One of the things that has really bothered me this week has been the whole nonsense about NFL players protesting during the National Anthem. The thing that Trump seems to not understand is that they are not disrespecting the troops, or America. They are saying that America is not living up to the promise it is supposed to live up to. If anything, that is more patriotic than standing in front of choir and pretending to know the words to the American hymns. Or perhaps he does understand and is simply using it to divide America, which is even worse.
But this whole idea of a President deciding what is and isn't patriotic, and the measure of how one is supposed to show that patriotism is terrifying. It's fascist. The entire scene in front of the White House this week was American fascism put into effect. And when he gets his military parade, it will be yet another step in solidifying a kind of neo-fascist coding of America.
If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention...and you are not a true patriot of what America is supposed to stand for.
Maybe, if you ARE outraged,you are responding exactly as they hoped you would. When Kaepernick started his movement, the focus was supposed to be on police brutality and systemic racial discrimination as it relates to LE. Now, the an has reframed the discussion with all of these convenient red herrings. Should the millionaires be allowed to keep their job if they take a knee during the anthem? (I'd say "yes") How does the 1st amendment impact the NFL's bullshit new policy? (It really doesn't, sadly.) Is Trump a dickhead? (Obviously, yes... but that was the whole point of his candidacy, wasn't it?) All of these non sequiturs serve to take the focus off where our outrage ought to lie: police are murdering our citizens on a daily basis. But, instead of worrying about that, we want to get all bent out of shape about the NFL wanting to stop the protests, or the fact that our redneck uncles might be happy about the new policy.
ReplyDeleteI think we need to stay focused.