White America, Its Time to Take a Knee

[babylonsister]

https://johnpavlovitz.com/2016/09/20/white-america-its-time-to-take-a-knee/

White America, It’s Time to Take a Knee
September 20, 2016 / John Pavlovitz


For over a year I’ve watched lots of white Americans lose their minds in response to Colin Kaepernick and other NFL player’s peaceful National Anthem protests. I’ve seen them question these young men’s patriotism, malign their motives, attack their methods, and treat them with the kind of open contempt usually reserved for serial killers and child molesters.

For simply taking a knee during a football pre game in an effort to foster a conversation about the deaths of young men of color at the hands of police, these men have been made into the enemy by so much of white America. In some twisted, ironic, almost laughable missing of the point—it’s somehow become the angry black man’s fault for disparaging his country.

And ever since these white people first expressed the initial outrage (the kind they’ve sustained and that has resulted in Kaepernick still being unemployed), I’ve been looking to these same people for some semblance of grief at the unapologetic racism on display in this country, some anger at the pattern of supremacy and privilege in this Administration, some outrage at the sickening deja vu Americans of color are experiencing.

But I’m finding none of these things. Instead I’m finding victim blaming and rationalizing and elaborate efforts to tell us why our eyes aren’t seeing what they’re seeing.

I know what my eyes see. I know what they see over and over and over again.

They see humanity ignored, they see fear metastasized, and they see white people excusing away violence and discrimination and murder—instead of facing the brutal truth that maybe institutional racism is real and maybe Colin Kaepernick and his brethren are worth listening to, and maybe they shouldn’t be vilified outliers who we’re trying to shut-up.

Maybe we should all be kneeling right now.

more...

https://johnpavlovitz.com/2016/09/20/white-america-its-time-to-take-a-knee/

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[CanSocDem]

2. Yes indeed!

And specifically, it'd be nice if all the Superpatriots on DU would take a minute to either learn the game or hesitate thoughtfully before jumping on the shiny white bandwagon.

K&R

.

[malaise]

3. Yes

Off to the greatest page

[jimlup]

4. Yep!

I attended a pre-season game with my adult son and was surprised but pleased to see that he took a knee during the anthem. Taking a lesson from him I will now do this when I attend games.

Teach your children well! I am very proud of my son.

[Scarsdale]

5. My heart goes out

to Colin and others who stood (or knelt) for their beliefs. They are correct, the racism is rampant and getting worse with this administration. These young men worked hard to achieve their goals of playing professional ball. Colin is very talented, he deserves a chance. I would LOVE to see him playing for the Chicago Bears, which needs a good quarterback. Sad to see that talent wasted.

[ouija]

7. I Suspect

I suspect you will see widespread kneeling on Sunday as the Idiot in Chief opened his fat mouth again.

[GoCubsGo]

14. I don't think the Bears' front office has the guts to hire him.

I was hoping they would. I might actually pay attention to them for once.

On a positive note, at least Kapernick isn't battering his brain. Maybe he's sparing himself from CTE.

[StrictlyRockers]

6. Dude wrote this three days ago?

Really good timing on this piece!

[wellst0nev0ter]

100. To the year, yes

But I'd say he's more prescient than timely

[smirkymonkey]

8. Bravo!

I stand w/ Colin Kaepernick and fuck Trump for calling him out. He is ten time the man that Trump will ever be.

[ProfessorGAC]

9. I'd Do It

I don't go to games, and I can change channels during the stupid song, but if were actually there, I'd participate

[burnbaby]

10. I must disagree

I love football, it's a game. With that said I do agree police are too quick to fire, but I don't put the two together

Flame away and while you do I will be getting ready to watch my brady kick a$$

[Trust Buster]

13. I agree. I don't like to see sports and politics mixed. Everyone has the right to make an individual

Choice. Telling 'white people" what they need to do at a football game is over the top IMO.

[SunSeeker]

38. Well, Trump told people to walk out of football games when they see someone take a knee.

Whether we like it or not, football games are huge podiums, and will be used as such.

[Trust Buster]

44. I am not as ignorant as Trump and his actions are not something to point to for comparative reasons.

Imagine if I started a thread declaring what "black people" need to do ? I think we all know the thread would be locked in a heartbeat.

[Eliot Rosewater]

52. So white people have the same issues and disadvantages in America as black people?

Dont bother answering, the comment you made makes it clear we have nothing to say to each other but I was really pissed so I had to say something

[Trust Buster]

54. Spare me the sanctimony. I never claimed that white people have the same disadvantages as

Black people. You said that in lieu of responding to my point.

[elehhhhna]

83. Solidarity. It's a thing. You do you and stfu.

[Trust Buster]

89. I'll speak my mind when I wish. I never have succumbed to bullying.

[elehhhhna]

91. I am sorry for that comment . It was rude.

[SunSeeker]

60. So the Right Wing can use football games as platforms but we can't?

We cede the stage to them, Trust Buster?

