Taking A Knee, Losing The Message: Why the NFL Should Stop Kneeling

It started with Colin Kaepernick who lost his job while kneeling against social injustice. From there it
became an Oval Office issue with the President of the United States calling for more players to lose their jobs. Football players kneeling during our National Anthem has become one of the top sports and political news stories of the year. But now it is time for this form of protest to come to an end as, thanks to the White House, the message has been lost.

The goal of these protests is to give voice to the perception that blacks are not always treated equally under the law. Kaepernick's original protest came after a number of shootings where police and neighborhood watch members fired upon unarmed black men. In each case the debate over "justified" and "self defense" exposed the racial divide which has long been a defining characteristic of our nation. But with Kaepernick out of the league these somewhat sporadic displays had become less and less newsworthy. If not for President Trump, kneeling during the anthem would likely have remained a minor nuisance, spoken of occasionally when some sideline reporter had no other interesting angle to a game. Instead the president has put this issue back on the front page, dividing fans and a nation.

When President Trump shared his belief that kneeling football players should be fired, the protests took on new life and a new direction. The debate is no longer about the treatment of blacks at the hands of a small number of police officers. Now the debate is about disrespect for our country and disregard for our flag. The conversation now involves protesting against sponsors, using economic leverage to stifle freedom of expression. The president gave voice to a faction that had nothing to lose in the original debate: one that will gain little in winning our new nation wide shout down.

For the record, I will always stand for our National Anthem. I will also stand for my neighbor's right to not stand. That being said, I hope players and owners decide to move on, ending this floundering protest. The message has been lost, hijacked and discarded in order to score political points. I hope we can find a way back to the original focus and away from the negative connotation imposed upon those who wish to stand up (or kneel) for what's right. It is time for kneeling to go away so we can focus on what's really important. It's time to find a way to take back the message from the one who took it hostage.