Last year, after the Charlottesville protests and the murder of Heather Heyer, my frustration with the social media reaction to these events and the NFL players who were protesting during the National Anthem came to a head. I wrote What is Going on with America's Religious-Like Obsession with Flags? The NFL players are still kneeling; the president is still pissed off about it; and social media reaction to these stories has continued to baffle me. So here we go. Part II of that post last year.
Look, people kneeling or sitting during the National Anthem makes me uncomfortable. It should make you uncomfortable if you're an American. I want Americans to be happy, healthy, and safe. One would think that if an American citizen, or a group of them, would protest during a moment that is supposed to unify Americans, there must really be a big problem. Are they not happy, healthy, or safe? If so, why?
I looked into the reasons for their protests. According to the US Census, 76.7% of Americans are white, but at the time of my writing this, a mere 52.3% of all citizens shot by police in 2018 are white (668 police shootings - 171 victims of unknown race = 497 victims of known race, of which 260 are white). That's what an employment lawyer would call a disparate impact.
Almost everybody has a bias to associate weapons with black people--even black people! Check out this video clip from Through the Wormhole, hosted by Morgan Freeman.
You think you don't have a bias to shoot first if the suspect is black or associate weapons with dark skin? Take the Weapons IAT (implicit association test from Harvard) and see just how biased you are.
The point is that denying there's a problem is either ignorance or racist. You either are not aware of this problem, which can be corrected through education, or you don't care, which makes you racist.
When somebody exercises their First Amendment right to peacefully protest, why are they vilified? This is America, right? Do we want to live in a place that forces blind loyalty? That's what Nazi Germany did and what North Korea does.
There's a problem with police brutality in America even if systemic racism is removed as a factor. In the Washington Post article above, it cites 668 total police shooting fatalities from January 1, 2018 to August 20, 2018. That's almost three per day. During the past 28 years, German police officers have shot and killed only 269 citizens. Between 2013 and 2017 a total of 10 people were shot and killed by cops in England and Wales. Since gun laws are so strict in the U.K, it's uncommon for citizens to ever carry them; as a result, there is no need for police to carry them either--the majority of cops there do not have guns.
America needs to face our systemic bias to associate weapons and violence with black people. We need to completely reform our justice system, our police force, our prison system, and our gun laws. There is no disputing this... unless of course you just don't care.
That's the goddamn problem right there. Too many Americans don't fucking care. How do I know? First, because when I'm monitoring social media I notice the people most angry about NFL players kneeling never tell us how angry they are when an unarmed, black citizen is shot by police. I've made a habit of asking them if they are angry about this. I estimate I've done this 40+ times, perhaps. One time, the person I asked said he is more angry at dead black citizens than he is at kneeling black citizens. That's not a good ratio, especially considering that my question makes people incredibly uncomfortable. Most won't even answer it, if they do it's indirectly. The responses to the question "Which makes you angrier: police shooting an unarmed citizen, or an NFL player kneeling during the National Anthem, always fall into one of these main generalizations:
1) "This is about respecting the military and the flag!" (Deflection, Red Herring)
2) "Police shootings aren't that big of a problem." (Denial)
3) "They shouldn't flee or fight back/They deserve it." (Victim blaming)
All three of these responses are deplorable.
And respect for a flag? A flag is literally a piece of cloth with stars and stripes on it. "It's more than piece of cloth to me," political conservatives who show anger at kneeling NFL players shout. Well, ok. A flag is an emblem that represents people and the rights, liberties, and freedoms people have. That's why I don't dogmatically worship any flag. It's not the fucking flag that matters--it's the fucking people.
People are being shot who don't deserve it. Yeah, so what if a suspect flees, or doesn't immediately put up his/her hands when instructed to do so? Does that deserve the death penalty? Do we want to live in a country where authoritarian cops can decide who lives or dies based on how well somebody can follow simple directions? Aren't cops trained to use non-lethal force? Do they have tasers, night sticks, and pepper spray? Don't they train in hand-to-hand combat and maintain above average cardiovascular fitness? Ok then.
But... back to the point. This isn't about the military or the flag, as the kneeling athletes have stated repeatedly from Day One.