[Trust Buster]

73. I never said such a thing. Sports is a place to get away from division. I don't want anyone using

Sports as a political platform. I cede nothing.

[SunSeeker]

81. Unfortunately, racism permeates our society. There's no getting away from it.

These players are using the only platform they have to protest racism. America was built on protest. It's what we do. It's American as baseball and apple pie.

[Alpeduez21]

85. You know who can't get away from the issue?

African Americans. They don't have the luxury of choosing not to biased against b/c of their skin color.

Trust Buster at his football games: "I say, Chad, could you pass the Grey Poupon? What? Another person of color is protesting the police shooting them? I wish they would just leave me alone to enjoy this. Don't they know I expect them to forget all that stuff while I stuff my face watching their brethren entertain me."

[Trust Buster]

90. Childish projection.

[flibbitygiblets]

49. I don't think of racial inequality as "politics". And our president is implying racism is a-OK.

So I guess it would be nice if more privileged folks would act like they cared. I think that's all that was meant in the OP.

[Trust Buster]

53. The OP painted "white people" with a broad brush. Just as unfair as if the same broad brush was

Directed at "black people" IMO.

[flibbitygiblets]

66. I disagree completely. The OP said "Ive watched lots of white Americans lose their minds"

and that's accurate. LOTS of white people seems to feel it's practically an obligation to do this patriotic gesturing during what are games. (How that is the norm, I can't say, but that fact alone is mixing sports and politics, so sorry, it's already been mixed, and I think those protesting aren't so happy about it either.)

The OP said "Maybe we should all be kneeling right now." S/he was suggesting that white people reconsider their current stance of acting like they don't care. This is not painting "white people with a broad brush". It's asking for some self-reflection.

The fact that people like you start clutching your pearls and getting scared that white people are being maligned somehow by having it suggested to them that they might want to, IDK, DO SOMETHING support their less-fortunate brothers and sisters, makes us worry that you are someone who might be part of the problem. Or maybe you just need to have the last word? Whatever, you win, white people are treated just as unfairly as non-whites. Sounds totally right to me.

[burnbaby]

72. If I thought I had any privilege well

I would still enjoy the patriots. It's a few hours were I don't worry about paying bills or looking for a job.

I'm not throwing in politics and I'm not kneeling

[Trust Buster]

74. My point exactly. Sports is a place to get away from division IMO.

[Mariana]

64. Politics and sports are mixed whenever the national anthem is played

at a sporting event. The people who stand are making a political statement. The people who don't stand are making a political statement. If you really don't like politics and sports mixed, the thing to do is lobby to stop the playing of the anthem at games.

[flibbitygiblets]

68. Excellent point, Mariana! Thank you.

[Trust Buster]

75. I agree. I have been a Browns season ticket holder for ten years. In that time, i volunteer

To close down the tailgate so that I miss the National Anthem. There might have been a time when sports was a past time. Now it's a cold hard business. Sports leagues like us to think that patronizing them is a patriotic thing to do. I disagree and enter the stadium after kickoff.

[Alpeduez21]

16. That's quite a priviledge you have

being able to separate into little categories of denial your stance on racism.

You know who can't have the practice of racism separated into little zones of comfort? African Americans. Brady is a Trump supporter. Brady supports the suppression of votes for minorities. Brady supports white supremacists.

And so do you, apparently. Have fun with that.

[gopiscrap]

22. thank you

[burnbaby]

24. yes they

call me the privilege one lol

[WhiskeyGrinder]

29. Preach.

[uponit7771]

56. +1

[Trust Buster]

76. Wow, and here I like watching football for the love of the game.

[Alpeduez21]

87. You can STILL watch

No is saying don't watch. If the issue of protesting racism in a manner you claim to not even watch(staying out of the stadium for the Anthem) with a method that stops nothing (the Anthem and game are still played w/o interruption) then you have no sympathy for the cause.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

28. "I don't put the two together."

Protest is effective when it disrupts the status quo.

[burnbaby]

71. neither do I

and I won't take a kneel

[WhiskeyGrinder]

79. You misunderstand me. I quoted you back to yourself and then commented to remind you that a protest

can be most effective when seemingly disparate things are combined. Especially when it comes to professional sports, when the audience finds it very easy to forget that the athletes are fully formed human beings with complex internal lives, just as we are.

[USALiberal]

41. brady???

[burnbaby]

50. plays for the patriots

quaterback

[USALiberal]

59. The guy who the chiefs kicked the shit out of? That brady? n/t

[burnbaby]

70. Not that I remember

He has taken us to 7 super bowls and won 5.

