You guys know that I think Trump does deserve some criticism when it comes to how he’s handled the National Anthem protests in the NFL. On the one hand, I love that he’s standing up for patriotism. But on the other hand, he’s way to heavy-handed and insulting about it and ends up inciting more to protest.
My point is I don’t mind people being critical of Trump on this issue. But the famous NBA star, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, just took the issue to a whole new level of stupid:
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER – “Slaves are generally expected to sing as well as to work,” observed ex-slave-turned-abolitionist Frederick Douglass. To the slave owners, singing slaves would drown out their own cruelty and oppression, clothe them in a coerced choir of decency. But it wasn’t enough that the slaves had to sing, they had to sing their oppressor’s feel-good songs that are summed up in the Porgy and Bess refrain of “I’ve got plenty of nothin’,” and nothin’s plenty for me.”
Yay, nothin’.
Currently, the song being demanded is the national anthem during football games. But during a warm-up game on Aug. 10, despite President Trump’s previous condemnation, several Eagles players kneeled during the anthem or raised their fists — their way of singing their own song. For them, lyrics like “land of the free” don’t accurately represent the daily reality for people of color. They love their country but want that country to recognize the suffering that occurs when it isn’t living up to its constitutional promises.
Trump reacted by tweeting, “Numerous players, from different teams, wanted to show their ‘outrage’ at something that most of them are unable to define.” Who would know better how to define their outrage: the privileged darling of white supremacists, the 94 percent-white team owners, the 75 percent-white head coaches or the 70 percent-black players who actually take the field each week?
I don’t get this. Nobody is demanding anyone “sing” the National Anthem. This is not even remotely about forcing players to sing songs to make their ‘white oppressors’ feel good. That’s ludicrous and offensive.
What’s upsetting people, and the president, is how irreverent and disrespectful players are being when they protest during the National Anthem. Thousands upon thousands of true patriots have bled and died so that we could be free in this country – free to use our God-given talents and make millions of dollars while doing it. When we raise the American flag and sing the National Anthem, we pay those men and women honor and respect. We remember their sacrifice – it’s the least we can do – while we enjoy the freedoms that come from those sacrifices.
No, this isn’t about slaves being forced to sing anything. This is about few ungrateful millionaires spitting in the faces of our most patriotic, when they show such disrespect during the National Anthem.
If you believe there is injustice in society, feel free to protest until you wear the soles off your shoes. There is nothing wrong with that. But just don’t do it when we honor the men and women who provided the very freedom that you now enjoy and benefit from. And don’t pretend for a second that this is anything like slaves being forced to sing songs. As I said, that’s just offensive and wrong.