Patriotism, Protest and American Values

John Kyte
John Kyte
Sep 6, 2018 · 3 min read

The President and the National Football League have it all wrong. Nike, oddly enough, has it right.

Let’s be clear: Protest is an inherent, potent and historically important part of American politics and of being an American. From the Boston Tea Party, women’s suffrage and the civil rights movement, up to athletes kneeling or locking arms during the national anthem, protesting is as American as apple pie and, well, baseball or football.

Protesting is not unpatriotic. In fact, standing up for one’s beliefs is one of the most patriotic things a person can do — it takes courage and conviction, risks scorn and ridicule, and is often undertaken at great personal peril. These are quintessential American values.

Protesters marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

In reality, protesting is manifestly patriotic because it calls attention to injustice, discrimination and disrespect for the rule of law. It calls attention to things that our Founding Fathers sought to protect us from when they drafted the U.S. Constitution, which still stands as the foundation of our democracy. When people in power abuse our political, legal and law enforcement systems for personal gain or self-aggrandizement, or out of ignorance or bias, protest is a powerful tool to counter such actions and bring about necessary change. There’s a reason free speech is protected by the First Amendment.

Being patriotic is not simply about our flag, our national anthem or respect for the military. The flag and the national anthem are undeniably important and honorable symbols, and our military is critical to our freedom, our safety and our very way of life. Those who serve our country, who protect our freedoms, deserve our unfailing respect and gratitude.

And notably, it was a former U.S. Army Green Beret who first encouraged NFL players to take a knee, which is what solders do to show respect for a fallen brethren.

Former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and teammate Eric Reid kneel during the National Anthem.

But let’s not forget, as many appear to have done, that our military has engaged our enemies across the world to protect and preserve our way of life — to protect the freedoms that we, as Americans, uniquely possess, and those freedoms include free speech and the right to non-violent protest. Men and women have gone to war and given their lives to ensure that, back home, we can talk and associate with whom we choose, enjoy religious freedom, and protest non-violently against our government and injustice without fear of reprisal.

We should also not lose sight of the fact that people protest for a reason, generally. So, rather than attack non-violent protestors for exercising their rights, perhaps we all need to look behind the protest and try to understand the reasons. As the saying goes, “Don’t shoot the messenger.”

A patriot is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors.” That definition should probably include “regardless of where those enemies or detractors reside” because not all enemies or threats are external, and a patriot must stand ready to confront all whose actions or deeds threaten our fundamental freedoms. Censorship, discrimination and abuse of power are all internal threats to our country and our freedom, and a true patriot stands against them.

The NFL cowed to bullies and fear — fear of losing revenue — and is hiding behind false patriotism, not real values.

As we discuss and debate the latest manifestation of protest in our great and free country, we should remember a fundamental truth: It is unpatriotic not to take a stand, or a knee, for what we believe in, and it is un-American to attack those who do.

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