One Man's Field

When Colin Kaepernick first decided to take a knee in protest of the unlawful use of excessive force by white police officers against unarmed black men, I wrote that I would take a knee.  If I were fortunate enough to be an athlete whose natural talents and hard work had placed me on a national stage, I would still take a knee. I would walk out of the invisible world of the locker room and onto the televised field of play, and I would kneel. I would do this because peaceful protest is just as much a part of our collective history as are slavery, segregation, and suppression of black Americans. A couple days ago NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made an announcement. “This season,” he said, “all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem.” Right there, he misses a fundamental truth: kneeling is a respectful gesture; a gesture meant to draw attention to a gross social injustice is not synonymous with disrespecting the flag, the anthem, or the ...

“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.”  That is what Atticus Finch says to his children in To Kill a Mockingbird . His words have always pretty much summed up my beliefs about guns: one can live a life of courage without ever touching a gun. His brand of courage - fighting with words and ideals - could do all that was necessary in the face of malevolence. I was certain of it.  Still, when an angry mob comes to lynch Tom Robinson, Harper Lee places another character up in a nearby window. He leans out watching the scene unfold, his double-barreled shotgun trained on the angry mob - just in case Atticus’ brand of courage is not enough of a deterrent. Little kids and their lawyer father appealing to human decency might stop some crimes, she seems to hint, but there are others that need something more lethal. Despite Atticus’ crusade for justice, it is a gun that slaughters Tom Robinson. ...