I will straight-up admit I am no fan of sports.
Therefore, I have been mostly oblivious to the latest social justice drama playing out across the country involving San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refusing to stand during the national anthem.
The kabuki theater of #BlackLivesMater America-hate is now spreading beyond the San Francisco team.
…Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters raised his fist, four Miami Dolphins players knelt, and players from several other teams interlocked arms or raised their fists as an apparent sign of unity with Kaepernick, who began his protest last month during the NFL’s preseason over what he said was the oppression of “black people and people of color.”Peters — who is black and told the press Friday that he salutes Kaepernick, calling it “a great cause” — raised his fist in protest at the start of a home game against the San Diego Chargers today. As he did, many of his teammates locked arms in an apparent show of solidarity.Meanwhile, in Seattle, Miami Dolphins players Arian Foster, Michael Thomas, Jelani Jenkins and Kenny Stills knelt during the national anthem at the start of their game against the Seahawks.
Like me, many people are tired of others turning their sports and entertainment into a political messaging opportunity. Football fans across the country are deeply unhappy at the disrespect being shown to the nation during the anthem-based protests, tired of the #BlackLivesMatters campaign and its race baiting promoters, and angry that the NFL and the teams’ officials are allowing the racialist histrionics to continue.
Since the football professionals don’t want to clamp down on these game-time protests, citizens are using social media to initiate a boycott campaign themselves.
There is a ballot measure hitting San Diego this November that may be tackled by this sentiment.
Prop C is the appropriately named measure in the city of San Diego that has to do with the Chargers.Their proposal to raise the hotel room tax in the city to pay for a downtown multi-purpose football stadium and an adjacent convention center facility.
I must admit, I am torn. I am not keen on raising taxes to fund a venue that will help multi-millionaires connected to politicos get richer. However, after coming downtown for Padres games and seeing what the new baseball stadium has done for the surrounding district and the businesses there, I have been tempted to vote “yes.”
Plus, the new stadium could help us keep an event really important to me: Comic-Con.
However, the protests are already undermining the chances for measure approval, especially among undecided voters whose votes will really be needed to pass the plan by a supermajority.
Nobody is saying these athletes can’t protest. They can take the time out of their busy days, go to a rally, pass out petitions, and get engaged in any cause they wish. On their private time.
Just imagine going to your office and staging such a drama. How long would you keep a job or face some disciplinary action?
The days of Americans passively accepting demonstrations thrust upon them during sporting or other community events are over.
Right now, many football-loving citizens are weighing their personal protest options. Mine include voting “No” on Proposition C and not watching the one football game I do watch each year…Super Bowl.
I suspect I am not the only one considering my own protest involving Super Bowl 2017 either.
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