Ever since The current president of The United States of America made inflammatory statements regarding peaceful protests against systematic oppression, racial injustice, and the senseless Court Justified killings of unarmed black men across the United States; there has been a slew of things that have occurred that has turned a peaceful protest against racial injustice and systematic oppression into acts that are supposed to be representative of “disrespecting the flag” the United States military and its veterans, as well as shown dishonor and disrespect to our country. Many people have been adversely affected by protesting against racial injustice and the senseless yet justified killings of unarmed black men: including them losing their jobs, suspensions, losing sponsorships, and even threats of losing their job or suffering suspension, loss of pay, or other penalties if they choose to participate in these protests and “disrespect our flag”
This isn’t about the flag or the military
The origins of this protest began in 2016 football season when the then San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the playing of the national anthem in protest of what he deems are wrongdoings against African Americans and minorities in the United States. He stated “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” Examples of some of these killings and injustices are:
Michael Brown was shot to death by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014, it awakened a movement that began with the previous killing of another black teenager, Trayvon Martin, who was shot in 2012 by neighborhood watch volulnteer George Zimmerman. Brown’s death was not the first of its kind since Martin’s; just a month prior, Eric Garner died after being placed in a chokehold by NYPD officers. Both deaths sparked protests across the country — protests that were renewed when grand juries declined to charge the officers involved in either case.
Dontre Hamilton, 31, was fatally shot 14 times by a police officer in a Milwaukee park. The officer was responding to a call from employees at a nearby Starbucks alleging that Hamilton, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, was disturbing the peace. The officers who arrived first determined that Hamilton wasn’t doing anything illegal. Officer Christopher Manney showed up later and, after trying to pat Hamilton down, engaged in a struggle with him that led to the shooting. Manney was not charged.
Eric Garner, 43, was killed after he was put in an illegal chokehold for 15 seconds by a white police officer — allegedly for selling loose cigarettes. Garner said “I can’t breathe” 11 times as he was held down by several officers on a sidewalk. The officer who put Garner in the chokehold, Daniel Pantaleo, was not charged. Garner’s death sparked peaceful protests across the nation, with demonstrators adopting the phrase “I Can’t Breathe” as a symbol and slogan of protest.
Unarmed Michael Brown, 18, was shot and killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. In November, a grand jury declined to charge Wilson in the fatal shooting. Brown’s death and the lack of charges against Wilson sparked protests, some of them violent, in Ferguson and across the nation. On March 4, the Department of Justice announced that it too would not charge Wilson for the shooting after an exhaustive investigation.
Tanisha Anderson, 37, died after officers in Cleveland allegedly slammed her head on the pavement while taking her into custody. Anderson’s family said she had bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The investigation into the case remains ongoing, and no charges have been filed against the officers involved.
Tamir Rice, 12, was shot and killed by Cleveland police after officers mistook his toy gun for a real weapon. The two police officers involved, Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback, have not been charged. Rice’s family has filed wrongful death lawsuit against the officers and the city of Cleveland.
Freddie Gray, 25, died of a spinal cord injury a week after he was arrested by Baltimore police. It’s still unclear how Gray sustained the injury. Officials say he was stopped after fleeing “unprovoked upon noticing police presence” and arrested for allegedly possessing a switchblade. He was put in a police van, which is where police say he suffered a medical emergency. The officers involved in his arrest were placed on leave, and on Friday, the state’s attorney announced that they had been criminally charged in connection with Gray’s homicide. Gray’s death sparked protests in Baltimore and other cities across the nation. On Monday, protesters and police clashed, prompting hundreds of arrests and Maryland’s governor to declare a state of emergency.
And there are countless others that can be referred to.
