The NFL's Un-Patriotic National Anthem Policy
Nhat V. Meyer/ Bay Area News Group
It’s kinda funny (not really) that the NFL implemented a change to its national anthem policy that mimics the divisive approach unleashed by Trump on the league during the 2017 NFL season. By deciding to force all NFL personnel to stand for the anthem or either stay in the locker room, the NFL is protecting the shield and their bottom line while throwing their so-called partners - the players - under the bus.
Obviously, if some players choose to remain in the locker room during the anthem, they will be crucified by Trump and his constituents who believe the protests are against the flag and military instead of social injustice and racial inequality. Because the NFL changed the policy and has stated that any demonstrations during the anthem are disrespectful, they have aligned themselves with Trump, understanding that the negative sentiments created by protests moving forward will be focused squarely on the players instead of the NFL. Well played.
Given these circumstances, I feel the players' only response is to remain in the locker room for every anthem before every game moving forward. Prior to 2009, many NFL teams remained in the locker room during the national anthem but that changed once the NFL inked a deal with the Department of Defense for military flyovers, flag unfurlings, enlistment campaigns and national anthem performances amongst other things. By remaining in the locker room, the players will be following the NFL protocol prior to 2009 in solidarity versus allowing the revised national anthem policy to divide them and give fans a reason to focus their vitriol solely on the players, instead of the league in its entirety, as the change in policy was seemingly intended to do. Also, with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire after the 2020 season, the players should be finding as many ways as possible to remain in unison on important issues that will be broached once the negotiations commence with the league.
Ultimately, whether we’re talking about social injustice, racial inequality, education, collective bargaining agreements, or making those SOBs stand for the anthem, it usually boils down to wealthy individuals and institutions flexing their muscle in positions of power for one sole purpose - money. I continue to find it extremely ironic that many people view the NFL players’ 1st Amendment right to protest as unpatriotic and un-American, while in the same breath, those same people are fighting tooth and nail to protect their 2nd Amendment right that not only impacts the people protesting and the voiceless that they’re representing but also innocent school children who are murdered by senseless gun violence at an unbelievable cadence.
The more countries I visit all over the world, the more I love and respect the freedom and lifestyle I’m afforded in the US, but at the same time, I’d be a fool not to recognize that we still have a lot of things that need to be resolved. As it relates to the NFL's new anthem policy, not only are the changes to the anthem policy on the border of being unconstitutional, they are a continuation of the divisive tactics deployed by Trump that has created an unnecessary division between so many people in our country. Yet, on a personal level, if the groups who villify the players' right to protest continue to support the side that has taken advantage of Native Americans when they first arrived on the “New Land”, exploited black people via slavery and the criminal justice system, suppressed women’s rights and continue to stifle the LBGT movement, then I’d rather be labeled “unpatriotic” everyday of the week and twice on Sundays.