Doug Best
Doug Best
Sep 6, 2018 · 7 min read

On the necessity of supporting Colin Kaepernick

Today, my college-age nephew posted an article on Facebook about a woman who had lost her husband, a police officer, in the line of duty. She had shared a photo of his favorite hat… which had a Nike logo on it. And she expressed outrage at Nike and Colin Kaepernick over their new, controversial ad. My nephew expressed disdain at the ad’s headline of “even if it means sacrificing everything”, stating that Kaepernick had not sacrificed anything compared to this woman. Which is true. But irrelevant. Here’s what I said:

Nephew, I want to share some thoughts with you, because in sympathizing with the tragedy this woman endured, you may have, in a moment of emotion, overlooked an important issue this raises. I’m proud to say you are a young man of the finest character, and this is not directed at you or a criticism of you, as I know you support the ideals and principles of this country. Instead, I saw this as an opportunity to express my views on the critical importance of free speech, and the absolute necessity of protest, that all too many people, including our President, who is ironically tasked with with defending it, argue against.

It is a profound misunderstanding to simplify this matter into “NFL players who kneel disrespect the police” or “NFL players who kneel disrespect the flag”. In fact, it is such an extreme misunderstanding that when I hear it expressed I can’t help but think it is an intentional misunderstanding.

Let’s begin at the beginning. Kaepernick began this protest last year as a protest against police brutality against black people. Not as a protest against police. He has been explicit on this on many occasions. Before you condemn a man, it is incumbent upon you to clearly understand him.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/taking-a-knee-national-anthem-nfl-trump-why-meaning-origins-racism-us-colin-kaepernick-a8521741.html

Numerous other players on numerous other occasions have also made this abundantly clear. So claiming they are disrespecting the police is disingenuous.

Additionally, Kaepernick chose to kneel specifically because it WAS a respectful form of protest, as noted in the above article. An alternative form of protest also seen is to stand and link arms. Both manifestations of protest are completely non-violent, completely stationary and silent, and disrupt nothing.

You can support police, but still condemn police brutality. In fact, I would argue that you should, and must. Taking the instance of an officer who died in the line of duty, which is tragic, and drawing a false equivalency to the validity of Colin Kaepernick’s and other NFL players protests, as this grieving woman did, is illogical and unfounded — the two are not related. A good officer being killed does not mean police brutality against black people does not exist — the one does not negate the other. And however brave this officer’s sacrifice, no individual — inclusive of any and all NFL players — is required to, in turn, sacrifice their right of free speech and protest. In fact, for a democracy to persevere, and for freedom to exist, we must never compromise our right of free speech and protest for anything. And thus by extension, if you support democracy and freedom of speech and our right to protest, you should never condemn those who exercise them.

And the statistics have shown that overwhelmingly and consistently, black people face violence, including murder, from police on a long-term and regular basis, at a higher rate than other ethnic groups, in instances where use of any force, much less deadly force, is questionable.

https://www.vox.com/cards/police-brutality-shootings-us/us-police-racism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_brutality_in_the_United_States

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/long-painful-history-police-brutality-in-the-us-180964098/

https://thesocietypages.org/toolbox/police-killing-of-blacks/

Some time ago I read something that stuck with me. I wish I could remember who wrote it. It said “democracy is where you distrust everyone who has power above you.” I thought that was profound, and I considered it and studied it until I understood it. The subject of a nation having a police force is a perfect example. Our police have an incredibly difficult and often dangerous job. We have entrusted them to protect us and ensure public safety. To do so, we have granted them remarkable and expansive powers and privileges. The opportunities for misuse or abuse of these powers and privileges, intentional or unintentional, are many. And it is not disrespectful or anti-police to say this, and to recognize that such abuses are going to happen. It’s just reality. Humans are fallible. In everything we do there is going to be certain amount of mistakes. It’s unavoidable. Most police are true public servants, motivated by a respect for law and for the people they serve. I am grateful to them. Some police are not. Some come to believe they are above the law. They become intoxicated by the power they have. They seek opportunities to exercise it, regardless of the principles of justice they swore to uphold.

