John Chestnut
For this persuasive
paper, I think this is something that you would find in a Tucson Weekly, or any
type of newspaper where opinion seems to be valued greatly.
Dear Protestors,
Most people tend to
be very outspoken nowadays, as they should be. Everyone likes to stand for
something, argue and support their case, and that is great. This is America
after all, and we are supposed to be the land of the free. Lately however, I've
noticed a worrisome trend that seems to be gaining traction quickly. Certain
groups have taken it upon themselves to express a real disagreement with the
very idea of protest campaigns. As such, I am writing this letter to directly
speak to protestors. Now, I’m not talking to the protestors that were at the
Dakota Access Pipeline, or the people that get up to support a campaign like
Black Lives Matter. I am talking to the people that feel it necessary to
protest these protesters.
This past summer, our nation
seemed to be rocked to its core when Colin Kaepernick remained seated during
the Nation Anthem in a what was really a meaningless preseason game. He would
continue to sit and his teammates would follow and many other players across
the league would follow suit by either sitting, kneeling or throwing the black
power fist in the air during the National Anthem. This was a silent protest of
sorts, done in light of recent shootings of young black men by police officers.
When asked, Kapernick said, I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag
for a country that oppresses black people and people of color." (Colin
Kaepernick) This is perfectly fine as the first amendment gives a citizen the
right to free speech no matter what color, race, or sex an individual
identifies as.
Before the Kaepernick situation,
it seemed as though everyone tolerated protesting, because sometimes a good
protest gets things moving and allows people have their voice heard. That
seemed to change once it involved our flag. While I am sure people started to
get tired of protestors before this, once Kaepernick sat, it seemed like a
rather large chunk of America had finally reached the end of the rope and
decided it was time to defy his protest. Videos began to spread across social
media, most telling Kaepernick to leave America. Even our brand new president
Donald Trump went on record to say, “maybe he should find a country that works
better for him, let him try. It won't happen." (John Breech, Donald Trump
Fires Back At Colin Kaepernick) Trump even went on to blame the falling NFL
ratings on this protest. (SI.com, Donald Trump: NFL Ratings are Down Because of
Colin Kaepernick) If that were truly the case, then shame on America for
letting the simple act of sitting affect their enjoyment of a sport. Even Tomi
Lahren, a news reporter famed for brief rant videos on Facebook and YouTube
gave Kaepernick the same "leave America" spiel, which to some extent
is foolish and ignorant.
The thing that makes America
great is the ability to protest and give our own thoughts on any matter. Its
why men risked their lives in military campaigns of past and why they continue
to risk them for our country today. Sure, people might think the government is
secretive, untrustworthy, and may feel Donald Trump's presidency is a calamity,
but that does not void our rights as Americans. We have the ability to not only
start a protest, but the capacity to make our voices heard across the nation
and even the world, given the break-neck pace at which news spreads across the
internet these days. Suggesting someone leave the country for their silent,
peaceful protest and labeling them as unamerican for such is not only wrong,
but illustrates an argument that a lot of people might not understand or even
respect the American flag as well as they lead on.
People have also established hateful stances
towards campaigns such as the Black Lives Matter organization and have shown
visible disapproval and anger toward their protesting. Protests aren't
foolproof, however. Without proper guidance and union, they can sometimes get
out of hand. This was illustrated recently in Dallas, Texas this past summer
when five police officers were fatally shot during a protest. The man
responsible for the shooting said he did it for the Black Lives Matter protest,
but these people voicing their opinion, for the most part do not hurt anybody.
While a man who supported the movement did fatally shoot others, that does not
mean his actions speak to the organization as a whole, or the act of protest in
general. It hardly insinuates the Black Lives Matter movement is bred of
hatred, and it’s crazy that someone would generalize that movement as a harmful
group based on what one crazy man with a gun did. That is what people have done
though, and that is why people defy the protestors. The people in that movement
are trying to bring more awareness to what has happened and most likely will
continue to happen.
All Kaepernick was trying to do
is utilize his stardom and place in the spotlight to bring awareness to ongoing
issues in our country. Beyonce at this last year’s Super Bowl used her platform
to give Black Lives Matter more firepower, and she did it through her music and
without insighting violence. Still, people grow outraged at this expression and
campaigning for no apparent reason. These people are human beings and just
because they throw a football, or sing for a career does not mean they can’t
protest. Because the fact is, these people should be protesting more and
helping to bring awareness for more pressing issues, given their power to do
so. If a man peacefully sitting for the National Anthem takes away from your
sports viewing pleasure, then you might as well stop watching now, because last
I checked this protest is only going to continue. And if we are going to get
mad about Beyonce using her music to protest, then we should also be angry at
the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the plethora of artists who have done the same
before her.
The fact is this, people are
going to protest. Men and women have died to uphold that right for us. If you
get mad at them then you are really getting mad at your own country for letting
them have that right as a citizen. I think if you would sit back, relax and not
be so quick to take offense for the sake of being offended, then you would see
how much good protesting can do, not only for the group that is conducting the
protesting, but also for the population as a whole.
Bibliography
1.
“Colin Kaepernick Explains Why He Sat during National Anthem.”
NFL.com, www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem.
2.
John Breech “Donald Trump Fires Back at Colin Kaepernick after QB
Calls Him a Racist.” CBSSports.com, 2016, www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/donald-trump-fires-back-at-colin-kaepernick-after-qb-calls-him-a-racist/
“Donald Trump: NFL’s
Ratings Are Down Because of Colin Kaepernick.” Si.com, Sports Illustrated, 30
Oct. 2016, www.si.com/nfl/2016/10/30/donald-trump-nfl-ratings-down-colin-kaepernick
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