-by Paul LukasiakThe people who are complaining about NFL players taking a knee during The Star Spangled Banner don't give a damn about respect for the anthem, or the flag, or veterans. If they did, they'd be livid about a far greater demonstration of contempt for those symbols-- the booing engaged in by those who oppose the protesting NFL players.An NFL player who takes a knee during the anthem is engaging in the least intrusive form of protest possible... those who disapprove of his actions can simply look away, and focus their attention where they themselves would say the attention really belongs-- on the flag that is being displayed, and/or the person singing the anthem. No one is forcing anyone to deal with the players' protests at all-- yet these players are roundly condemned by so-called “patriots” for “disrespecting the flag.”Meanwhile, hundreds (thousands?) of fans are loudly booing during the anthem to protest the players who take a knee, and not only do these same “partriots” not criticize the fans, they often praise those who boo. But what could be more disrespectful to the flag and the anthem than to protest in a way that is simply unavoidable?While the players are in no way interfering in the ceremony, booing is a direct assault on the anthem. You can look away from the players, but you can't “hear away” from someone booing while you are trying to listen to the anthem. The booing is inescapable-- and the only way to avoid hearing it is to avoid hearing the anthem as well.But I've yet to see one single “patriot” who is the least bit disturbed by the booing-- let alone be mortified by this egregiously assaultive display of disrespect toward “the anthem, the flag, the troops, and our veterans.” The only thing these “patriots” have a problem with is black men getting attention while protesting the pervasive racism of the criminal justice system in this country. Its an offense to ask white sports fans to take a moment to consider a reality that black people live with all day, everyday.As for the anthem, it was written in 1814 by Franc1s Scott Key. In 1814, well over 80% of the black people living in the United States were slaves. Thus, when Key wrote the words “O'er the land of the free,” he was clearly relegating black people to the status of non-persons.This is unsurprising, given that Key was the son of a wealthy slave owner and owned slaves himself. Key was also adamantly opposed to abolitionism and used his power as US Attorney for Washington DC to suppress the abolitionist movement.But despite this history, white “patriots” demand that black athletes treat Key's song as sacrosanct,and act as if the atrocities done to their ancestors in the name of the flag never happened.
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