Sunday's NFL schedule produced an unprecedented number of protests from players, coaches and team owners across the league following controversial comments made by President Trump regarding some players’ decision to take a knee during the singing of our National Anthem.
The anthem protests have caused many Americans in an already divided nation to choose sides, seemingly based on one’s political affiliation. On one side, you have team protest, which is comprised of those who either agree with the premise of the protest or simply claim to support the players' right to express their grievances. On the other side, you have those who are insulted and offended by the perceived disrespect for the National Anthem and the values of the nation it represents.
But lost in this debate over free speech and disrespect for the country and those who have fought and died for our freedom is the real losers in all of this drama - young black men who don't get paid millions of dollars to play a game. Ironically, the actions of these NFL stars is only harming those they are purporting to care about.
Black Lives Matter was often criticized for the violent method by which they often chose to protest instead of the false narrative that spawned the protest to begin with. Demonizing only the method of protest without condemning the lies behind it essentially legitimizes the illegitimate grounds for protest.
Similarly, merely criticizing the forum for which these NFL players choose to protest and not the protest itself gives credence to their bogus and offensive claims.
So the message has essentially become that the protest is noble and it is their First Amendment right to do so but please don't disrespect the national anthem and the nation it represents. We have no problem with the protest itself, and perhaps we even support your cause but find another venue to make your point.
The idea that young black men are being terrorized and even marked for execution by law enforcement has been given credence. If not outright by those who protest the alleged abuses by police then by default from those who choose to ignore the outrageous claims and blatant lies and simply denounce the platform by which protesters choose to make their voices heard.
It is important to remember that these protests were sparked by a man wearing apparel depicting cops as pigs and praising Fidel Castro while claiming that our men and women in law enforcement are senselessly murdering minorities on a regular basis.
Once again, young black Americans are being fed the lie that they are doomed from birth because of the color of their skin. They are being told that they have no chance at success in this oppressive society if they are lucky enough to even make it to adulthood without finding themselves on the receiving end of a tax-payer-funded bullet.
Many protesters claim to be raising awareness for the racial inequality in America. And they are right about the existence of racial inequality. They are just wrong about the causes. And until enough people have the guts to address the real causes, the problem with never be solved.
Rather than push false narratives, these star athletes and role models could use their influence to do some good in the communities that many of them hail from. They can talk about fatherless homes, the importance of education, listening to authority figures, staying away from crime and various other detrimental activities that plague America's inner cities. But that won't get them any praise from anyone in Hollywood or social justice warrior journalists at ESPN. So, racist cops will continue to be the default boogeyman allowing folks to give themselves a false sense of righteousness while absolving them from having to do any of the heavy lifting.
As long as the problem isn't addressed, it can never be solved. So look for protests to continue for decades to come as long as the straw man argument for racial inequality is promoted by the cowards who refuse to acknowledge the real problem.
Perpetuating this myth of institutionalized racism and police brutality is the real injustice being committed against young Americans of color.
Ignoramuses and ingrates have been disrespecting the flag and the country for generations. The real damage caused by these protests is not being done to patriotic Americans and our brave men and women in uniform. They have overcome worse hardships than the opinions of a few fools. The real damage is that which is being done to young black men who continued to be lied to by those who claim to have their best interests in mind.