I see you…I see you, professional football player, as you kneel down during the playing of the National Anthem…I see you, with your arm raised in protest…I see you thinking you are doing something to unite people over social and racial injustice. I see you…
But, more than that, here is what I really see…
I see a man pushing the wheels of his wheelchair as he returns home from a foreign land unable to function as he once did, due to fighting to protect you as you kneel on the ground.
I see a young widow, dressed carefully in black, mourning the remains of her husband, hugging a coffin on the tarmac of an airport. I see that same woman clutching a perfectly folded flag to her bosom as taps is played at his graveside. I see her young son, tears streaming down his face, knowing his father would never come home again.
I see graveyards full of tombstones, here and overseas, with names of those fallen, with dates showing a much-too-early death. I see so many, from so many different wars and conflicts, crosses and stones. They are too numerous to count.
I see the sacrifices made, the hearts broken, the tears shed, the shattered lives all in the name of freedom… all in the name of that red, white and blue piece of cloth that you choose to protest.
Social and racial injustice? You who make millions of American dollars for playing a game in a country where you have more opportunity to make a better life for you and your family than anywhere in the world? Really? The hypocrisy of it astounds me.
First of all, if you really want to protest, give your money and time to make changes. Give to those less fortunate than you. Help those people get an education, buy them food and shelter. Show them opportunities to make better decisions. Teach them that they have a purpose in life. If you really want to protest injustices…
Protest the treatment of veterans, who have to wait extremely long periods of time for healthcare, who are living under interstate bridges in boxes, who are committing suicide. Today over twenty of them will take their lives out of hopelessness and despair.
Protest the people whose goal in life is to make sure an unborn baby doesn’t see the light of day. There will be around 3,500 of them today. There is no greater injustice than that.
Protest the loss of religious rights as some atheist complained so much that public prayer by a group of young players on an athletic field is not allowed.
When I see that flag, when I hear that song, when I sing those words, I give homage to those who died for this land, who continue to protect this land, who don’t know if and when they will ever see their loved ones again. Some say that they died for your freedom so that you can take a knee. I say they died for your freedom so you can stand proudly and be thankful that God has blessed you enough that you can live in a country of so much opportunity.
Go ahead…Go ahead and kneel…Go ahead and be ungrateful.
I am watching…as are millions and millions of others.
We don’t see a protest of unity… we see a protest of disgraceful ignorance.
Source: Anonymous
I think some people are really trying to do the right thing by kneeling. However, they are supporting a “protest” that was started by Colin Kaepernick who was known for wearing socks depicting police as pigs and has also given large sums of money to organizations whose purpose is to train people in the tradition and spirit of Assata Shakur. Assata is a convicted terrorist who killed a policeman, was broken out of prison, and escaped to Cuba.
If some of those players feel that race relations can be improved, I’d love to see the NFL doing things to try to promote unity, but following Kaepernick’s example isn’t a good way to do it.
If you need a nail hit on the head, call Patty 🙂
Amen!
Great job Patty!
I am sharing this!
Another fantastic rendition of “How, when, and where Black people can protest” by White people. Stop telling protesters what to do, you should be ashamed of yourself for spending one minute of your time regurgitating this asinine, myopic and racist rhetoric that has been discredited over and over again (the very act of protesting is patriotic). I am not, however, in any way surprised to read this comes from the Fort Scott area, a racist cesspool of injustice and inequality, where the word n****r is yelled from trailer houses and trucks speeding down the road, spouted by children who learn it from their parents, and accepted socially by the residents of not only this town but the area in general. Perhaps the author’s time would be better spent in a KKK meeting because it is obvious through this thinly veiled attack on POC civil liberties where his or her true loyalties lie.
Yeah Dam White People…………….The ONLY race on this planet that continuously goes out of their way to help OTHER races. I’ve never seen a single person in Afrika donate food, medicine, clothing to the poor white people in this country or any other. ……Suggesting Patti belongs at a KKK meeting is beyond ignorant, it’s just plain mean………. She, and her family, have probably done at least a tiny bit more than your family for this town. If you disagree with her, so be it. But spewing vitriol just shows your lack of class or breeding………….
