What Is Behind The Fans' Reactions To The Players Kneeling

This blogpost is written for some who have not taken kindly to Colin Kaepernick's kneeling during the playing of the national anthem. This article is written for some, not all. It isn't written for those who merely disagree with what Kaepernick did. I respectfully disagree with such people.

Rather, this blogpost is written for those who call for or even demand punishment for those players who have kneeled or found other ways to protest during the playing of the National Anthem. Some such people are going to boycott the NFL to put financial pressure on the owners to require players to stand.  

Such people are more offended when some don't stand for the National Anthem than they are for the reason Kaepernick protested in the first place: racism as exercised by some, but too many, police officers.  Such people want Black athletes to find better ways to protest without considering what they could do to reduce racism in our nation.

Such people essentially say they are offended because not standing for the playing of the national anthem shows disrespect to veterans without considering that some veterans support what Kaepernick did (click here). So if some veterans are supporting him, how can people say that what he did was disrespectful to veterans?

We should note the fear, anger, and hostility that some are expressing toward Kaepernick and others are really signs of personal problems. For example, do you believe that people who do not believe that this is the greatest nation in the world should leave? Then you should check the symptoms of narcissism. They include believing that one is more important than they are, being fixated on power and success, 'requiring constant admiration,' being unaware of or blind to what others experience and feel, and acting arrogantly (click here). BTW, we should note that narcissism isn't just for individuals, groups can enjoy it too. And those who participate in group narcissism don't have to be narcissists as individuals.

Are you enraged with players like Colin Kaepernick because he isn't doing what has always been done which standing at attention for the playing of the national anthem? Then consider some of the signs of the Authoritarian Personality: a strict following of middle class values, automatic submission to authority, being hostile to those who don't follow conventions or traditions, fixated on being dominant over others, and projects their own feelings on others (click here).

From a Christian perspective, those who place too much importance on a symbol or entity run the risk of idol worship. In his book, Losing Moses On The Freeway, Chris Hedges says that the following is part of idolatry (see page 42 of his book):

Those who worship idols deal harshly with those who become apostates.

The idols of nation, race, religion, ethnicity,gender and class are idols that demand exclusive and false covenants. These covenants exalt ourselves as long as we only define ourselves through the narrow definitions and exclude others outside the circle. Idols are always about self-worship. The idols subvert the equality that protects us from tyranny and injustice, the respect that urges us to see worth and dignity in all human life, even in those who oppose us. But the fear of exclusion, of incurring the wrath of those who worship the idol, sees us willing to justify the ostracism and even  abuse of others.

 We should note that we didn't become group narcissists, authoritarians, or idolators on our own; we had help We grew up being told how exceptional America is and, when we were young, were at least implicitly guided to never question the wars America fought. In addition, my own faith, Christianity has always overemphasized authority structures and punishment to the point that it began to embrace authoritarianism. And with regard to idolatry, we should note what Paul wrote in Romans 1:21-25 (click here):

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Is it really rational for those who really enjoy watching pro football to not only abstain from watching the game, but go on to try to punish a handful of protesting players simply they didn't stand at attention during the playing of the national anthem? Or is there something else going on? The above article answers the last question with a definitive 'YES'!

Ben Watson's Middle Ground On Kaepernick Misses Some Details

The Baltimore Ravens' Ben Watson (click here for a bio) successfully found a middle ground in talking about Colin Kaepernick's refusal to stand for the National Anthem (click here for the article that quotes him). That middle ground consisted of stating why he stands for the anthem with his right hand over his heart while lending support for Kaepernick and his protests. Watson said something that we all need to hear when he stated that we need to focus on the problems that the protests point to rather than  the protesters.

In stating why he stands, Watson does not deny that there are serious problems in our nation. However, he stands at attention for the National Anthem because of how and where he grew up. He places his hand over his heart for the National Anthem because he grew up in a "Navy Town" and because he is imitating how his father stood for the National Anthem. But most important in his reasons is that standing is his way of honoring the troops who follow order despite their personal sentiments.

And while Watson gives a very respectable response, there are points missing. Points such as the problems our nation which are not in the list he gave. For while he sees serious problems in many American families, with racism and violence, with abortion, with religious freedom, and the ever widening gap between law enforcement and the communities they serve, he seems to have overlooked some very important items. One item Watson overlooked is our nation's imperialism. For while he shows respect for our troops whose "personal sentiments" might oppose that imperialism, we need to ask this question: Can all opposition to our imperialism be attributed to mere "personal sentiments"?

To answer that question, one only needs to substitute another nation's troops for our own. For example, would we consider objections of those who served in Hitler's Wehrmacht, that is Germany's regular army, as being due to mere personal sentiments? Or how about Syria's armed forces? Are the only objections a member of the Syrian army could have to what they are doing as being based solely on feelings?

Thus, in his attempt to honor the troops, Watson seems to have certain assumptions about what our troops asked to do. That assumption states that whatever our troops are asked to do, their objections certainly could not be due to serious moral objections.

In addition, Watson neglects to mention poverty and the growing wealth and power disparity that exists in our country along with how our way of life is destroying the environment and thus is threatening mankind's future survival. Aren't these serious problems and don't they reflect on our nation's character and whether or not it deserves respect?

We could finally add the fact that the third verse of our National Anthem celebrates the persecution and killing of slaves. We should note that the war during which the National Anthem was written saw slaves fleeing to the British for relief as well as Canadian Blacks volunteering to fight to repel America's attempted incursions into Canada. They did so because they feared that they would be returned or made subject to slavery if America won. So when we read the following part of the third verse, what are we to think?

No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The objection that should exist here is not in Watson's balanced approach to Kaepernick's protests during the playing of the National Anthem. For while Watson states that he could not protest the National Anthem as Kaepernick does, he shows a very proper respect for what Kaepernick is doing, Watson could recognize more problems with our nation than he does as well as problems with some of the lyrics of the National Anthem. And in the end, while Watson shows respect for Kaepernick and his refusal to stand, Watson seems to be unaware that his own personal response to the National Anthem just might be the result of accepting an authoritarianism that is both so rampant in our nation today and is hindering any real democracy from emerging.