Nick Wright opened his Fox Sports show First Things First Tuesday by very methodically breaking down how very clear the NFL players’ message has been, and how traditional media outlets still have had a hard time reporting it with accuracy. It’s a truly wonderful articulation of the real issue facing the nation.
I have not heard one soundbite of a player being anti-military, of a player outwardly attacking the fundamentals of what this country is supposed to be. This is a protest about whether or not the country has fulfilled its promise of equal protection under the law, to all of its citizens. And that conversation is one no one wants to have. That conversation is uncomfortable for people. So people, literally drape themselves in the flag, as a defense of it.
Later on, Mr. Wright put this question out there to all of the people who have been freaking out about these protests.
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Are you angry at the protests because you think it’s disrespecting the flag, or are you angry because of what is being protested? Because if Colin Kaepernick—who started this protest—when he was asked “why are you not standing for the anthem?” He had said I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think anyone protects that flag more than our soldiers. And I don’t think our solders are treated fairly when they come back to this country. They do not have adequate healthcare. They do not have adequate benefits. They do not have adequate job opportunities. And until they get that, I’m not standing for the Anthem.
Would you still be mad? Because he would be “disrespecting the flag,” just the same way. Or are you mad because deep down inside you feel like black people got it “good enough”?
No one’s “disrespecting a flag.” Flags don’t have feelings. Flags can’t be killed for reaching to show you an open carry license on a sunny day, with a 4-year-old behind you in a car seat, like Philando Castile did. Flags won’t be followed around by a psychopathic cowardly maniac and murdered, like Trayvon Martin was. Your brand new elementary school flag won’t be shot in a drive-by by Cleveland police, like Tamir Rice was.
You can watch Wright’s searing take on this topic in the video below.