LAW AND ORDER – Trump 2020

/ JustinK / 3 Comments

Just a quick note. I intended to write this blog months ago back in August, but in Trump world, political events that would end any other politician’s career become outdated in mere milliseconds. Scandals that would shake a nation to its core are forgotten about by next week. For instance, the President was hospitalized by Coronavirus, said he was cured by a miracle drug made possible by stem-cell research that his own appointed judges are trying to ban and is already attending rallies. All of that happened in just one week! So, you get the point. Anyhow, it’s still prudent to touch on a dominant aspect of his campaign which will have a major impact on his re-election chances.

We are in the midst of a country breaking at its seams. A global pandemic has resulted in millions losing their jobs, countless businesses being shuttered and 200,000 Americans dead. After months of people being confined to their homes, this summer, a powder keg exploded and social unrest poured out into the streets. Americans quickly and loudly took to the streets to protest police violence and structural racism against black citizens. They were and still are condemning a system they believe to be unjust and unfairly stacked against black people. In a matter of just 3 weeks, the cases of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other victims of police violence were seared into the nation’s consciousness. Politicians, movie stars, athletes, everyone with a voice was talking about Black Lives Matter and police brutality. It was on the news, it was on social media, it was everywhere. Then, just a few weeks after that, TV’s broadcasted rioters and looters destroying retail stores, people fighting each other in the streets, cars being destroyed and cities literally on fire. During a year in which the majority of small businesses and retailers say they won’t survive another year of economic stagnation/depression, cities were now having to deal with civil unrest. Meanwhile, mayors of these cities were put in the awkward position of having to be reliant on the very same people (the police) that were being protested against.

Credit: AP Photo/John Minchillo

Amidst the mayhem, President Trump saw an opportunity. He promised to be the candidate of “Law and Order”.

This isn’t the first time an American politician pledged to end to social unrest and restore peaceful order to the country. While we’ve never had someone quite like the President before, the fundamental character of this nation is still the same. Even amongst all of the social and cultural upheaval, the problems we see today stem from decades, even centuries ago. Specifically, the dynamics of this current election can be traced back to the election of 1968, where law and order took center stage.

Before we get into that though, a quick history recap.

On April 4th 1968, MLK was assassinated, resulting in a surge of rioting known as the Holy Week Uprising. Soon after, Robert F. Kennedy was killed (he could’ve been the Democrat primary nominee), opposition to Vietnam spread across college campuses and in August of that year, 10,000 anti-war activists went to the Democratic Convention and clashed with 23,000 members of the Chicago police and the National Guard. While anti-police and pro-equality protests were happening for a few years before (under LBJ), this period between MLK’s death and the election, at the time, was considered to be the greatest period of social unrest since the Civil War.

Three candidates vied for the Presidency: Nixon, George Wallace and Hubert Humphrey. Both Wallace and Nixon used law and order to win over voters but in slightly different ways. Wallace, the Democratic Governor of Alabama, was an open segregationist, and as such, his message of law and order focused on the erosion and therefore restoration of social and cultural barriers between black and white citizens. Nixon, following Barry Goldwater’s campaign against LBJ in 1964, promised to restore peaceful order to cities that were disrupted by counter-culture protestors. Nixon, like Goldwater, linked the problem of crime and unrest to welfare programs and urban disorder. Sound familiar? So while Wallace was focused on race, Nixon focused on a more generalized law and order and allowed those perturbed by Wallace’s rhetoric to vote for someone more palatable. Nixon’s campaign promised white Americans a return to when America was great, before all of the sociocultural changes upended their way of life.

Just take this quote from one of his stump speeches:

“As we look at America, we see cities enveloped in smoke and flame. We hear sirens in the night. We see Americans dying….. As far as this problem of law and order is concerned, I am for law and order.” – Nixon

A year later, after a tumultuous first year of his Presidency, he dubbed his supporters, the “silent majority”.

Which brings us back to this 2020 election, in which Trump is trying to emulate Nixon and recapture the support of voters he lost after a year of protesting and growing urban blight. He has been vocal about law and order and proclaimed himself to be the only defense in protecting the suburbs from the encroaching chaos of the cities.

In September, Trump toured American cities, led by Democratic leaders and disrupted by protests, and posed in front of burning buildings as he spoke about how he will restore peace and lawfulness.