We Are Not The Terrorists
The senseless killings of these black women, children and men by law enforcement with no subsequent accountability has sparked a cry for change and justice for our people and even a movement called the “Black Lives Matter” movement in which there have been attempts and petitions signed to label this movement as a terrorist group citing “Terrorism is defined as ‘the use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political aims… This definition is the same definition used to declare ISIS and other groups, as terrorist organizations…Black Lives Matter earned this title due to its actions in Ferguson, Baltimore, and even at a Bernie Sander rally, as well as all over the United States and Canada.” It asked the Pentagon to recognize the group as such “on the grounds of principle, integrity, morality, and safety.” (rumor has it they have labeled them as that). They’ve even had counter protests against the black lives matter movement called “Blue Lives Matter” saying that police lives matter as well as the “All lives Matter” movement saying that not just black lives matter: all lives matter. These counter protests were engineered to mask the purpose of the Black lives matter movement which was to stop the senseless killing of black people by law enforcement in this country and to shut the Black Lives Matter movement, and to also do it under the guise of “equality” black lives don’t just matter, all lives matter because we are all people but never admitting that we aren’t equally affected by these things.In a memo obtained by Foreign Policy from early August, the FBI claims that the continued concern over “alleged” police abuse has fueled a rise in violence against police. And that rise in violence has produced a new kind of terrorist. It reads in part: “The FBI assesses it is very likely Black Identity Extremist (BIE) perceptions of police brutality against African Americans spurred an increase in premeditated, retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement and will very likely.” So basically, the more people know about police brutality the bigger the risk to cops. This was the same scenario that eventually ended the Black Panther movement.
View of a line of Black Panther Party members as they stand outside the New York City courthouse under a portion of an Abraham Lincoln quote which reads ‘The Ultimate Justice of the People,’ New York, New York, April 11, 1969. (Photo by David Fenton/Getty Images)
Their Counter-Protest To Your Protests
Also in response to these protests the current president of the United States has also issued a few statements and opinions on these protests saying ““Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’” using his infamous catch phrase from his reality show “The Apprentice”. He also said “You know, some owner is going to do that. He’s going to say, ‘That guy that disrespects our flag, he’s fired.’ And that owner, they don’t know it [but] they’ll be the most popular person in this country.” He also then encouraged people attending NFL games to leave the stadium in counter-protest if they see a player kneeling during the anthem, which is traditionally performed before kickoff saying “But do you know what’s hurting the game more than that?” he said. “When people like yourselves turn on television and you see those people taking the knee when they’re playing our great national anthem. The only thing you could do better is if you see it, even if it’s one player, leave the stadium. I guarantee things will stop. Things will stop. Just pick up and leave. Pick up and leave. Not the same game anymore, anyway.”
This has lead to: fans burning NFL gear, items, jerseys and uniforms, players as well as protest participants being called “sons of bitches” and “no good niggers” among other things, sponsors have pulled sponsorships and endorsements in response to any players found protesting, players have been threatened with the loss of their jobs or play-time if they are found in protest or “being disrespectful to our flag” and even school student athletes having to sign “no kneeling contracts” or be escorted off the playing field. These things have been enouraging blind patriotism at the expense of actual civic engagement and action.
It’s not Fun and Games Anymore
So…isn’t the sport of football entertainment? The president of the United States and well as NFL team owners, sponsors, schools and more are now taking what was supposed to be fun entertainment to participate in as well as watch and turning it into another system of political oppression. This form of entertainment isn’t even something that is required within our society, nor is the playing of the national anthem during any entertainment or sporting event required. But it is making its rounds now as mandatory. However, any statutory suggestions regarding behavior during the national anthem do not have any penalty associated with violations. 36 U.S.C. § 301 because behavioral requirements for the national anthem is subject to the same First Amendment controversies that surround the Pledge of Allegiance.[61] For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not sing the national anthem, though they are taught that standing is an “ethical decision” that individual believers must make based on their “conscience.” 2003 District ruling: Teachers or any other staff cannot be forced to participate in the pledge, either: “It doesn’t matter whether you’re a teacher, a student, a citizen, an administrator, or anyone else, it is beyond the power of the authority of government to compel the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance,”—U.S. District Judge Lewis Babcock [19]
Why are people being penalized for exercising their first amendment rights? Why are people being penalized for actions of which the U.S. Code has no penalties for? If children in schools aren’t forced to pledge tothe flag, why are grown men treated worse than children? This goes way deeper than the NFL.