God bless you Patty. You nailed it. I feel the same way.
I am sorry protests are meant to make others feel comfortable in their biases and prejudices. For if social protest was meant to not step on people’s toes we would not have women’s right to vote and civil rights progress of the 60’s. There is widespread difference in police conduct towards whites and blacks and justice in our courtrooms. Ms. LaRoche, you raise valid concerns which need protests in their own right but not everybody is afforded the same luxuries from being as privileged as you.
> protests are meant to make others feel comfortable in their biases and prejudices
I am not comfortable with protests started by someone who gives significant money to support the “tradition and spirit” of a terrorist who killed a policeman, went to prison, broke out of prison and escaped to Cuba.
> not everybody is afforded the same luxuries from being as privileged as you
If you DO think it is a good thing to support a protests started by someone with the background I described, then we differ on that. Fortunately you happen to have the privilege to live in a country where veterans have fought to provided you with the luxury to hold that belief.
Thank you from a 24 year military spouse. ❤️
The NFL has lost out on my money and my time this year as a result of the disrespect the players have shown to the people who serve. Politics has no place in sports and the only thing that they’ve accomplished is costing themselves hundreds of millions of dollars before this is over. I usually spend at least 5k a year going to games and buying apparel for myself and family, not to mention staying at the hotels, eating etc., so they not only didn’t sell me or my family a ticket this year (Five in my family plus parents, so usually 10 tickets or so), they didn’t sell us any apparel, none of their $12 beers, food, parking, etc.! If that wasn’t enough, they’re hurting the very economies that fund their facilities because people aren’t going to as many games, and aren’t buying the hotel rooms, food, etc.! We even gave our NFL apparel to good will and stopped watching football on Sunday! They’ll have to stop their kneeling at some point to stop the financial bleeding, but that won’t be enough for many. We now know how the ignorant players feel and whose side they’re on, and I’m personally not forgiving any of them anytime soon! Patty, your words are spot on. I’ll take the high road with her and continue boycotting the NFL and the disrespect they’re showing our serviceman and women!
some of the NFL players do give their time and money in many ways. they go into their communities and listen to the problems of so many that do not have the same privileges many white people do. they are protesting about social injustice not the flag or song. they have that choice because of the first amendment. Change doesn’t come overnight.
> they have that choice because of the first amendment.
Actually the 1st Amendment doesn’t say anything about what you are allowed to do at your job when the flag is honored. Only what laws Congress is allowed to pass.
> NFL players do give their time and money in many ways
Yes they do. Colin Kaepernick has given a substantial amount of money to an organization whose stated goal is to promote the “tradition and spirit” of a racist terrorist murderer who broke out of prison and escaped to Cuba. Kaepernick started the “take a knee protest.” He also enjoys wearing depictions of our policeman as pigs. Take a few minutes to look up Assata Shakur to get an idea of what the foundation of this protest supports. If you support her, then by all means support the protest–you live in a country that gives you the right to do so.
there are a lot of other NFL players that are taking a knee (once again in protest about social injustice and police brutality) This seems to be forgotten because of all of Trump’s tweets about the matter. not only Colin Kaepernick but many other players. Many veterans have come out and supported the players saying that the reason they have served this country is so people can protest in what ever way they want to. Maybe you haven’t read any of their comments on facebook etc. but they are out there.
> not only Colin Kaepernick but many other players
Can you point me to another player doing this that is not following Kaepernick’s lead in this? I do not support any protest of our police that was started by someone who is giving money to promote the racist terrorist Assata Shakur. It sounds like you DO support a protest of the police that was started by someone who gives money to promote racial terrorism in the US. Living in the US gives you the right to hold that opinion no matter how repugnant it is to others.