Recently I've been asked why I don't support police, or why I hate them. I've started to respond that I do respect police and that I want to keep them safe (police are people). That's why I favor a nationwide ban on all armor-piercing ammunition--because it will help to keep America's police force safe. But for some reason, I can never get a political conservative to agree with me on that, which really makes me wonder if #BlueLivesMatter as much to them as they do to me. Over and over again, they convey to me both directly and indirectly that they care very little about people's lives and livelihoods. Their speech is packed with dogma and idolatry, not empathy. If you have the stomach for it, read the comments on a Fox News article about a criminal who was shot by police or a citizen with a conceal-and-carry license. Political conservatives fucking love when lawbreakers die.
I love it when people share pictures of police or military funerals with me. I love it when they paint pictures of police and military widows and plea to my emotions as if that's going to make me worship some flag. I'm accused of not caring about those people. But that's not even true at all--I don't care about pieces of cloth and songs. I do care about people. I am grieved at all preventable and unnecessary human deaths, whether they be police, firefighters, military, CEOs, homeless people, etc. It doesn't matter if they are black, white, or brown. I don't care if they are Christian, Atheist, Muslim, or Mormon; male or female; young or old; American, foreign, or illegal immigrant. People can be victims--Yes, even police officers and military--but flags and songs cannot be. So why do conservatives think a photo of a casket draped in an American flag and carrying a police officer is going to suddenly cause me to disparage people in order to worship some flag? What reaction should I expect if I respond to them with a picture taken from Walter Scott's funeral? Or Eric Harris'? What did the parents and family of Tamir Rice look like after the 12-year old was shot and killed by police? Watch Laquan McDonald get shot 16 times by police while walking away from them. They lied and said McDonald lunged at them with a knife. Are you angry?
If you are, do you use social media to tell us how angry you are when a person is victimized? Or do you use your platform mostly to clamor for other Americans to ignore these victims in some pathetic charade to worship a piece of cloth?
Which makes you angrier: A dead, unarmed citizen shot by police, or a knee in the dirt during a song?
I want the NFL players to stop kneeling too. But that's not going to happen until the overwhelming majority of Americans answer that question the right way (yes, there actually is a right and wrong answer). Until that day comes, I will sit for the National Anthem, and I hope more and more athletes, fans, and coaches do, too.
(By the way, the president of the United States could do wonders to inflict positive change--it'd be so easy. Step 1: Open Twitter. Step 2: Type "Police brutality and systemic racism is BAD for America! We need to fix these problems! Sad!" Step 3: Click 'Tweet.' I'll wait...)
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Look, people kneeling or sitting during the National Anthem makes me uncomfortable. It should make you uncomfortable if you're an American. I want Americans to be happy, healthy, and safe. One would think that if an American citizen, or a group of them, would protest during a moment that is supposed to unify Americans, there must really be a big problem. Are they not happy, healthy, or safe? If so, why?
I looked into the reasons for their protests. According to the US Census, 76.7% of Americans are white, but at the time of my writing this, a mere 52.3% of all citizens shot by police in 2018 are white (668 police shootings - 171 victims of unknown race = 497 victims of known race, of which 260 are white). That's what an employment lawyer would call a disparate impact.
Almost everybody has a bias to associate weapons with black people--even black people! Check out this video clip from Through the Wormhole, hosted by Morgan Freeman.
You think you don't have a bias to shoot first if the suspect is black or associate weapons with dark skin? Take the Weapons IAT (implicit association test from Harvard) and see just how biased you are.
The point is that denying there's a problem is either ignorance or racist. You either are not aware of this problem, which can be corrected through education, or you don't care, which makes you racist.
When somebody exercises their First Amendment right to peacefully protest, why are they vilified? This is America, right? Do we want to live in a place that forces blind loyalty? That's what Nazi Germany did and what North Korea does.
There's a problem with police brutality in America even if systemic racism is removed as a factor. In the Washington Post article above, it cites 668 total police shooting fatalities from January 1, 2018 to August 20, 2018. That's almost three per day. During the past 28 years, German police officers have shot and killed only 269 citizens. Between 2013 and 2017 a total of 10 people were shot and killed by cops in England and Wales. Since gun laws are so strict in the U.K, it's uncommon for citizens to ever carry them; as a result, there is no need for police to carry them either--the majority of cops there do not have guns.
America needs to face our systemic bias to associate weapons and violence with black people. We need to completely reform our justice system, our police force, our prison system, and our gun laws. There is no disputing this... unless of course you just don't care.
