To Kneel or not to Kneel

                Sports have begun to restart, almost all of the big 4 are now having official games, the NFL being the only league that hasn’t yet started, but since they play in the fall, I think I’ll give them a break. However, the return of sports is bringing a topic of discussion back to the forefront: kneeling for the anthem. I’ve never gotten why this is even a debate. The United States was founded on the principle that our leaders need to be held accountable, that we can and should protest when we feel that our rights are being challenged.
                While playing the National Anthem prior to playing sporting events has been a tradition for generations, having athletes present on the field/court/ice is a relatively modern advent. There isn’t this long history that people pretend to make their arguments better. On the whole, athletes don’t like having to stand for the anthem. They spent a lot of time warming up and loosening their muscles to prevent injury, then they are forced to stand still for 3+ minutes, which can lead to major injury.

                During my playing days, I always stood. Part of that was because it was drilled into me, and part of that when looking back was I didn’t know there were options. I had honestly always hated the anthem playing before a game. I warmed up, got loose, felt ready to play. Then we needed to pause, stand still and cool off. I always wanted to try and loosen up afterwards, get back into game readiness. It took a toll, both mentally and physically.

                I know that there is a sense of pride in the Anthem, and yes, there should be. Hearing the Song of the Nation is supposed to inspire you, and make you lift up your spirits. I’ve heard that there is nothing sweeter than hearing your National Anthem played after winning a sporting event. It can remind you who you are, where you come from, or what you fight for. It can mean a lot to many individuals for a lot of different reasons.

                When I read the comments made by Rep. Sean Roberts, R. Oklahoma (comments) I was appalled. Less by the calling out the kneeling, that has become an expected response. Especially from those who lack understanding of the movement. What stood out was Mr. Roberts’ mention of destroying nuclear families. I fail to understand how kneeling for anything would destroy nuclear families. I also fail to understand how protesting massive inequality would destroy nuclear families. The best I can come up with is that Mr. Roberts is suggesting that by kneeling, these athletes are announcing that they are going to divorce their wives, and leave their children.

                If we want to talk about destroying the nuclear family, per haps we should be talking about the incarceration rate of young Black males. Despite the fact that Black males make up less than 20% of the US population, they make up a disproportionate amount of the prison population. So, which destroys the nuclear family more? Kneeling to promote the issues of inherent racism in the country? Or the racism itself?

                We are at a reckoning point in this country. Is honoring how we became a great nation more important than figuring out how we remain a great nation? Sadly, it seems too many people feel that the past is far more important than the present. There is no room to learn and grow. I personally applaud those who kneel because it has caused me to pause and think. Ultimately grow, and second guess how I think of people.

                I missed out on getting to know people who didn’t look like me growing up. My town was basically all White. I had a steep learning curve, and I have definitely not caught up. I still have prejudices and first impressions that I wish I wouldn’t have. But, I think that I’ve come to recognize that, when I feel that “need to avoid them” thought, I think, why? I’m trying, hopefully I’m bettering myself. There is far more threatening the “nuclear family” than the push for equality. The kneeling to raise awareness of brutality and inequality is not one of them. Can we please drop this bullshit as a purely political move of scared White people? The color of your skin doesn’t matter, lets pretend that we’re all from the same species.