His message is that these Democratic leaders have failed to protect their communities and allowed civil unrest to destroy people’s homes, that only Republican leaders can fix these cities. Many Americans, even Democrats, were disturbed by the violence. Gallup found that only 8 percent of US adults thought “looting and property damage during protests on racial justice” was justified and most Americans do not support the rioting.

I’ll admit, that these poll numbers are not directly indicative of the riots, as there could be other reasons for the drop in support. One reason simply being the time elapsed since the protests reached its apex in June. That being said, there has been a decline in support of the BLM movement.

It isn’t difficult to figure out why the President is leaning so hard into this message. Trump’s poll numbers after year 3 were bad, but then Coronavirus happened, BLM took off and his disapproval ratings reached record lows, all the way down to 38% in June 2020. Trump has since rebounded back to ~45% approval but he still has a limited path to re-election. He is polling well on the economy and trade, but that’s about it. He can’t win on his response to the virus, which senior voters take very seriously, regardless of how the President feels. Apparently old people don’t like being told that their lives don’t matter! So weird!! He can’t win on healthcare, no matter how indomitably he tries to convince people that once Republicans appeal Obamacare (still in the courts) he will come up with a new plan. Proof 1. Proof 2. He is even losing ground on immigration, which was a winning policy issue for him in 2016.

He has one path to victory. Fear.

His only opportunity is to present Democrats as feckless leaders (and socialists) who will make America less safe. He needs to keep using the fear many have of the far-left (both economic and social), because he will not win over new voters or even win back the voters he lost with his policy decisions. It’s why you keep hearing about ANTIFA (Anti-Fascists). Trump and the GOP use ANTIFA as a catch-all term to encapsulate the dangers of the far-left. He is trying to connect the violence of ANTIFA and the looting to Democrats with the aim of delegitimizing any and all peaceful protests. He is doing so because he has lost the support of white suburban women (key for him in 2016), especially in the Rust Belt, which will determine the election. If Trump can increase white voter turn out in Wisconsin even more then he did last election, then it won’t matter how many black people in Milwaukee he upsets, as he will still win the state. That is why he was touring Kenosha. That is why he tweets out things like this:

Area man begs woman who once loved him to take him back (October 13th, 2020)

The President isn’t wrong that white suburban homeowners, especially self-proclaimed liberals, don’t want low-income residents in their neighborhoods, as it lowers property values and there is a (albeit debatable) perception that it increases crime. This issue of housing inequality is for another blog though. The point is, by touring Democratic cities enveloped by protesting, targeting low income-housing and repeatedly mentioning ANTIFA, he is using racial fears to bring the white suburban voter back to his side. Additionally, he has forced Biden to make a tough choice and take a solidified stance on police funding, rioting and BLM.

Biden is clearly worried about all of this. He toured Kenosha soon after the President and met with Jacob Blake’s family. While many Democrats on Twitter defended the rioting and looting, even going so far as defending ANTIFA (which is truly absurd in my opinion), Biden didn’t fall for the trap. He has said he will not defund the police, a major social media talking point that has little real-world support. He has strongly condemned the rioting, even making it the focus of a major advertising campaign and his speeches.

It seems like Biden has been successful in defending himself against the narrative Trump is selling. Nevertheless, its important to note that places like Wisconsin and Minnesota (where George Floyd was shot) will help determine the election. So will Florida, a state that often determines the election. While Florida hasn’t been directly affected by protests, Biden is lagging with Hispanic (Cuban) voters there. Cuban voters in Florida fled Castro and still have deep-seated fears of communism and far-left governments. Though their fears of crime/rioting may seem unfounded, they do not want civil turmoil disturbing their neighborhoods and view it as a product of leftist leanings. There is also historical evidence to suggest that rising crime rates help Republicans. There is a reason Trump has paraded walking corpse Rudy Giuliani on national television as his surrogate, since it was the former Republican mayor’s tough on crime approach that propelled him to two mayoral terms in a Democratic city. Being tough on crime has worked for Republicans in the past, even in Democratic areas. Nixon won in 1968 and even after impeachment, Republicans won four out of the five next elections. That is why Democrats are worried about all of the social discord.