If you are a patriots fan you love him, if you are not then they seem to hate him

[USALiberal]

109. They lost again, you sure this Brady person is who you are talking about? nt

[burnbaby]

110. yes but

he is breaking my heart... 1-2 not so good

[Freedomofspeech]

11. Well said!

[gademocrat7]

12. K&R!

[tblue37]

15. K&R for visibility. nt

[HAB911]

17. K&R

[spanone]

18. K&R...

[lillypaddle]

19. Yes!!!

[Zoonart]

20. Colin Kapernick is a hero.

Trump... months ago, personally called all of his buddies that own FL teams and blacked balled Colin. nt
I read this, I think, in Football Digest? Anyway... I hope EVERY player in the NFL takes a knee this Sunday.
Not only because of the abject attack on freedom of speech, but also his remarks about how the NFL should not look after the heath of it's players,
because the Tangerine Shartcannon (thanks, Ferret), likes to see crushing, brain killing blows on the field.

[Initech]

35. The republicans need to look up the phrase "beating a dead horse".

Just like Benghazi and Obamacare, you'd think we would be done with this crap, but the GOP keeps coming back for more!

[NobodyHere]

47. Kap couldn't be bothered to voted

People like him are why Trump got elected.

[ecstatic]

63. You're missing the point.

Yeah, there's some incoherence there because Kaepernick, like many other Americans, wasn't well versed on politics, but he saw that something was very wrong in our justice system and he took a stand against police brutality/murder. Even though it cost him. Yes, he is a hero. Hopefully during his (unfair) time off he will have time to read, chat with other activists, and develop a more well informed understanding of politics and specific issues.

[handmade34]

21. YES!!

[Lucky Luciano]

23. If only kaepernick murdered dogs in a dogfighting ring or beat his wife...

Then he would be gainfully employed as a QB.

[Moostache]

25. I find the morons who fly "Blue Lives Matter" flags insufferable.

They are racist asshats to the core.
Every.
single.
one.
of.
them.

They talk about Black Lives Matter activists in the same manner they talk about ISIS and Al Queda.
They whine incessantly about "respect", but as soon as you confront them about police behavior and lack of basic respect shown people of color in general policing or specific incidents they lose their shit and start shrieking about patriotism and love of country.

Their is no greater love of country than the courage to stand, kneel, march or simply state "we are doing less than we should and far less than we could..." Pointing out that things are not OK, that we DO in fact do things really badly at times, is fundamental citizenship.

Time and history are not on the side of the illegitimate aggrieved white people on this issue. I am white, I am unduly privileged as a result of doing absolutely nothing but fall out of a white vagina, and I recognize that fact without existential threat to my person. Its way past time for all white people to recognize these truths as well.

[babylonsister]

26. Here is the simplest explanation ever...

[Moostache]

27. THANK YOU!!!

I am printing a copy of that and sticking it in the window of my car.

I do not care if some assholes feel that gives them license to vandalize my property...I hope I catch them because I will sue the ever loving shit out them!

[Honeycombe8]

42. You won't catch them. Collision ins. will pay for it, I guess. nt

[oasis]

62. Yup, but the deductible is hell to pay.

[Honeycombe8]

88. There is zero to little deductible for collision. nt

[dalton99a]

36. +1

[heaven05]

30. ++

[yallerdawg]

31. The more things change...

the more they stay the same.

[mountain grammy]

61. Yep.

[raven mad]

32. I have. And will.

The first time I recall was Muhammad Ali.

[joanbarnes]

33. This White Lady DEPLORES standing for the 'anthem' and is humbled by the courage of these young men

[sandensea]

34. Republicans should, anyway.

The rest of us don't support their abuses, at home or abroad.

[NobodyHere]

37. I'm standing

I'm not sure why activists are so interested in alienating many who would support them.

[treestar]

39. How is the kneeling a protest?

Is it because you are supposed to stand for the national anthem? I don't watch football at all.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

40. Yes. n/t

[onecent]

43. Yep!!!!!

[Motley13]

45. I will do it in spirit, since I will be home with my cat & I am too old

to kneel, I might not get up

But I'm with you

[mcar]

46. K&R

[rainin]

48. Power of Propaganda

Plain and Simple --

The propaganda machine established the "meaning" of the Kaepernick's bended knee gesture.

On it's face, it is an action without meaning.

It had meaning to Kaepernick -- he wanted to use his position to draw attention to violence against the black community. But the action had many possible interpretations.

"Meaning" from FOX and propaganda universe: He was "disrespecting the flag".

"Meaning" we could have had: He was "bending the knee to show respect for the flag and the Constitution/Bill of Rights which protects the rights of all." After all, isn't "bending the knee a sign" of respect?

We ended up with division because the propaganda machine decides what everything means. Now, everyone who considers themselves patriotic, i.e. veterans and active military are angry that he "disrespected the flag".

