Friday, September 29, 2017

Protest

This really is a third rail issue, so I will tread carefully.  There is a difference between opinion and analysis.  This is analysis.

President Trump weighed in on NFL player protests last weekend, kicking off a new wave.  There will be likely more protests, and more presidential comments this weekend.

No one is denying a player's right to protest.  That is what makes America great.  Here is what's setting some people off-- the protests take place during the Star Spangled Banner, and many view that as un-American.

The players aren't protesting against America.  They are protesting racial inequality.  

I've heard a lot of people saying there is a better time and place to do this.  You can't deny there is maximum impact.  The protests and the reaction are all over news and sports television shows, news radio, talk radio, sports talk radio, the corner bar, the donut shop down the street, the water cooler at the office...  It cannot be avoided.   This is an issue that really needs to be discussed.

Sports is usually a great escape.  No matter how bad things are, it's a relief to turn on the TV on a Sunday afternoon and forget about your problems for a little while.  As we've now learned, sports can be a conduit for exposing a problem.  One can only hope that it's also a conduit for a solution.