That's the goddamn problem right there. Too many Americans don't fucking care. How do I know? First, because when I'm monitoring social media I notice the people most angry about NFL players kneeling never tell us how angry they are when an unarmed, black citizen is shot by police. I've made a habit of asking them if they are angry about this. I estimate I've done this 40+ times, perhaps. One time, the person I asked said he is more angry at dead black citizens than he is at kneeling black citizens. That's not a good ratio, especially considering that my question makes people incredibly uncomfortable. Most won't even answer it, if they do it's indirectly. The responses to the question "Which makes you angrier: police shooting an unarmed citizen, or an NFL player kneeling during the National Anthem, always fall into one of these main generalizations:
1) "This is about respecting the military and the flag!" (Deflection, Red Herring)
2) "Police shootings aren't that big of a problem." (Denial)
3) "They shouldn't flee or fight back/They deserve it." (Victim blaming)
All three of these responses are deplorable.
Most Americans respect the military--Although the military, too, should be evaluated as individuals before being blindly respected and held on a pedestal. All you have to do is read a little bit about Abu Ghraib to know that the American military and those in the Pentagon and White House who order them are capable of horrible malice. Remember, respect is earned, not freely given. Putting on a uniform doesn't make one a hero.
And respect for a flag? A flag is literally a piece of cloth with stars and stripes on it. "It's more than piece of cloth to me," political conservatives who show anger at kneeling NFL players shout. Well, ok. A flag is an emblem that represents people and the rights, liberties, and freedoms people have. That's why I don't dogmatically worship any flag. It's not the fucking flag that matters--it's the fucking people.
People are being shot who don't deserve it. Yeah, so what if a suspect flees, or doesn't immediately put up his/her hands when instructed to do so? Does that deserve the death penalty? Do we want to live in a country where authoritarian cops can decide who lives or dies based on how well somebody can follow simple directions? Aren't cops trained to use non-lethal force? Do they have tasers, night sticks, and pepper spray? Don't they train in hand-to-hand combat and maintain above average cardiovascular fitness? Ok then.
But... back to the point. This isn't about the military or the flag, as the kneeling athletes have stated repeatedly from Day One.
Recently I've been asked why I don't support police, or why I hate them. I've started to respond that I do respect police and that I want to keep them safe (police are people). That's why I favor a nationwide ban on all armor-piercing ammunition--because it will help to keep America's police force safe. But for some reason, I can never get a political conservative to agree with me on that, which really makes me wonder if #BlueLivesMatter as much to them as they do to me. Over and over again, they convey to me both directly and indirectly that they care very little about people's lives and livelihoods. Their speech is packed with dogma and idolatry, not empathy. If you have the stomach for it, read the comments on a Fox News article about a criminal who was shot by police or a citizen with a conceal-and-carry license. Political conservatives fucking love when lawbreakers die.
I love it when people share pictures of police or military funerals with me. I love it when they paint pictures of police and military widows and plea to my emotions as if that's going to make me worship some flag. I'm accused of not caring about those people. But that's not even true at all--I don't care about pieces of cloth and songs. I do care about people. I am grieved at all preventable and unnecessary human deaths, whether they be police, firefighters, military, CEOs, homeless people, etc. It doesn't matter if they are black, white, or brown. I don't care if they are Christian, Atheist, Muslim, or Mormon; male or female; young or old; American, foreign, or illegal immigrant. People can be victims--Yes, even police officers and military--but flags and songs cannot be. So why do conservatives think a photo of a casket draped in an American flag and carrying a police officer is going to suddenly cause me to disparage people in order to worship some flag? What reaction should I expect if I respond to them with a picture taken from Walter Scott's funeral? Or Eric Harris'? What did the parents and family of Tamir Rice look like after the 12-year old was shot and killed by police? Watch Laquan McDonald get shot 16 times by police while walking away from them. They lied and said McDonald lunged at them with a knife. Are you angry?
If you are, do you use social media to tell us how angry you are when a person is victimized? Or do you use your platform mostly to clamor for other Americans to ignore these victims in some pathetic charade to worship a piece of cloth?
Which makes you angrier: A dead, unarmed citizen shot by police, or a knee in the dirt during a song?
I want the NFL players to stop kneeling too. But that's not going to happen until the overwhelming majority of Americans answer that question the right way (yes, there actually is a right and wrong answer). Until that day comes, I will sit for the National Anthem, and I hope more and more athletes, fans, and coaches do, too.
(By the way, the president of the United States could do wonders to inflict positive change--it'd be so easy. Step 1: Open Twitter. Step 2: Type "Police brutality and systemic racism is BAD for America! We need to fix these problems! Sad!" Step 3: Click 'Tweet.' I'll wait...)
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