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Showing Original Post only (View all)White America, Its Time to Take a Knee [View all]
https://johnpavlovitz.com/2016/09/20/white-america-its-time-to-take-a-knee/White America, Its Time to Take a Knee
September 20, 2016 / John Pavlovitz
For over a year Ive watched lots of white Americans lose their minds in response to Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players peaceful National Anthem protests. Ive seen them question these young mens patriotism, malign their motives, attack their methods, and treat them with the kind of open contempt usually reserved for serial killers and child molesters.
For simply taking a knee during a football pre game in an effort to foster a conversation about the deaths of young men of color at the hands of police, these men have been made into the enemy by so much of white America. In some twisted, ironic, almost laughable missing of the pointits somehow become the angry black mans fault for disparaging his country.
And ever since these white people first expressed the initial outrage (the kind theyve sustained and that has resulted in Kaepernick still being unemployed), Ive been looking to these same people for some semblance of grief at the unapologetic racism on display in this country, some anger at the pattern of supremacy and privilege in this Administration, some outrage at the sickening deja vu Americans of color are experiencing.
But Im finding none of these things. Instead Im finding victim blaming and rationalizing and elaborate efforts to tell us why our eyes arent seeing what theyre seeing.
I know what my eyes see. I know what they see over and over and over again.
They see humanity ignored, they see fear metastasized, and they see white people excusing away violence and discrimination and murderinstead of facing the brutal truth that maybe institutional racism is real and maybe Colin Kaepernick and his brethren are worth listening to, and maybe they shouldnt be vilified outliers who were trying to shut-up.
Maybe we should all be kneeling right now.
more...
https://johnpavlovitz.com/2016/09/20/white-america-its-time-to-take-a-knee/
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I agree. I don't like to see sports and politics mixed. Everyone has the right to make an individual
Trust Buster
Sep 2017
#13
Well, Trump told people to walk out of football games when they see someone take a knee.
SunSeeker
Sep 2017
#38
I am not as ignorant as Trump and his actions are not something to point to for comparative reasons.
Trust Buster
Sep 2017
#44
So white people have the same issues and disadvantages in America as black people?
Eliot Rosewater
Sep 2017
#52
Spare me the sanctimony. I never claimed that white people have the same disadvantages as
Trust Buster
Sep 2017
#54
I never said such a thing. Sports is a place to get away from division. I don't want anyone using
Trust Buster
Sep 2017
#73
Unfortunately, racism permeates our society. There's no getting away from it.
SunSeeker
Sep 2017
#81
I don't think of racial inequality as "politics". And our president is implying racism is a-OK.
flibbitygiblets
Sep 2017
#49
The OP painted "white people" with a broad brush. Just as unfair as if the same broad brush was
Trust Buster
Sep 2017
#53
I disagree completely. The OP said "Ive watched lots of white Americans lose their minds"
flibbitygiblets
Sep 2017
#66
I agree. I have been a Browns season ticket holder for ten years. In that time, i volunteer
Trust Buster
Sep 2017
#75
You misunderstand me. I quoted you back to yourself and then commented to remind you that a protest
WhiskeyGrinder
Sep 2017
#79
They lost again, you sure this Brady person is who you are talking about? nt
USALiberal
Oct 2017
#109
If only kaepernick murdered dogs in a dogfighting ring or beat his wife...
Lucky Luciano
Sep 2017
#23
This White Lady DEPLORES standing for the 'anthem' and is humbled by the courage of these young men
joanbarnes
Sep 2017
#33
kneeling seems to make police angrier, harsher with their 'discretion' torture of anyone they 'see'
Sunlei
Sep 2017
#67
I have been standing up my entire life, & raised kids & grandkids to do the same. We too, have been
Alice11111
Sep 2017
#104