I did an earlier blog post describing my support for Nike and Kaepernick’s partnership. I saw the new Nike ad and its message goes far beyond “disrespecting the flag.” It is an inspiring piece that should resonate with anyone, white/black, civilian/veteran etc.
Since I have my own pair of Nikes, I have been praying for the day some stranger decides to start an argument with me over wearing them. I avoid most of the comments for any online piece that references Kaepernick, knowing that people will complain about veterans or America as a whole being disrespected. As I said in my last piece, peaceful protest has a long history of being viewed as the “wrong way” to go about things. Everything from sit-ins to peaceful marches during the Jim Crow era, were viewed as too divisive or “the wrong way.” People back then also argued that black people are already equal and just need to work harder. Remember, this is Jim Crow America. Before black people could vote.
Kaepernick knelt during the anthem since a key part of protest is getting attention for it. Millions of Americans are watching, why not take that opportunity to try to start a conversation. Deflecting to the flag is just stupidity or willful ignorance, like Arian Foster said.
Now, I wanted to move on to a criticism of Kaepernick that isn’t as popular as “disrespecting the flag,” but is still a knee-jerk reactions of the right.
- How can he disrespect a country that made him rich?
The issue with this argument is the bling patriotism behind it e.g. If you love your country you should think it’s perfect. Also, it mirrors the logic behind the “How is America racist if a black man is (was) president?”
Rich, black athletes are a very small minority within a minority. When it comes to how you are treated by employers, police, juries etc. fame skews everything. Chris Rock phrased it perfectly when describing how cops approach him, “Nigga, nigga, nigga, Chris Rock!”
Just because Kaepernick or Obama made it to the top, in a sense, does not mean that there is no racism. Black people are still killed in a disproportional amount by police. Now, I had some paternalistic white man on Twitter (with a black wife and kids of course) retort that black people also commit a disproportionate amount of violent. He is not wrong, what I have a problem with is the assumption: More criminality equals more death. Cops are supposed to use sufficient force to arrest someone. Death should not be a guarantee when dealing with someone who stole cigarettes, like the case of Mike Brown. Kaepernick isn’t kneeling because black people get arrested for violent crime. Check out the video below to see an example of how police can treat a white person and a black person differently for the same offence. Aside from the different treatment by police, trial results make it clear that excessive force is generally more accepted by juries and the population if it involves a black person: “He should have obeyed the law.”
Moving on from paternalistic white guys who think their black wife makes them an expert….
The “but Kaepernick’s rich” argument also implies Kaepernick, and rich minorities as a whole, can’t have empathy for the people that aren’t in their situation. With that logic, no black actor, politician etc. should ever try to institute policies to help people less fortunate. Like Arian Foster said, this argument almost comes across as more willful ignorance. It collapses on itself so easily that I generally wonder if people using it actually believe what they are saying, or if the excuse is convenient because they can throw out a line to avoid talking about police brutality. Saying “but Kaepernick’s rich” is more socially acceptable than saying “I don’t care about black people getting killed by cops. White power!”
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