All of that being said, there is a difference between Nixon in 1968 and Trump in 2020. First off, Nixon was a first-time candidate and this time around, Donald Trump is already President. As political history shows, the incumbent politician/party gets the credit and the blame for events happening under their watch. It’s much harder to present himself as a political outsider and as the protector of leftist violence when its happening under his own Presidency. Especially when it is the President himself who ordered unnamed, fully armed, federal officers to violent attack peaceful protesters in front of the White House for a photo op.

Trump can blame Democratic mayors and governors all he wants, but Biden is running for President, not Governor Whitmer (Michigan) or Gov. Evers (Wisconsin). Recent polling indicates no major shift took place in May on a national level. In fact, Biden’s lead grew in June, just mere weeks after Floyd’s shooting. Even polling for Wisconsin shows Biden has actually increased his lead with white voters. Biden is doing well in the battleground states and is doing incredibly well with seniors, who are the most reliable voting base. Biden may actually produce the strongest performance for a Democrat among seniors in a generation. Trump will continue to sell this narrative of “law and order” and portray Democrats as the party of chaos and himself a strongman leader who will rein in the disorder. It’s his only path to victory, minus another last-minute scandal that flips everything on its head. But Biden isn’t Hillary Clinton, no matter how much Trump still tries to campaign against her. An email scandal or Hunter Biden’s dealings in Hungary is not likely to deter Biden voters. There is no built-in political/misogynistic resentment of the Clintons to lean into.

Nixon’s election was a welcome relief to white Americans tired of all of the social upheaval. Four years later, after Nixon campaigned on law and order, he ended up impeached, resulting in Democrats retaking the Presidency. Trump has already been impeached, so at least he has that going for him. The election will tighten, many people who say they are voting for Biden may change their mind when they get to the polls. An open SCOTUS seat may change some swing voters mind’s. Trump still has a path to victory, but not a wide one. So while Democrats are understandably protecting themselves against another heartbreak, Biden does seem to be in good shape to win the election. Then again, that is what the pollsters said in 2016. Either way, we will know very soon.

Bonus (Very on brand for me):

My prediction for the 2020 election:

Our President…Donald J. Trump

/ JustinK / 1 Comment

I’ve never understood what it was like to lose one’s faith, until the day after the election.

I’ve always enjoyed a sense of comfort in the idea that most people believed in the same ideals that I did. To realize that I was mistaken, that I was in the minority, that hate triumphs over love, that evil triumphs over good…it broke me. When Donald Trump won the Presidency, I lost faith in people. I lost faith in our country. The villain had won. The Joker killed the Batman (Hillary was more like Aquaman, but you get my point). This was the dawn of Biff’s dystopian reality. This moment was fleeting and even though it has already passed, to even feel that way at all, no matter how temporary, was overwhelmingly depressing. I didn’t know what to do. You can laugh at me for feeling this way and tell me that I’m overreacting, that’s fair, but don’t pretend that this election doesn’t matter. That would only show that you don’t understand the true gravity of this situation. The President is not a figurehead. His/her decisions affect millions of people every day. When the President speaks, it has a profound effect, not only on the markets or the economy but as to whether people live or die. The President’s words and actions are triage. Billions of people are now in danger because of the irresponsible and reckless decision we just made. Just look at Syria or Libya or Vietnam or any other country where we have interfered or failed to interfere. Every action our government takes effects millions of people. This was not a reality contest. This was not about a protest vote. The Presidency is the most important position in the world and our country made this choice based on emotional, angry, gut-based reactions, rather than with rational and logical thinking/analysis.

It is evident from this election that people in this country are divided. We live in a fragmented country, with bubbles of communities isolated from one another, that make no effort to work together or understand how the other side lives and how they feel. This is true for liberals, urban elites, rural conservatives, for everybody (including me). This election has obliterated party politics as we know it. This election was not about political ideology, it was about class and race. Rural vs Urban. White vs non-White. Those who have benefited from the last eight years and those who have not. Clearly, Trump has tapped into something that the rest of us have been ignoring. This “silent majority” is so angry, so frustrated with the way their lives have been going, that they are willing to take a chance on a sociopathic, racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, incompetent billionaire conman because he was the first and the only candidate that seemed to understand their middle-class, blue-collar values/economic worry. They were willing to look past all of his flaws on the desperate hope that he would change their lives for the better. That he would bring jobs back. This election was the result of economic anxiety and a rejection of typical politics. This election was a vote for a radical transformation of our political process and a vote against the “elites” (liberals, urban dwellers, PC culture, mainstream media, political leaders). It was about rejecting the political establishment, rejecting the status quo. This is about change, the same message that Obama used for his campaign. It was about fighting against the perceived corruption or the incessant evil of politics. It was about bringing jobs back and securing our borders. It was about fighting the “PC culture” and “safe spaces” that Trump supporters rail against and seem to hate more than anything else (I also have my own qualms with the political correctness war the Left has been waging). It was about “bringing the country back” to a time in which people like them had better jobs, better prospective futures. It was about all of this and it’s important that we talk about all of these things within the next four years.

