Sit and do nothing

I guess it comes down to what you stand for. Recently football player Colin Kaepernick decided to sit during the national anthem in protest of racial tensions in America. An announcer I was listening to talked about being active and reactive. That is why I think Kappy has got it all wrong. He thinks that the protest will raise awareness but all it’s done is divide further. Why? I don’t have a problem with raising awareness, but at the cost of the anthem?

            There is this theory called group think. If you think it does not exist, then think again. There is this other theory that people are just sheep and will follow anything. I think that the realization that we change with the times is a daunting accusation, but true. We all know that if the clothes makers bring out a spring line of yellow then a lot of yellow is worn. Bouffant hair style was popular. The hula hoop and Pokémon Go is a fad. Yet, we all try it because others are. It is what it is.

            So are we controlled by the group of people around us. Well, no, but we are influenced by them. History has shown that a nation will follow one idea or person. Fads come and go but they are fads because everyone is doing it. In the meantime, we are in a funny space these days. We want to raise awareness of social issues, but we will do it only as a group. A single idea that permeates from a one-person cause does not exist as it once had.

            The cause of Susan B Anthony and woman’s rights sparked a march. Rosa Parks on a bus sparked racial debates. Martin Luther posted 95 complaints about the church to spark change. There are a ton of people who have made a difference for social rights. Each of them used the issue to raise awareness. Each of them put themselves on the line for what was right. I don’t think Kappy is in the same place. There are a ton of reasons he chose to sit during the American national anthem, but social rights aren’t one of them.

            What does God have to say about us. In Proverbs 26 we have a stinging indictment towards the fool. Throughout all the verses is a ringing theme of thoughtlessness and pride. God knows we have views. He also knows we have passions. We have desires. When these things seep into our mind, thought, and words: things go wrong. A fool reacts while a smart person acts. That is just the way it always has been. God saying, we chase the wind foolishly is smart advice. What you do is far more important than what you believe or say.

            You know the demons believe in God and Jesus. People say they would rather believe in the devil than the fictions Jesus. Am I making sense to you? Marching alone is not as powerful as in a group but is it? The greats of the past are great because at one point they stood alone. I am not saying Colin Kaepernick has done a bad thing. I can see he is alone. Yet, to dish the anthem and flag over a belief or cause is a terrible way to go about it. The strength of the flag and anthem bolster his beliefs. They stand for unity, freedom, and understanding. We stand together and we fight together.

            Kappy don’t sit while we all stand. Stand with us and bolster the unity we have. Don’t divide us over the things we can agree on. Kappy, do something about it. Sitting on your ass will just make you out to be one. Stand up for what the anthem and flag represent. Don’t tear it down and replace it with another one. Do only black lives matter Kappy? Do you have a black right to be a millionaire playing sport? Does a white trailer trash owner have a right to make a million dollars too? If you both serve in a black neighborhood raising awareness are you equal? Isn’t that what the flag and anthem stood for all these years?

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