We Fought For Your Freedom BUT Still Fight For Ours
Secondly. and this is no disrespect to ANY of veterans who have fought for the COUNTRY in which we live. But for some reason whenever I hear people say “they fought and fight for our freedom” I can’t help but to think that at the times these “patriotic” songs were written were speaking of the fight for freedom from British rule, WHILE BLACKS WERE STILL SLAVES AND NOT FREE!!! In fact many black slaves were recruited or required to join the military and given promises of freedom after the war was over. They were put on the front lines of these wars and gave their lives to fight for the freedom of the country from British rule only to still have their freedom taken away. Subsequently during the civil war there was a whole military, army and many militias that fought AGAINST the freedom rights and privileges of slaves, and even during the civil rights era in the 1960’s martial law was declared, rendering the constitution invalid and the country under military control and the military was used to stop any fights for rights, equality and injustice. So once again no offense to the United States military but they have not shown a consistent track record in fighting for the rights of blacks in this country; in fact they have shown to serve as an arm of the government that restricts the rights certain citizens are allowed to exercise or have.
Here is an excerpt from the Declaration of independence that says: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ——” We have no life because our lives are being taken from us senselessly via “law enforcement” as well as other systematic oppressions against us. We have no liberty because even after being “freed” fro slavery (100 years after these lines were written) there have been pursuits and laws to restrict and detain us and keep us indebted to this country and never getting ahead. There is definitely no pursuit of happiness for us because even when we silently protest that we stop being killed off and allow us the same treatments and freedoms that are allowed to others under their constitution be afforded to us; we are still oppressed.
When we “Take a Knee”against the systematic oppression, killings, and injustice that we have suffered in this country for hundreds of years our silent protests are silenced even further with “you are disrespecting the flag” no matter what your cause or issue is, we don’t care, don’t disrespect our flag and the national anthem. Typically to diplomatically end a protest you at a minimum hear their concerns and issues in order to begin amicably resolving issues and concerns any parties may have. But we are silenced.
The Land of the Free, And a Noose for the Slave
Even the poem the “Star Spangled Banner” was taken from not only details and praises the U.S. victory against the British but also speaks of triumph over the slaves who thought they would succeed in helping the British in winning the war. Here is the full of that poem entitled “Defense of Fort M’Henry” written during the War of 1812:
O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream,
’Tis the star-spangled banner—O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a Country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their lov’d home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto – “In God is our trust,”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Putting special emphasis on the lines
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
So I ask another question: how respectful is it to us as a people, our history, our heritage and our black soldiers who fought for the freedom of this country to still be enslaved, mocked in song as well as not recognized as a person per their laws and still suffering many of theses things to this day; how respectful is it for us to be forced to honor lyrics and songs that were never meant for our honor and freedom in the first place and were written in praise of our oppression?
If the fight for inequality and injustice is going to continue on our end we have to be able to fight the same ways they are fighting us. They impose economic sanctions by taking away jobs, sponsorships, and other financial backing; we need to do the same. This is not the 1940’s 50’s or 60’s anymore, we are far ore educated and have the capabilities, knowledge and abilities to build and have our own. We can put together our own football league if we wanted to and every last dime that we spend with the NFL we spend it in and on our own leagues. Every last sponsor that pulls financial backing we stop spending our money with them and start building and financing our own. We have lawyers, doctors, scientists, biologists, and every other professional we could think of within our communities.
I’ll close with this:
2 Corinthians 6
King James Version (KJV)
6 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
6 By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.
12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.
13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