We in the cities, we on the political left, we who aren’t part of this “silent majority” should have never underestimated the severity of white fragility. For the past few decades, the left has shamed white people for the problems that minorities face. Well guess what, it seems that they (I’m white FYI) didn’t like it very much. White people do not want to be shamed for the problems of others. Our country is founded on the idea that everyone can succeed if they just work hard enough. Democrats have rejected this idea, which is so central to American identity and instead, placed the blame for people’s financial struggles squarely on the shoulders of white and rich people. Trump voters seemingly do not care so much about the discussion of race or gender (because they’ve benefited from their own privilege and don’t want to give it up). Identity politics seems to have failed the Democrats, but it propelled the GOP into the most political power they’ve had in decades. The political Left/Democrats have placed so much emphasis on social justice that they/we have forgotten that people’s priorities are primarily about themselves, about their own family. “How can I put food on the table for my children?”. “Do I feel safe from extremist terrorism?”. “Am I being persecuted for my Christian religion?” (No, they’re not, but they do feel that way). We can laugh at these fears and mock them but that only drives their rage, their frustration. Calling them deplorables only emboldens them in their perceived victimhood, that they are under persecution by the liberal elites. Our social fabric has been changing very rapidly and many people were and are not ready for it (although, people are never ready for societal change). They feel that this change has been forced upon them. There is a vast sense of cultural and economic anxiety among working-class whites. These worries that they have are entirely understandable. I empathize with them. I think that I now, possibly, understand them to some degree, even though I believe they put their trust in the wrong person. While the Left focused their attention on the downtrodden, the poor, those that need help the most, they left a gaping hole of angry, white, disillusioned Americans that were/are looking for an answer. These are the people in the middle and not just the middle class, but I mean literally the middle. The middle of the country, the middle of ideology, middle-aged. Their jobs are being destroyed, dwindling away through automation, migrant workers, offshore jobs and Trump touched on all of that. He gave them an answer. He gave them hope. With statements such as “Build a wall” and “Ban all Muslims”, he spread xenophobic fear and placed blame on immigrants like so many demagogues before him to garner support, but these are still technically (proposed) solutions. The sad irony is that he himself was one of the many responsible for these problems. He uses offshore workers to make his ties and his campaign hats. He uses migrant workers to build his golf courses. Trump is not and will not be the last Populist politician who calls himself the savior of the “common people”. We have seen this time and time again in our own and the world’s history. Trump promises change but he is the wrong change agent. He had the right message for his voting base but he is the wrong messenger. Hopefully, next election, we will not forget the “silent majority”.

All of that being said,  we cannot ignore the harsh truth that this election has brought to light.

The truth is that electing Donald Trump to the Presidency is a loud and clear validation of white (male) supremacy. I understand that many Trump supporters disagree about this. They feel that supporting Trump and his policies does not mean that they are racist/sexist. It is not inherently xenophobic to want broader immigration control. Voting against Hillary Clinton is not inherently misogynistic. Trump supporters voted against her because they believe that she is a corrupt lying, greedy politician. Anyone who has been in politics as long as Hillary has will earn them a lot of enemies. I understand all of that, I agree with and I respect that, but we are still talking about a man,  Donald Trump, who is supported by the KKK. Trump hired Steve Bannon, the head of Breitbart as his chief executive officer for his campaign and will probably put him in a cabinet post. By bringing this “alt-right” movement into the White House, Trump has willingly mainstreamed bigotry. Even though many of his supporters claim they did not vote for him out of bigotry, this is still a vote that many minorities will take to mean: “America is for white Christian males and everyone else can get the hell out!” There is no denying that. I understand that not every Trump supporter is racist or sexist, but this man willingly allowed it to prosper and used it to raise support for his campaign and that can’t be ignored. Furthermore, he has yet to apologize for his inflammatory remarks during the race and it’s very likely he never will. He is incapable of self-reflection and that is an extremely dangerous trait in a President.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e3T3VHmEkg

