When something highly polarizing occurs in our society I tend to feel caught in the middle; between hateful Facebook statuses, friends saying bizarre things, people championing boycotts, etc. The latest thing is Nike's Colin Kaepernick ad campaign. I have friends who are shredding their Nike clothes and sending them to the corporate office, and I have other friends who love Kaepernick. So where do I stand? I'm not certain, because I also tend to have more questions than answers when this "culture war" stuff hits the fan.
Here are some of my initial thoughts/questions:
- What do I believe in strongly enough that I would take a knee during the national anthem?
- Can the country be "disrespected" by an athlete taking a knee? Our country is a nation filled with people who hold many beliefs, some highly contradictory to one another.
- Isn't injustice (even if it's just a personal perception) more disrespectful to America/Americans than an athlete taking a certain posture?
- Why is burning Nike gear now the moral high-ground, instead of not supporting them in the first place because their products are made in sweatshops?
- Why destroy your Nike clothes to "make a point" when there are people in great need who'd be delighted to wear your used clothing?
- The First Amendment allows people to express their feelings - even if they are wrong.
- Would NFL players taking a knee to bring awareness to to veteran suicide and the poor care at VA hospitals also be "disrespectful"?
Another thing used to discredit Kaepernick is his being adopted by a white family, his fame, and his wealth. People say things like, "How does a spoiled rich kid know anything about Police brutality?" This argument creates an emotional response, even in me, like - "Yeah how does he?!" Here's the thing... It doesn't matter who has a heart for a certain cause, their social economic status doesn't matter either. I've helped causes battling human/sex trafficking, yet I'm not a victim of it. I've supported other causes and I've not battled muscular dystrophy, etc.
Telling Kaepernick and other athletes to "Stand up! Now shut the F*** up!" merely addresses your uncomfort with their protest. This approach does nothing to address their perceptions or the root cause of their on the field actions. If anything the Fraternal Order of Police, Law Enforcement agencies and their associations/unions should be seizing this opportunity for community engagement. The comotion over Kaepernick, kneeling, and Nike is the perfect platform for public relations. Law Enforcement agencies should be inviting their community members to do ride alongs, participate in town hall meetings, get signed up for a citizens academy. Let the community IN, let them see what it's like to be an Officer; most citizens have no idea what Officers face day in and day out. Community Policing has gone away due to limited manpower, high call volumes, etc. It is time for those practices to be emphasized again. Of course communities feel that they don't know their public servants, it's because the cops are running from call to call, leaving very little time for Officers to get to know folks.
And lastly, to my brothers/sisters in Law Enforcement... Times are strange to say the least. No longer is an Officer's word trusted, it has to be backed up by body camera footage. There are more and more people out there who seem to hate the Police. Just remember that there are more people in your community that appreciate you than hate you. Keep your head up, don't let social media frenzies keep you from serving well or cause you to retreat. There are millions of Law Enforcement contacts a day that go perfectly and without a complaint or even a thank you; keep that in mind when the media and others try to paint us in a negative light. Serve with honor, respect, and dignity - there are millions of people counting on you. And of course, STAY SAFE!
