Counting Kaepernick

The furor over Colin Kaepernick’s “lack of respect” has not died down. Other famous people are blasting his actions. Mike Ditka has now declared that he believes if “they don’t like this country” they should “get the hell out.” He did go on to say this is his (Mike’s) “choice, I like this country, I respect our flag, and I don’t see all the atrocities ... I see opportunities if people want to look ...”

I’ve seen arguments on both sides of this issue. There are soldiers, active military members, who’ve written and signed a letter saying they support his right to voice his opinion. My own father did not drop out of high school and run off to join the Navy and fight in WWII in order for this country to become a dictatorship where everyone HAS to conform to one belief, be it in patriotism or in religion.

As for the argument that if you don’t like this country, get out, that’s baloney. Fight to make it better. Work on the problems. Trump says we aren’t great, he wants to make it better, and people are falling all over themselves supporting him. Many politicians thrive on pointing out our flaws. The news media harps on our problems (they don’t offer solutions, either). No one suggests they leave, do they?

I had a relative who used to famously declare that all blacks should be shipped back to Africa when they complained about conditions here. Never mind that not all of them originated there. This man was at the same time phoning members of Congress and complaining vociferously about laws and conditions here. I asked him if he wished to be shipped back to Norway, the country from which his family originated. Did he think it made sense to send him back because he didn’t like things here? In this country we have rights granted by our Constitution. We also have responsibilities. We have the right to complain. We have the responsibility to not trample the rights of others, whether we agree with their view or not. Many seem to feel those rights only apply to themselves or to those who agree with them.

I’m totally against the NFL, but not because they aren’t punishing Colin for exercising his right to protest. I’m against this so-called non-profit organization, whose owners have been getting filthy rich on the backs of the taxpayers. And because they don’t seem to care that some of their star players are lawbreakers, who have committed real crimes against others, yet never get cut loose for good. I guess if you can play a game really well, you can get away with committing felonies.

I would point out, again, that there is no legal punishment for refusing to show respect for the flag of a country that has historically treated your segment of the citizenry badly. It wasn’t that long ago that blacks could not enter white businesses. They weren’t allowed to attend the same schools. They were dissuaded (sometimes violently) from voting. They were beaten when arrested. Hell, they weren’t even allowed to be on the sports teams with the whites!

The youth of today are still hearing the experiences of their own parents and of their grandparents. Many of them are locked into poverty. They don’t know anything different. They still suffer insults based upon the color of their skin. They, as a whole, are not lauded for their achievements. Even the First Lady is still openly being called a “monkey.” And people snicker over the insult. There is still rampant racism in this country. Electing a black president has not erased any of that.

But everyone wants to call Colin a spoiled rich black. They want him kicked out because he’s trying to point out some of our flaws, in the hopes of changing us for the better. And he’s not looting. He’s not rioting, or calling for riots. He’s not injuring anyone. He’s not disrupting others from saluting the flag. But it seems many want him to not protest at all, because, after all, he’s got it made. He’s rich. Why should he worry about how anyone else is treated? That seems to me to be the same mentality many of the super-rich have: I’m doing great, everyone else should be able to do the same, screw the poor.

Is that how you want this country to be? Is that a decent attitude? To those who claim this is a Christian country, is that how Jesus taught you to be? Do you really care about ALL our citizens?