I think it’s pretty clear, and many US Historians will agree with me, that Donald Trump is one of the worst Presidential candidates in US history. This is just my opinion of course, but I remain firm on that belief. In addition, we now have Mike Pence, a man who does not believe in abortion nor climate change nor science in general and who will now be one of the most powerful people in the world. This is because as Trump put it, he will be “in charge of foreign and domestic policy“. Trump does not care about anyone but himself. Trump does not understand the struggles of blue-collar America and he never will. He’s never had to worry about how he’s going to pay the bills. He’s been surrounded by comfort his entire life. It’s fair to argue that Hillary doesn’t understand either and I would agree with that. It is obvious that Hillary’s message just didn’t resonate with people (including her own voting base). I’m not saying that being financially well-off disqualifies a person to be President, it doesn’t, but to hold an opulent billionaire up as a savior of blue-collar middle America is entirely ridiculous. He is not their champion. He does not represent them. He was raised as a sheltered, detached, spoiled brat. He’s never donated a single dollar to charity. Not a single dollar of his 10 Billion (he’s not worth that, but he claims to be). You think this person will just all of the sudden become a kind-hearted person and conduct himself professionally when he’s in the White House?

This is a man devoid of all empathy. He is a vengeful, angry, ignorant, petty, human being with the temperament of a five-year-old. He has the attention span of a gnat. He has legitimized conspiracy theorists by peddling nonsensical, fictitious fake news stories as the truth. The truth is irrelevant to Trump. He is a pathological liar. Politico (a non-partisan political news organization) states that 70% of Trump’s claims was a lie. At one point in September during the campaign, Trump was recorded giving 87 erroneous statements in just 5 days. When the truth no longer has any meaning, how can he be held accountable? Trump is also incredibly lackadaisical towards the duties of a politician. This is a man who was going to pick Chris Christie as his Vice-President because he didn’t have the patience nor political foresight to vet other candidates. The only reason he chose Pence instead was because his campaign manager at the time, Paul Manafort, lied to him and told him that their plane was broken, so they had no choice but to stay in Indiana for another day and meet Mike Pence. That is how he chose his VP.

Let’s not forget who this man really is:

  1. He was accused of sexually assaulting 14 woman
  2. He bragged about “grabbing a woman by the pussy”
  3. He never released his tax returns because he hasn’t paid taxes in decades.
  4. He pretended to be his own spokesperson for decades simply to brag about himself
  5. He is against the freedom of the press and forced reporters to a small, cornered off area whenever he spoke. He rallied his supporters to hate the media. He has tried to shut down the press even though they helped him get elected by making him so famous.
  6. He said that we should default on our national debt (any economist would tell you how catastrophic that would be)
  7. He tried to undermine the very foundation of our democracy by repeatedly claiming that the election was rigged and advocating for open rebellion if he lost
  8. Blames all bad trade deals on China when his merchandise is manufactured there
  9. Openly advocated for Russia aka a foreign government to intervene in our elections
  10. He called for a total shutdown and ban of all Muslims entering the country (which is illegal)
  11. He owned and operated Trump University and on November 28th, he will be due in court on November 28th to face charges of fraud. He will be going to trial, as a President-elect. All of those claims of Hillary’s corruption (regardless of if you think that’s true) and this man will be facing a trial for FRAUD!
  12. He has surrounded himself with neo-nazi sympathizers and is supported by David Duke
  13. He mocked a disabled reporter
  14. Most of his non-real estate companies/projects have gone bankrupt
  15. Owes millions of dollars to foreign banks, has properties around the world, and his business ties may prevent him from working for America’s best interests

