In my second article in this series I would like to touch on the continuing protests by athletes and performers around the country.
At this time last year I put out an article on this subject with some of my views on the actual causes of the problems that are manifesting themselves across the country. In that article I touched on the mentality in the lower income areas that are at the center of this issue. I would now like to focus on the athletes and performers themselves.
First of all, I would like to point out that by protesting on the sideline of a sports venue, they are not showing protest for the injustices for which they are espousing opposition to. What they are doing would be akin to me protesting against the sport of football by showing up to protest at a baseball game. I would be aiming my ire at the wrong people. And it would be understandable for people to get the idea that I am protesting against baseball.
Secondly, it would be ignorant to think that a protest against the police for racism against a specific group is logical. The police throughout the country are made up people from every ethnic group represented in this country. Are there bad cops? Yes. Are there good cops? Yes. Are there cops that are racist? There probably are. But I’m sure there are people who are racist in quite a large portion of the professions and industries throughout the country. Life is like that. And the racism is spread throughout every ethnic group and aimed at every ethnic group. Are there bad shootings from police officers? Yes there are and these should be dealt with appropriately. But a protest aimed at the flag, and the National Anthem is misplaced.
Thirdly, as far as the players go, their assertion that this falls under their free speech rights is false. Most of these are great athletes and are looked up to by a large portion of the population. They like to think that it is their right to take these actions in support of a cause they deem appropriate. Yet, I must remind all of you, they are but employees of the company for which they work. In this case it is the team for which they play. The team is a member of an association that governs their reactions. The players only have rights as far as the team organization allows them to. We live in a free country. These athletes and performers enjoy the same freedoms that everyone else in the country enjoys. However, those freedoms end when they while they are working for the team who has signed them. The team is a private business and can dictate what their employees can and can’t do while representing the team. If the players and performers don’t like this, they are free to quit. This is no different than any other business.
In my business I require my employees to dress in well maintained clothing, not to have any visible tattoos and not have what I deem to be inappropriate piercings. This is my right. It is my business that I created. I put my blood, sweat and tears into building it. My employees represent me to my clients and it is up to me to determine what that representation looks and acts like.
Likewise, the teams for which these players and performers work are free to determine what their employees are and are not allowed to do. But, they should know that, what they allow them to do is just like doing it themselves. If they are okay with that, that is up to them. For they have to bear the consequences through lower ticket sales, lower merchandise sales , or whatever else is impacted by a lowered of support for their team. That is completely in their court (or field as the case may be), for it is their business that is impacted.
In conclusion, I will state that the kneeling of the players and performers is a protest against the flag, the military and the police, who I might add, steps up and provides security to these players and performers even though the support is not reciprocated. I would never kneel. That would be akin to slapping my son, my daughter, my father, my grandfathers, and all the others who fought for this country through my family line, in the face and saying that, “Thanks, but no thanks, for the service.”
Bruce Williams
National Chairman
At this time last year I put out an article on this subject with some of my views on the actual causes of the problems that are manifesting themselves across the country. In that article I touched on the mentality in the lower income areas that are at the center of this issue. I would now like to focus on the athletes and performers themselves.
First of all, I would like to point out that by protesting on the sideline of a sports venue, they are not showing protest for the injustices for which they are espousing opposition to. What they are doing would be akin to me protesting against the sport of football by showing up to protest at a baseball game. I would be aiming my ire at the wrong people. And it would be understandable for people to get the idea that I am protesting against baseball.
Secondly, it would be ignorant to think that a protest against the police for racism against a specific group is logical. The police throughout the country are made up people from every ethnic group represented in this country. Are there bad cops? Yes. Are there good cops? Yes. Are there cops that are racist? There probably are. But I’m sure there are people who are racist in quite a large portion of the professions and industries throughout the country. Life is like that. And the racism is spread throughout every ethnic group and aimed at every ethnic group. Are there bad shootings from police officers? Yes there are and these should be dealt with appropriately. But a protest aimed at the flag, and the National Anthem is misplaced.
Thirdly, as far as the players go, their assertion that this falls under their free speech rights is false. Most of these are great athletes and are looked up to by a large portion of the population. They like to think that it is their right to take these actions in support of a cause they deem appropriate. Yet, I must remind all of you, they are but employees of the company for which they work. In this case it is the team for which they play. The team is a member of an association that governs their reactions. The players only have rights as far as the team organization allows them to. We live in a free country. These athletes and performers enjoy the same freedoms that everyone else in the country enjoys. However, those freedoms end when they while they are working for the team who has signed them. The team is a private business and can dictate what their employees can and can’t do while representing the team. If the players and performers don’t like this, they are free to quit. This is no different than any other business.
In my business I require my employees to dress in well maintained clothing, not to have any visible tattoos and not have what I deem to be inappropriate piercings. This is my right. It is my business that I created. I put my blood, sweat and tears into building it. My employees represent me to my clients and it is up to me to determine what that representation looks and acts like.
Likewise, the teams for which these players and performers work are free to determine what their employees are and are not allowed to do. But, they should know that, what they allow them to do is just like doing it themselves. If they are okay with that, that is up to them. For they have to bear the consequences through lower ticket sales, lower merchandise sales , or whatever else is impacted by a lowered of support for their team. That is completely in their court (or field as the case may be), for it is their business that is impacted.
In conclusion, I will state that the kneeling of the players and performers is a protest against the flag, the military and the police, who I might add, steps up and provides security to these players and performers even though the support is not reciprocated. I would never kneel. That would be akin to slapping my son, my daughter, my father, my grandfathers, and all the others who fought for this country through my family line, in the face and saying that, “Thanks, but no thanks, for the service.”
Bruce Williams
National Chairman
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