See how this works?

Our ONLY hope is to take back the media starting with buying back local radio stations.

P.S. I'm white. Please know we are not all victim blaming. I honestly don't know what to do.

[thegoose]

51. Oh, hell yes...

It's time to stop skirting around it. That orange piece of shit is firing up white supremicists. That's what he is and what he does.

That's not our country. That tangerine pustule needs to be removed now!

[RainCaster]

55. It's just a distraction from Russia

Trump is blowing off steam at anything that will take our minds away from the country who put him in office. Yes, I completely agree with John Pavlovitz, we do need to honor these young men for taking a stand against the police violence against blacks in this country. It's time for this conversation to happen.

[Skittles]

57. RACIST white America, *please*

I detest the STEREOTYPING

[WhiskeyGrinder]

80. #notallwhitepeople, eh Skittles?

America is built on racist institutions. We're soaking in it. The majority of white women voters went for Trump. One of the loudest cultural narratives, touted by the president himself, is that Kaepernick and any who perform a short, simple, physical act of protest are scoundrels. We decry police violence in other locations and then are shocked when it happens in ours. If that's not enough to get every white person to take a knee, well...

[Skittles]

92. I understand

BUT IT IS NOT *ALL* WHITE PEOPLE

THAT IS STEREOTYPING

and the majority of women did NOT vote for Trump - too many of them FAILED TO VOTE

[WhiskeyGrinder]

93. If it's not about you, it's not about you.

[Skittles]

94. stereotyping is stereotyping regardless of color

Last edited Sun Sep 24, 2017, 03:29 PM - Edit history (1)

I guess I just take extreme exception to being lumped in with fucking Trump supporters

[WhiskeyGrinder]

95. Did you read the article?

it seems tome it has something relevant for all white people, not just the racist ones.

[Skittles]

96. YES I read the article

[WhiskeyGrinder]

97. So why so defensive about "not all white people"?

[Skittles]

98. because not all white people are racist

some white folk DO recognize privilege and don't partake of bullshit patriotism symbolism and are in solidarity with BLM

stereotyping always SUCKS

[WhiskeyGrinder]

99. What in the article makes you feel the need to point that out?

[Skittles]

105. THE TITLE

DONE HERE

[WhiskeyGrinder]

106. I encourage you to think about why it makes you feel defensive.

White people benefit from white hegemony whether they support it or not, and it's important to remember that.

[Stuart G]

58. Yes...

[L. Coyote]

65. We should all protest.

Link to tweet

[Sunlei]

67. kneeling seems to make police angrier, harsher with their 'discretion' torture of anyone they 'see'

what's going to happen at 'protests' when local police get their military surplus armed drone toys?

[samnsara]

77. can we take a knee to trumps crotch?

[Gothmog]

78. Agreed

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

82. K&R

[HughBeaumont]

84. Stop playing the national anthem before sporting events. Problem solved.

I never understood it either. Sports aren't a military or even a patriotic platform; most of the teams in America aren't playing another country's team.

Next time you're at a sporting event, look around you and see if every person is standing at attention. At least half of the crowd isn't.

I mean, really, how seriously should I be taking a country where 62 million people think "President Donald Trump" is a great idea? I'm supposed to have *pride* in that?

I'm supposed to have pride in a country that responds to a neo-Nazi march and their violence and murder with tiresome and non-applicable "both sides" bullshit; all because we're so wont to play the "just as bad as" card when confronted with a historic stain we just cannot seem to kick?

This is something I'm supposed to honor?

[flibbitygiblets]

86. Francis Scott Key was a pro-slavery lawyer

appointed as district attorney of D.C. by none other than Andrew Jackson. And he wrote the National Anthem.

How would you feel?

[link://https://www.theglobalist.com/francis-scott-key-and-the-slavery-question/|

[leftstreet]

101. DURec

[ismnotwasm]

102. K&R

[democratisphere]

103. It sure is.

[Alice11111]

104. I have been standing up my entire life, & raised kids & grandkids to do the same. We too, have been

deported, forbidden to work, executed & ostracized for our beliefs, though admittedly maybe not in the same numbers of blacks, at least in the US. However, so have Latinos, Asians, Jews, Native Americans & other groups. We are taking a knee. A white woman was just killed standing up to Nazis, for putting down minorities... and that was the only reason she was present. Maybe, just occasionally, rather than just criticism, show a tiny morsel of respect for those who have fought & continue to fight for you & with you, even though their skin is a different color than yours. Fortunately, many do acknowledge we are united, color aside. However, your post is unappreciative and demeaning, for most minorities...the flip side of the Trumpsters.

[Squinch]

107. This white woman agrees.

[Wolf Frankula]

108. I do not kneel.

Slaves kneel. Free people stand!

Wolf