I was scrolling through twitter the other day, and my whole feed was filled with tweets in support of or in criticism of the NFL players taking a knee. One tweet that stood out to me, however, was tweeted by FS1 (Fox Sports 1) broadcaster and sports personality Nick Wright.
I strongly encourage you all to take a look at this video with an open mind and heart and really think about what he is trying to say.
After watching, I realized Wright hit every single point that needs addressing and he did it with such powerful words.
His words and ideas came from a place not influenced by a political agenda but from a place in his heart that holds the compassion that all humans are capable of sharing.
Wright spoke with facts, emphasizing that in the original protest, Collin Kaepernick started sitting. He got backlash and after a discussion with a Navy SEAL, he adapted the kneel. Never once was his intention to disrespect the flag or the military. That leads us to what his protest is actually about.
Wright used an excellent analogy that discussed why people would have an issue with the protest.
If Collin would have come out saying he was kneeling because he was fed up with how veterans are treated when they get home, would you still have an issue with him kneeling? What if Collin said he was mad that they don't get equal job opportunities, good healthcare, or any benefits? If he would have kneeled for that, would you still be upset?
If your answer is no, then you don't have an issue with the kneeling, you have an issue with what he is kneeling for.
No, they are not protesting the anthem. Rosa Parks wasn't protesting public transportation. Gandhi wasn't protesting food, and marchers past and present aren't protesting traffic. Try and see the bigger picture here.
Police brutality and inequality are the two main reasons behind the protest but read between the lines. Racial profiling, the use of racial slurs, the use of the Confederate flag, White Supremacy, and less access to quality healthcare all qualify as reasons why these African-American athletes are kneeling.
I'm not saying you have to like the way they protest, but you can't deny that there is a reason for it.
Now if you want the protesting to stop, you must acknowledge that these injustices are pretty much fixable. Injustice will never disappear entirely, but it is something we all must strive for.
One way to start, for example, is to get rid of the use of the Confederate flag. If you still respect it and wave it with pride, you are one of the reasons why they are kneeling. Sorry your ancestors took the biggest L in American History, but it's time to leave that flag in a museum.
Another thing we can do is simply acknowledge the fact that our President came down harder on silent and peaceful NFL protesters than he did on Nazi's and White Supremacists. If that doesn't shake you to your core and further justify why they are kneeling, I don't know what will.
I think what Wright had to say on the matter was perfect and one of the best out there. We need to start coming together and talking about the bigger issues. Issues bigger than football. Issues that don't fit within the stars and stripes that are on our flag; issues that don't belong here in this country.
