So, on Monday evening my Dad gave me a call and told me that he ”needed” to write about the NFL protests. My Dad, Dennis Singer, is a Democrat through and through and is 70 years old, but is no bleeding heart. He believes in bedrock Democratic principles; equality, fairness, opportunity, and love. He felt passionate about this issue and he needed to write about it. Enough from me, here is what he wrote:
As I See It
I am a veteran, having attended college in the ‘60’s when the Vietnam War was being waged. I served in the military for 6 years, from 1969 to 1975. I served so that all Americans could express their Freedom of Speech per that right granted them in our First Constitutional Amendment. This Freedom of Speech extends to athletes who may choose to peacefully express their views toward social injustices taking place. This basic right allows athletes to kneel or raise a fist if they choose to do so while our National Anthem is being played. Their expressive right to kneel or raise their fist in solidarity if they choose to do so has not been meant to disrespect our flag or the whole of the police department or our government as a whole, but rather as an expression of displeasure aimed toward a very few individuals in our society who choose to selectively target various individuals based their own biases, be the perpetrators supremacists, vigilantes, police, politicians or any segment of our population. The forum on which these athletes have chosen to express themselves has been chosen because it gives them a chance to show their views to a large segment of the world’s population, not just the tens of thousands in attendance at the football stadiums but to the millions watching on television nationally and internationally. Why are the owners of various football entities allowed to suppress these athletes inalienable right to freedom of expression? Why are various politicians allowed to bully not only the athletes but the owners into cowardice acts of violating their own players' rights? It seems to me that the politicians and wealthy team owners could better utilize their own forums to try to repel the threats of and actual acts of violence from the extreme right, such as those coming from the KKK, Neo-Nazis, certain political factions and those who have chosen to circumvent the laws regarding responsible use of guns.
As long as social injustices are being perpetrated on our society, then athletes should have the basic right to exercise their Freedom of Speech to kneel or raise a fist in solidarity without fear of retribution from their team owner or far-right politicians.