Wow, I can’t believe some people still don’t get the kneeling during the National Anthem protest. That they still allow themselves to be bamboozled by those who have hi-jacked the real reason for the protest and turned it into a protest against America. Hi-jacked it because it is uncomfortable to address the social and racial inequalities this country still has. Their desire for us to remain quiet on the issue is misplaced, as E.A. Bucchianeri states
“It’s not unpatriotic to denounce an injustice committed on our behalf; perhaps it’s the most patriotic thing we can do.”
For us to do nothing may make their life simpler and more comfortable. Harkening back to a time when “America was Great,” minorities and females knew their place. But trust me, we love America as well, maybe more so than they do because after everything America has thrust upon us, we are still here fighting to make it a better place. Doing nothing will most certainly net us nothing. Doing nothing will not force this country to take on the issues that prevent it from being the idea on which it was founded. The idea that all men are created equal and are what is more patriotic than that. As James Baldwin said: Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
For many who have twisted and contorted the real idea behind the flag protests, I can only assume the only time they think about injustice is when it happens to them or paraphrase NK. Jemisin they never had to fight for the respect that everyone else is given without question. It easy to wrap yourself in the red, white and blue and scream to the world you are a patriot. It is, however, challenging to fight for what is the true idea of America.
So while they will continue to scream USA USA at those individuals brave enough to stand up in public to inequality and call them unpatriotic, remember they are likely doing this as they stand on line for their hot dog and a beer during the National Anthem.