Over the past weekend, more than 100 NFL players took part in TakeAKnee protests. While some players, like Colin Kaepernick, have been kneeling during the pregame singing of the national anthem for more than a year, the sudden surge in these symbolic protests occurred due to a particular comment by President Trump, in which he called such protestors "sons of bitches."
Trump and other critics of the protests have claimed that that Kaepernick and his fellow protestors are being disrespectful to the flag by kneeling during the national anthem. However, the protestors themselves have said that there is no intention of disrespect meant. Rather, their protest is meant to respect the tradition of freedom that the flag represents, by indicating that not all Americans get to share in that freedom equally. In a New York Times opinion piece published on Monday, Eric Reid – who first started kneeling with Kaepernick in August 2016, well before Trump became president – clarified the purpose behind the kneeling and the process of deciding on that action as the appropriate one:
After hours of careful consideration, and even a visit from Nate Boyer, a retired Green Beret and former N.F.L. player, we came to the conclusion that we should kneel, rather than sit, the next day during the anthem as a peaceful protest. We chose to kneel because it’s a respectful gesture. I remember thinking our posture was like a flag flown at half-mast to mark a tragedy.
Others have noted the difference in reactions between Kaepernick's kneeling and the kneeling of Tim Tebow several years ago. The primary difference: One fits the conservative Christian right's ideal and the other does not. Despite the fact that both men ostensibly share the same faith, the treatment by many who profess to be Christians of Kaepernick's quiet and peaceful protests reveal their pharisaical hypocrisy, in which they are more concerned about a ritualistic act more than the meaning and purpose behind the act. As at least one commentator has put it, "The bifurcation of contemporary Christianity into two distinct branches is leaving the church all the poorer, with each side needing to be enriched by the biblical vision of the other. " (I am not a Christian, but I have many family and friends who are, and it saddens me that they are using these misunderstandings argue with and disparage each other.)
All of this has led me to develop the following bit of advice for those who choose to feel disrespected at a peaceful protest in the name of freedom.
A Primer on Respect
Disrespectful:
- Calling people "sons of bitches" because you disagree with them
- Implying others are morally deprived because their values differ from yours
- Requiring individuals to express themselves in specific ways Institutionalized racism
Not Disrespectful:
- Kneeling quietly while others participate in a patriotic ritual
Still, some people insist that Kaepernick and others taking part in the TakeAKnee protests are somehow being disrespectful to the flag. But when it comes down to it, I highly doubt that the flag – an inanimate piece of dyed cloth – gives a crap about what people do. Some argue further that the protests are disrespectful to those soldiers who died in wars protecting the American way of life. However, there are many veterans who are supporting Kaepernick and others taking a knee, showing once again that the idea of peaceful protest as "disrespectful" is simply empty rhetoric on the part of those who want to divert the conversation away from useful dialogue. Even The Onion has gotten into the game, with a headline reading "Veteran Told What Offends Him.
The worst part about it is that most of the people complaining don't even know what it means to disrespect the flag in the first place. I guarantee the vast majority of these people do not follow the letter of the law in U.S. Code Title 36 Ch. 10 §176. "Respect for flag" which states:
(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.
I estimate that approximately 80% of Americans violate half of these rules for respecting the flag on July 4th, and on any given day of the year, there's almost certainly a large number of Americans violating at least one of them. In fact, it doesn't take much googling to find a Fox News story criticizing the NFL for threatening to fine players who wear patriotic shoes on the anniversary of 9/11. The irony, of course, is that decorating apparel with the U.S. flag is considered disrespectful according to the law of the land, but Fox News seems unaware of that fact.
Of course, many people have expressed their consternation over the entire situation. I am also frustrated by the whole thing, but my frustration lies in the fact that a large majority of the people complaining ultimately have no leg to stand on. Quite literally, they are people who are just sitting at home on their own asses yelling at the TV. They probably look a lot like this:
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