You can proclaim that “we have to come together”, but we aren’t together, not yet. Republicans have spent the last decade doing everything in their power to ensure Obama couldn’t accomplish anything. They made it their mission to thwart his presidency. They rejected any supreme court nomination. They shut down the government! They refused to pass any bill. They held the Democratic party and Obama as hostages. This isn’t a partisan rant, this is the reality. They whined, yelled, and willingly attempted to undermine our democracy until they got their way and they were rewarded for it. Now they control all three branches of government. However, there is good news in all of this. For years, Republicans have blamed the Democrats for the problems we face as a nation. Now that they control the government, they will have to come up with actual solutions and if/when they fail (and they will fail), they will be the ones held responsible. I hope that I am wrong. I hope he’s the best President we’ve ever had, I really do. I want us to come together. I want people to start empathizing once again. I know that insulting our President-Elect isn’t a great first step, but we cannot ignore the things that he’s said and done. That’s disrespectful to all the people that he’s hurt. If Trump comes out, apologizes for his rhetoric and puts together a diverse cabinet, I will be the first one to apologize. I’ll gladly say I was wrong, I just don’t think that will happen though.

Those who supported Bernie have to be remorseful that their candidate didn’t get a chance. I was hard on Bernie because I had ideological differences with him. His supporters will say that he could have won since he had all the momentum. Although, he lost the primary so who’s to say? What I do know is that Democrats have to get people engaged again. Hillary and the Democratic party need to do some real soul-searching about what their base wants. On the bright side, Hillary won the popular vote, so at least there are still many people who reject what Donald Trump stands for. We need to remember that there was a time when black people couldn’t attend the same school as white people. There was a time when women like Susan B. Anthony couldn’t vote. There was a time when gay marriage was still illegal, just a few years ago. We need to remember that these champions of social progress, who faced overwhelming odds, were still able to fight injustice every single day. We need to remember our ancestors, including my great-grandmother, who came to America after escaping horrible situations, far worse situations than the one we face today. I empathize with anyone who feels afraid right now, but we can get through this. If we want to change things and bring back the social justice progress that we worked so hard for, we cannot sit back and do nothing. We have to do more than just posting statuses, complaining online, and/or writing think-pieces, which I am insanely guilty of doing. We have to actually volunteer. We have to work, actually WORK, for social progress. We have to reach out to those that voted for Trump and give them a better candidate. We must try to understand how all Americans feel. We all need to do more than what we are doing now. It is the only way.

Bonus: Michael Moore is just so spot on here regarding the anger that Trump supporters feel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz3jWJVsErc 

The National Anthem & Black Lives Matter

/ JustinK / Leave a comment

The National Anthem holds significant historical and moral importance for many Americans. It is a symbol of our freedom and a reminder to honor those who fight to protect our freedom. So for many people, what Colin Kaepernick did, is more than just tendentious, it is entirely un-American.

If you’ve somehow escaped this catastrophic, apocalyptic, incessantly aggravating story, then let me just say, congratulations. I truly envy your bliss. For those that don’t know, Colin Kaepernick is a black Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. During a pre-season football game, Kaepernick was seen sitting down during the National Anthem instead of standing up with his hand over his heart like the rest of his teammates. When asked why this was, Kaepernick explained that he was protesting the oppression of black Americans and would continue doing so until changes are made toward ending racial oppression in the United States. Well, you know Americans, this action resulted in a thoughtful, respectful, meaningful debate about the struggles of black America and how to reform our policing in terms of racial prejudice. Haha! Just kidding!

 

kaep-sitting

Colin Kaepernick committing high treason

 

Our mainstream news/media organizations tend to grovel to the masses for clicks, shares, and retweets. Instead of presenting the issue objectively, the media tends to sensationalize the subject matter in order to generate the most “buzz” (although the blame for all of this lies with us). As such, the media has eagerly covered the controversy, turning the focus away from the primary message of race relations and into a right-wing, patriotic circle-jerk. Americans who caught the story on the news chose to weigh in on the debate, which ultimately resulted in name-calling, self-righteous aggrandizing, ignorant criticism and just utter bullshit being spewed in every direction. This happens after every “controversy”, as people are fervently keen to have their own beliefs validated by others on the internet, instead of actually, you know, trying to learn anything or attempting to understand the other person’s perspective. Well obviously, the true “patriots” of this country were/are very upset about what Kaepernick did. They claim that the QB isn’t a true American, that his actions are disrespectful to our troops and that his gesture was an affront to those that served. Kaepernick put his own beliefs ahead of his country, he went against our nationalistic pride. So yeah, I understand the anger some people feel towards him, but patriotism is nuanced. It isn’t just about wearing a cowboy hat and waving an American flag. It isn’t just about driving a pickup truck while chugging bud lights. It isn’t just about three white girls in bikinis having a pillow fight in a hot tub, as a golden eagle flies overhead dropping assault weapons onto the crowd while a speaker blasts Bruce Springsteen. Patriotism can also mean loving your country so much, that you’re willing to point out your nation’s flaws and work towards improving/fixing them.

