Kneeling for the national anthem is once again in vogue in America. This weekend, hundreds of NFL players took a knee to protest what they have referred to as the U.S.’s oppressive treatment of minorities after President Donald Trump raised the issue at a rally in Alabama.
This form of protest isn’t new. Colin Kaepernick famously started the trend last year because he said he could not “show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” while referencing police shootings. First of all, Kaepernick’s comments could not have been farther from the truth. His comments demonstrated a key point — that he believes that the U.S. and its government systemically oppress black people.
The statistics overwhelmingly show that most police shootings occur when the cops are under attack or when they’re defending civilians. According to recent data compiled by The Washington Post, the statistics also show that most who die at the hands of the police were brandishing a weapon or fleeing when asked to surrender. In addition, this data, along with a study from Harvard University Professor Roland G. Fryer Jr., found that whites are actually more likely to be shot by police than blacks, even though blacks commit violent crimes at much higher rate compared to their white counterparts. For example, according to the Department of Justice, between 1980 and 2008, blacks committed 52 percent of the homicides in this country, even though blacks only make up 13 percent of the population. Even more telling, only 1 percent of police shootings this year have involved unarmed black men. As Michael Walsh of the NY Post once put it, “You have a better chance of being killed in a violent storm … than being shot by a cop.”
So let’s return to Kaepernick and the rest of the NFL kneelers. Have any of them ever bothered to honestly discuss these issues or these statistics in an open forum? No. I believe these athletes have no interest in a discussion with the public because they simply have no idea what they’re talking about. They don’t know the facts, and they can’t cite the statistics. So how much do they really care, if all they’re willing to do is disrespect the flag and the country that has provided them with tremendous opportunity?
If the kneelers haven’t realized it yet, the public is quickly turning on them. Yes, the NFL kneelers have their vocal supporters in the media, but as the NFL ratings and polls have suggested, most Americans do not want to be lectured by the so-called “oppressed” athletes that make tens of millions of dollars a year. Their incomes alone mean that these athletes will live a life of privilege and luxury that will not be afforded to most Americans. So if being “oppressed” means playing a professional sport while making millions, sign me up!
There is one aspect of this issue, however, that trumps all others — the national anthem. The national anthem is meant to be a unifying song for all Americans. It is a salute to our flag and our great nation, a nation that has provided more freedom and more opportunity than any other nation in the history of the world. Our nation is the one thing that all Americans have in common. It’s what binds us together above all else; over race, religion and ethnicity. Standing for the anthem and honoring it gives us an opportunity to recognize this despite whatever divisions we may have. In the course of our history, hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens have given their lives to protect our nation, our values, and our freedoms. Their sacrifice should be honored and treated with respect.
To the athletes who insist on kneeling, why not find a more constructive way to air your grievances? You want to protest? How about exercising your right to vote, which is something you, Colin Kaepernick, have never done. Continuing to disgrace a symbol that means so much to so many gets you nowhere. In fact, it will only further divide us as Americans.
Eduardo Neret is a UF finance senior. His column usually appears on Wednesdays.
