proponents of Kaepernick’s actions claim that kneeling or other acts of protest during the national anthem are standing up against the oppression of black men and women in the United States. What I’ve noticed, though, is that there are a lot of people in the middle. There are a lot of people who don’t know where to stand amidst all of the polarizing bipartisanship and media bias. And I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with that. It is a complex issue that requires a lot of contemplation and historical perspective.
Before diving into the controversy, let’s take a look at what has led up to this act of protest. The issue of police brutality and racism entered the limelight roughly around the time of Trayvon Martin. Obviously, for years and years, incidents involving police officers and Black citizens have occurred. It is with the addition of modern technology, such as cell phones, live Facebook feeds, and police officer body cams that more and more cases of police brutality have come to the attention of the country.
Trayvon Martin’s case in Florida was arguably one of the first cases to gain consistent national attention, and when Zimmerman was found not guilty, faith in the justice system in representing minorities began to dwindle. From there, the issue has been spotlighted by activists and concerned citizens alike, and the statistics are staggering. According to a study done by Mapping Police Violence Organization, unarmed black people were killed by police at 5x the rate of unarmed white people last year. This culminated into the killing, by police, of 102 unarmed black citizens in 2015. The same source unearthed a disturbing discovery through their research: only 2 out of the 102 officers who shot and killed unarmed black citizens were convicted in a court of law for their crime. 1.96 percent of officers who killed innocent Black people were brought to justice.
It does not matter what the statistics for white people are; one innocent, unarmed black person killed by police force is too many. Upon seeing these statistics, it is clear that there is a crisis in this country involving a police brutality and racism intersectionality.
I think it essential, however, to see the other side of the coin. The fact is that 102 officers killed unarmed Black people. That means that thousands of police officers around the country are doing their job and pursuing their passion of providing safety and justice to their communities. It must be understood that the vast majority of police officers are not overtly racist (other than their affliction by implicit racism) and serve our diverse country well.
Hating or condemning all police officers is entirely illogical and unfounded. In addition, we have to recall that our officers are subjected to precarious situations on a regular basis; their life is on the line constantly for who else but us; to protect us. When thinking about this entire situation, I think it is important to empathize with police officers and let them know that they are appreciated and supported.
Many situations that they are immersed into are dangerous and truly scary. Imagine yourself thinking that someone has a gun and being terrified for your own life, your kids and spouse at home with dinner on the table waiting for your return. I’m not saying that the officers who kill innocent people are right in doing so; thousands of officers are under the impression that somebody has a weapon every day and they make the conscious and right decision to use lesser force or other means to diffuse the situation. So many officers every day do these tough things and do them the right way that it is unfair to condemn an entire profession for the inadmissible acts of a few.
As you can see, many people are unsure of their stance on Kaepernick’s actions because the issue is complex and very much two-sided. I believe that Kaepernick has every right to protest during the National Anthem. America is America and not Saudi Arabia because we have a little something called freedom.
It is this freedom that our veterans fight for, this freedom that draws immigrants and refugees from all over the globe to our country. If you take a peek at that document that lays the foundation of our country called the Constitution, it says that every American has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
If someone, or a group of people, feels as though their pursuit of liberty and happiness has been hindered, they have every right to stand up and express their discontent. Freedom of expression is another one of those rights which we hold precious to our hearts…how is what athletes around the U.S. are doing any different than simply expressing themselves?
America is the most incredible melting pot of diversity in the world and it's time we start embracing that diversity not only on social media or the news but within our institutions. No matter how many protests Black Lives Matters has in the streets of major U.S. cities, nothing productive ever seems to culminate. The media is listening, millennials are listening. But the major institutions, where change sprouts from, aren’t listening.
I am white and I admit my white privilege and I think it’s time that the leaders of our country lose their pride and admit it so that we can make true progress in making this country safer for everyone, not just a few. Peaceful protests have been tried, nobody listened. Louder protests in the streets have been tried, nobody listened. It is time for Americans to stand up, sit down, kneel, whatever we feel sends the strongest message to those who seem to selectively listen and selectively ignore.
Supporting Kaepernick’s movement doesn’t make you a Democrat and it doesn’t mean that you have to be anti-cop or anti-white people. Supporting this movement means that you believe in America, what we stand for and who we are as a country. Supporting this movement makes you an ally to the black community, a pioneer of universal love, and a visionary for the progress that we desire as a country, progress that will lead America to finally embrace the beautiful diversity of cultures that we are.