The National Anthem is the embodiment of patriotic zealousness. It is played before every game because sports is supposed to be about rising above the conflicts of our time and uniting together for the love of our country. When one enormous, steroid monster crashes into another player giving him permanent brain damage, that action, for a fleeting moment, allows us to forget everything that divides us. That song about our star spangled banner honors our unity in supporting those that fight for our country. Kaepernick may have threatened our narrow idea of patriotism and our nationalistic unity, but that’s not why people are angry, they’re angry because he threatened white privilege.

Just look at what Sean Hannity, proud Trump supporter/advisor and a Fox News anchor, who recently claimed that he was in fact, not a journalist, had to say about the situation:

Hannity: [Kaepernick] lives in a place that should be praised for overcoming its wrongs and injustices, and having the freedom for its people to rise up for the better and change the country, because of a system put in place by our framers and our founders. But that doesn’t fit his little — you know, socially fashionable, and relevant and melodramatic pretense that he has out there. You know, his version, I guess, of the March on Selma. $128 million march on Selma.

[…]

HANNITY: There was one — I don’t know, I’ve never been able to confirm this, I looked earlier today, that he might have converted to Islam in the off-season.

Ah yes, he’s a Muslim, he must be, now it all makes sense! I should note that Kaepernick is not a follower of Islam. This ridiculous claim is entirely false and entirely unfounded.  This is the perfect example of the “silent America” that Donald Trump panders to. These are the white Americans who are afraid of Muslims, immigrants, anyone or anything that dares to threaten their beliefs. This subconscious fear stems from ignorance and untamed ignorance will always manifest itself into hate. White people are afraid/hateful of anything that threatens their superior societal position, while simultaneously denying this inherent privilege exists in the first place. This is why so many Americans want to build a wall to keep people out of the country (by the way, when these people figure out what a tunnel is, their minds are going to EXPLODE!). It is why many Americans refuse to even recognize the claims of BLM, let alone concede to the existence of racism/oppression in this country. To acknowledge these claims would legitimize white dominance and risk dissembling the privileges whites freely enjoy. A better way to put it would be that “most whites have a very limited understanding of racism because we have not been trained to think in complex ways about it and because it benefits white dominance not to do so.” (GoodmenProject) I should mention that I am white. I grew up in a sheltered, bubbled, privileged town with very few minorities. I cannot fathom what many poor, black, urban Americans go through each and every day. I have no problem in admitting that this country has failed minorities in the past and in the present. I continue to work on “checking my privilege”, not because I’m some liberal, white-guilt laden douchebag, but because I think all people should have the same equal opportunity as I do. That’s what equality truly is. It is not making sure everyone receives the same things (an array of socialists gasp in horror), equality is about everyone having the same opportunity to achieve those things. Minorities do not have these same opportunities. Women, blacks, LGBTQ, and every other minority face obstacles that white people do not face. We must remove these obstacles to ensure true equality.

Every day we hear about Trump, or Hillary, or white America’s problems. The media is making an enormous profit off of these topics. That’s not to say that the news doesn’t talk about racism, it does, a lot. However, racism may be at the forefront of the American media, but it is not at the forefront of the American ethos. We live our lives isolated from the realities of others and thus, we do not have the ability to change/take other’s perspective, to empathize with those who face discrimination. Colin Kaepernick wanted to bring attention back onto the perceived racial injustice that blacks face from the police. Instead of Americans talking about that issue, he was lambasted, ridiculed, blasphemed and treated like a terrorist. This country is still unable to have a real debate about race because millions of Americans refuse to acknowledge that racism actually exists.

————————–Bonus————————

Here are some insightful tweets on the matter from Doug Baldwin, fellow NFL player on a rival team. He puts it very eloquently:

Now here are some tweets from Kaepernick dissenters who clearly missed the message (read at your own peril):

“Kaepernick is a terrorist” —

“Kaepernick should be thankful that he gets to make millions of dollars in a country that provides him the freedom to play a sport that he loves” —

“He was raised by white parents, he isn’t even black!” (Black people have also said this) —