Today, I feel a surge of anger and pain. I’ve scrolled through your posts these past weeks, biting my tongue while your words stung. It’s time to speak up.
When athletes choose not to stand for our flag, it may not impact your life directly. Sure, it might ruffle your feathers, but it doesn’t diminish your day-to-day existence. But when a Black person is shot and that tragedy is replayed endlessly on screens everywhere, it hits hard. It affects me, my family, and my children. We are not criminals; we aren’t the stereotypes some paint us as. And when you defend those actions, it reverberates through our community.
And let’s talk about my husband. His job becomes riskier and he faces increased hostility because of these narratives. If you feel the urge to “unfriend” me or label me, go ahead. I’ve faced worse than you can imagine. I’ve been treated with blatant disrespect by law enforcement. I keep quiet out of love for my husband, but one day, I’ll speak up for my kids.
If you don’t see the racial disparities in this country, then perhaps we were never truly friends. This isn’t a mere disagreement; it’s a fundamental difference in how we view justice and humanity. When you dismiss the grievances of the Black community, you mirror those who shame women who have faced sexual violence.
Take Ryan Nelson, for example. He represented the U.S. abroad, committed a crime, lied about it, and ran away. Yet, I didn’t see anyone labeling him a criminal or anti-American based on his actions. The outrage was minimal—just a shrug and some jokes about his intelligence. But compare that to the uproar when a football player refuses to stand for the anthem; suddenly, that’s where the real concern lies.
Fast forward. To all those criticizing athletes like Colin Jansen for protesting, allow me to introduce myself: I’m not a privileged athlete. I’m not “uninformed.” I don’t harbor hatred toward law enforcement or this country. I stand for the anthem, and I’m not swayed by Black Lives Matter rhetoric. My background is solid—my family is educated and accomplished. My husband is a police officer, as were his family members. I’ve never been a latchkey kid or lived in the projects.
So what will you label me? How will you attempt to discredit my perspective based on my race or upbringing? Will you dismiss me as a brainwashed radical? I owe everything to those who protested—peacefully and otherwise—pushing for change, even when it was deemed un-American.
Neither laws nor minds nor hearts change through silence and compliance. That’s a fact worth pondering.
Sure, kneeling during the anthem might rub some the wrong way, but the Constitution protects that right just like it does your right to own firearms, which I firmly oppose. Reflect on the brave protests of today; they could alter the course of our lives significantly. So, before you go labeling these actions as disrespectful, remember what’s at stake.
Would you be willing to jeopardize your job or safety to highlight injustice? Should I have to risk everything just to attain the same rights you enjoy? It’s disheartening to see how some view these protests as anti-military when, for many, this is their only means of fighting back.
Next time you share a meme labeling these athletes as unpatriotic, consider the impact of your words. Your comments and actions matter. Think about how you’re advising a community you may not fully understand, relying on the opinions of a few to dismiss the voices of many.
Standing for the anthem during sports events is a show of patriotism, but let’s be real: do you do the same at home or in casual settings? Change doesn’t happen without challenging the status quo. If it weren’t for the brave souls calling out the flaws in our society, my life and that of my family would look vastly different today.
I discipline my children out of love, not hate. If I address wrongdoing in my marriage, it’s not because I don’t love my husband. Criticizing an officer’s actions doesn’t mean one is anti-cop. We need to confront the issues we face in this country, no matter how uncomfortable they may be.
Feel free to express your discontent over an athlete’s protest, but let’s be clear: that’s not the change we need.
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To keep the conversation going, you might find this post on our other blog interesting.
Summary:
This piece emphasizes the importance of speaking out against injustice rather than staying silent. It addresses the disparities in how different actions are perceived based on race and urges readers to reflect on the impact of their words and actions. The author highlights the personal experiences of discrimination and the need for change, encouraging a deeper understanding of the issues at hand.