Tony Dungy gives his advice on a better way for NFL players to protest and his thoughts on whether Colin Kaepernick will play in the NFL again.
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It’s encouraging to see Beto O’Rourke’s passionate defense of NFL players and their right to protest and the positive response it’s generating on social media.
It’s also infuriating.
For almost two years now, NFL players have been saying the exact same thing when asked to explain why they are taking a knee or raising a fist during the national anthem. They might have used different words than O’Rourke, but the message was the same:
The protests are not about the anthem, the flag, the military or any other smokescreen intended to detract from them. They are about systemic racism in our country’s justice and economic systems, and the devastating – sometimes fatal – consequences it has for people of color, particularly young, black men.
“This problem, as grave as it is, is not going to fix itself,” O’Rourke, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, said in a video clip from an Aug. 10 campaign stop that went viral Tuesday. “And they’re frustrated, frankly, with people like me and those in positions of public trust and power who have been unable to resolve this or bring justice for what has been done and to stop it from continuing to happen in this country.
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“Non-violently, peacefully, while the eyes of this country are watching these games, they take a knee to bring our attention and our focus to this problem to ensure that we fix it.”
For some reason, though, that message seems more palatable coming from a skinny, white politician who bears a slight resemblance to Bobby Kennedy than it does coming from large, powerful black men.
And therein lies the problem.
It’s great that O’Rourke, Chris Long and, this week, Aaron Rodgers have come to the defense of the players who protest. I wish more white players and politicians would speak out.
But it also shouldn’t be necessary.
Eric Reid, Malcolm Jenkins, Anquan Boldin, Devin McCourty – I could go on and on and on – have all been eloquent in explaining the issues behind the protests, and earnest in the work they’re doing to address them. Already, they have helped get laws changed in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, and they continue to educate voters about district attorneys and the power they have.
Yet two years in, there are people who remain stubbornly ignorant about why the players are protesting and oblivious to the work they’re doing. The players are still viewed by a large number of their fellow citizens as unpatriotic, disrespectful or, worst, un-American, despite protest being a cornerstone in our country’s foundation.
What, you thought the Boston Tea Party was an actual party?
Some of this is attributable to President Donald Trump, who never misses an opportunity to stoke fear and hatred of black and brown people. But it’s also an uncomfortable reality that many white people will dismiss the complaints and fears of minorities until they’re given voice by fellow whites.
Maybe it’s unconscious bias. Maybe it’s an inability to recognize and understand a reality that differs from our own. Maybe it’s the naïve wish that racism and discrimination no longer exist.
Whatever the reason, it’s wrong. When any American voices distrust and disappointment in our country, it should give us all pause.
“I can think of nothing more American than to peacefully stand up or take a knee for your rights,” O’Rourke said, “anytime, anywhere, any place.”
Back in June, tired of being asked yet again to explain and defend the protests, Jenkins held up a cue card that read, “You’re not listening.” He wore a T-shirt with that same slogan last Thursday, when he took the field for warm-ups before the Philadelphia Eagles played the New England Patriots.
He’s right.
I hope O’Rourke’s speech resonates with more people, and I suspect it will. But the message remains the same, whether coming from a white Senate candidate or black NFL player.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on Twitter @nrarmour.
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