Just Get It

Today I am writing about something most people have an opinion about.  I am not taking sides, I am seeking to understand...a little bit more.

Nike aired its first "Just Do It" ad, narrated by Colin Kaepernick, during the NFL season opener between the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. This ad created a buzz a few days earlier when Nike put it on social media.  The two-minute spot highlights superstar athletes LeBron James, Serena Williams and others, and touches on the controversy of NFL players protesting racial inequality, police brutality and other issues by demonstrating during the national anthem. These protests have generated controversy and sparked a public conversation about the protester's messages and how they've chosen to deliver them.

Kaepernick says: "Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything."

Kneeling before the flag is not how I would personally choose to protest. Never will.  My father was in the US Navy.  We ALWAYS stand for the National Anthem, remove our hats and face the flag.  54% of Americans in a recent poll stated they have issue with folks who do not stand for the National Anthem.  That said, I UNDERSTAND the other side.  But to be fair and to help us understand both sides of this issue, we first need to recognize these demonstrations are not about "protesting the flag".

Let me explain and provide some more insight from both sides (from ProCon.org):

• When one believes the United States is not living up to its ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all, refusing to stand for the national anthem is appropriate and justified.
• Refusing to stand for the national anthem shows disrespect for the flag and members of the armed forces.
• When a national figure such as an NFL player refuses to stand for the national anthem, it shocks people into paying attention and generates conversation.
• Not standing for the national anthem is an ineffective and counterproductive way to promote a cause.
• Not standing for the national anthem is a legal form of peaceful protest, which is a First Amendment right.
• Refusing to stand for the national anthem angers many and sows division in our country.

When Kaepernick began taking a knee, he explained that he was doing so to raise awareness of police brutality in America against people of color. Whether or not you agree, Kaepernick offers at least a simple, straightforward rationale for why these players elect to do what they do. It is not about a flag, or a song, or troops. It is about the fact that too often, as Kaepernick put it last year, “when a police officer shoots a black person in this country, the black person ends up dead and the law enforcement officer gets paid leave.”  All of the kneeling NFL players will tell you it is not about the flag.  Whether we choose to believe this or not, I think we all can agree we do have bigger race and violence issues that America has not addressed very well. 

According to the U.S. Code’s “Flag Code” section, which was unveiled in 1924, all those present during a national anthem, flag hoisting, lowering or passing, should stand at attention with their right hand over their heart. But the conduct does not mention specific rules surrounding kneeling or peacefully protesting.  With this said, we need to be fair and objective if we are singling out following the rules.  I have done some research and the rules on how Americans should act around their country’s flag are regularly broken.

Here are some ways Americans have “disrespected” the flag, according to the federal code:

• “The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free,” the code reads. That means flag shirts, sweaters, hats, swimsuits, etc. are all considered disrespectful, even though they are widely accepted.
• “The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.”  The American flag should always be vertical, and never carried horizontally, but it is regularly carried that way during sporting events (as an example).
• “The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever.”  But it often is — especially during Fourth of July celebrations. From packaging for fireworks to TV commercials, the American flag is regularly used.
• “No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform.”  The U.S. flag is not meant to be displayed on athletic uniforms, but we have all seen numerous examples of this happening.

When the Founding Fathers affixed their signatures to the Declaration of Independence, the first act of courage in United States history, the American flag was not in existence.  And it would be a hundred plus years later before the Star-Spangled Banner was adopted as the national anthem.

Our Founding Fathers were not deficient in love of country for not having our flag. In splitting our political ties with Britain, Thomas Jefferson set forth the premise of the United States, the core ideas around which our country rallied: “that all men {women} are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

Today, as it was centuries ago, allegiance to those founding principles is what defines a patriotic American, not whether he or she stands or kneels while an anthem about the flag is performed.  The anthem and the flag are symbols, interpreted differently by people. In fact, their meaning can change for the same people in different moments.  A person can also salute the American flag with tears of affection in his eyes. But if he deprives others of life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness, he is still a bad American. That, I think, we all can agree on.

Consider this - the athletes, kneeling together in public protest of what they believe to be unjust treatment of a significant percentage of Americans, are pledging their honor and risking their wealth in political protest; their issue is the government failing to secure the rights of all Americans. In particular, it is failing to protect their lives and liberty.  I think we all will have a hard time disagreeing with this.

The players are kneeling in an effort to defend the very core of the Declaration of Independence. In fact, U.S. Army veteran Nate Boyer convinced Colin Kaepernick to kneel, rather than sit, while protesting police brutality during the national anthem.  "Colin sat down and exercised his right to protest, which is something that I feel like we all swore an oath to defend," said Tom Baker, a Navy veteran who served in the Iraq War.

As Salil Puri stated in his Washington Post piece this past weekend, “We should be able to dislike something without seeing it as a personal affront. We should be able to oppose something without becoming frothy-mouthed and obsessed, as some veterans online have done over Nike’s ads. We should embrace Special Forces veteran Nate Boyer’s insistence that we show compassion for those we don’t agree with, while also acknowledging that everyone is free to boycott and destroy their Nike gear as they see fit."

 

These are just my thoughts.  We all have choices we make and America allows us to do so.  I will stand for our National Anthem, but I UNDERSTAND those who choose to protest.   

Together.  We.  Win.


Dave Harmon
People Division
“Kindness is Currency”
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr

Look for us on: LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, The Muse, Glassdoor and USA TODAY NETWORK Careers