So how do we combat such inequities? How can we, essentially, police the police, to prevent these abuses and injustices? The answer is vigilance, constant vigilance. But not just of the police exercising vigilance upon themselves — but of us, of individual citizens, exercising constant vigilance upon the police. It is we who have granted them these powers, and thus, the right, and even the responsibility, to monitor the usage of those powers, to hold them to the highest possible standards, to insist upon the just application of these powers, falls upon us. Don’t blindly support the police, or anyone who has power over you, without very, very carefully considering whether or not they are abusing the powers and privileges we have given them. Because if the people cannot hold these powers accountable, and indict and remove and prosecute them if necessary, we no longer have democracy. We have fascism. We have a dictatorship. We have oppression.

And so, it really is a powerful truth that in a democracy, you MUST distrust everyone who has power above you. You must call out their errors and abuses, and you must not be silent until you are heard.

Throughout human history, whenever totalitarian regimes sought power, one of the very first things they forbid is protests. From emperors in Rome to kings Europe, from Hitler in Germany to Franco in Spain, upon achieving the first blush of power, before they have even fully ascended, before enacting any other laws or oppressions, they seek to restrict free speech, and especially its most feared form — the protest. Because they know that democracy is inextricably linked to free speech and protest. Democracy cannot exist without it. And that’s why we must protect it and fight for it and even embrace, always. As soon as you seek to silence one person’s voice, democracy and freedom begin to die.

Now, regarding this rhetoric about disrespecting the flag. It is traditional in some instances to display your respect to the United States of America by certain rituals involving the flag or national anthem. And that’s fine. I am always wary of rituals and symbols. Because that’s what they are — just rituals and symbols. And have no doubt that rituals and symbols are used as tools to manipulate people. It is, in fact, their very purpose, they reason they were created. I do not respect the flag. I respect democracy. I do not respect the national anthem. I respect the citizens of the United States. Do not become emotionally attached to rituals and symbols. Attach yourself intellectually and philosophically to the actual principles and people they represent.

As far as the Nike ad, Nike is a corporation. Their goal is making money, and they feel this ad will help them do so. Fine. I never entertained for a moment that Nike was fighting for human rights or freedom, and I expect no corporation to do so, and I don’t shop for shoes based on that. Kaepernick was already a millionaire, but its also ridiculous to think of him turning down this campaign when it so effectively advances his message. And despite the fact that its just an ad for a shoe company, there is every indication Kaepernick is completely sincere. He has also been under contract with Nike since 2011, so this didn’t spring out of nowhere. I do not support, specifically, Kaepernick. I don’t follow sports and I know nothing about him outside of this issue. He is free to get paid and become wealthy, and getting paid and being wealthy does not invalidate his message. Poverty is not a requirement for justice, and an accumulation of wealth does not correspond to a reduction in rights.

It is completely true that this woman, and others like her, have lost more than Kaepernick. But I am unclear how that relates to Kaepernick’s protest. Is it Kaepernick’s fault he has not lost his wife or a loved one in the line of duty? Would it make anything he said more or less valid because of the death of another individual? I have not lost what this woman has lost. You have not lost what this woman has lost. Does this mean we cannot protest? Does this mean our points of view have less validity? You said “I believe that being benched, and losing a QB1 salary package is not “sacrificing” anything.” And I agree. But be clear that, first, that is a headline in an ad. Kaepernick did not write it. And second, no money is mentioned. The ad does not involve Kaepernick personally stating that what he sacrificed was money and position. Instead, it is pretty clearly addressing the issue of freedom of speech and protest. And although I don’t support Nike one way or the other, and I don’t support Kaepernick getting paid one way or the other, I emphatically support freedom of speech and the right to protest wherever it arises.

Love,
Your uncle

Doug Best

Written by

Doug Best

I do not suffer fools gladly. Except for my dog.

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