The debate over the NFL’s anti-American anthem protests rages on.
Left-wing activists and mainstream media personalities have come up with all kinds of rationales to excuse the players’ unpatriotic behavior.
But one host just made a terrible argument in defense of the offending protesters.
Ever since free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick started kneeling to push his rabid anti-American agenda, the NFL has been plagued by anthem protests and bad takes regarding anthem protests.
Some left-wing columnists have even gone so far as to say that sporting events should get rid of the ritual of singing the Star-Spangled Banner altogether.
This is precisely the type of anti-Americanism the left wants. They want to tear down the symbols and rites that unite the country.
Eboni Williams from Fox News, one of the channel’s left-leaning personalities, filled in on Fox Sports 1 and made a different argument in support of the anti-American anthem protesters.
Williams said:
“To the people that say, ‘Well, you can protest, but don’t do it during the anthem, don’t do it during the game.’ Well, when else is a better time to protest and bring awareness and change about your issue of concern than when you’ve got the eyeballs of millions of people across this country, and across this world when your helmets are off? Those helmets are off, the cameras are panning, you’ve got the attention of the country and the world. That is, of course, when you are going to take that opportunity. Why? Because you have earned it. You have earned that platform, and you should use it to the best interest of your community.”
Williams is wrong on several fronts.
First, denigrating the American flag by kneeling is not an effective way to bring awareness to an issue, unless your goal is to divide America.
Kaepernick and other far leftists want to do precisely that, so kneeling was a calculated strategy that has made a particular base on the left more militant.
But for the players who claim they’re kneeling simply to bring awareness to the issue of police brutality in the black community, that message has been hijacked and the protest has now become a referendum on patriotism.
Second, if the main goal was to raise awareness, kneeling more than once is unnecessary. The message was received loud and clear. Now the protests have turned into a wedge issue that has pitted the players against the majority of the American people.
Large swaths of NFL fans are less likely to be sympathetic toward the players’ cause when they disrespect the country so fervently.
Also, NFL players have unlimited media access to reach fans. Media members swarm them before and after games. They can schedule press conferences whenever they want.
They can grant a story to a reporter eager to interview them. The players also have social media to reach millions of people instantly.
Disrespecting the American flag is completely uncalled for.
Williams and other liberals have gone to great lengths to shield the players from the truth. Their actions are divisive and counterproductive.
If the players were truly interested in calling people to action, they would make appeals that highlight the bonds between American citizens, not entrench people even further in their ideological corners.
In order to address the issue of kneeling, the NFL instituted a new policy that requires players to stand for the anthem or remain in the locker room. However, Commissioner Roger Goodell has since suspended that action, doing further damage to the league and the country.
The players claim to want to help their communities, yet they seem to have put all of their energy into gaining the “right” to protest without financial repercussions instead of actually taking the initiative to bring about positive change.
This is what happens when media members like Williams egg on the players to participate in a political issue they may not fully understand.