To Take a Knee Or Not: Exactly What Am I Protesting?

I’ve been watching the debate over Colin Kaepernick with great interest because I have many dear friends from diverse backgrounds and many family members who are veterans.  I want to share some thoughts.  

First, let's understand the true meaning of the term "discrimination" and how it has been completely distorted in recent decades.  The real definition of “to discriminate” is to recognize a distinction; to differentiate.  To understand that a plant is different than a rock is to discriminate between the two.  Most of our schooling focused on learning to discriminate between similar and dissimilar things.  But now in popular culture "discrimination" only means the condition of be prejudiced and acting unjustly against someone because of a particular trait or a category.  How sad that we’re no longer allowed to notice and celebrate the things about one another that make us unique, different, and sometimes astonishingly similar—all because everyone is convinced that "to discriminate" is a terrible thing!

General Washington takes a knee.

Second, let’s not confuse the American ideals found in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with the failings of individuals and of the government.  Here’s an analogy to explain what I mean.  Unfortunately, we’ve all met this person—the one who claims to be a Christian but is unethical in business, or unfaithful in marriage, or commits some other ghastly sin clearly against scripture.  Now I hope you wouldn’t take notice of this person’s failings and wrongly conclude that Jesus did likewise and that all the principles of Scripture are therefore trash.  I hope instead you would realize that this person—for whatever reason—did not behave like Jesus in living up to Christian ideals.  So it is with our country.  Many Americans throughout history have not lived up to the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence—that all people are created equal and that they all have rights given to them by their Creator that cannot be taken away, including the right to life, to liberty, and to the pursuit of happiness.  The people of this country have not always lived up to these ideals, and yes, slavery was a gross affront to our principles of freedom.  But our founders set these ideals on paper because they knew that we could and should work toward becoming like them.  Our founders outlined our essential liberties in the Bill of Rights and limited the power of the government to control us so that we would be free to become the people of the Declaration of Independence.  Have we studied the principles and ideals the founders outlined?  Or are we just angrily concluding that the failure of imperfect people to live up to American ideals makes all American principles junk?

I understand that Kaepernick and others are protesting discrimination and prejudice, which is a worthy cause.  But I’m not so sure they've chosen a good way to do it.  Focusing a protest on The Star Spangled Banner—the song and the symbol that represent for so many all that is good about America—allows people to misinterpret the protest as an act of disrespect.  Or even worse—they might think it is an expression of hatred for America and her principles of freedom for all, which ironically is what should protect us from injustice and acts of discrimination in the first place.  Is America perfect?  No.  Because people aren't perfect.  Are the core American ideals good?  Yes, but we only benefit from them to the extent that we live by them.  

Take a Knee and Pray With Me

So perhaps taking a knee during the national anthem or raising a fist is not the best way to protest the failings of imperfect people.  If you’re going to have a movement and get buy-in, it’s best if you design your movement so that it can’t be misinterpreted.  Here’s my suggestion: How about standing during the national anthem with hand over heart to demonstrate respect, and then having a moment of silence after the song—and take a knee then—to pray that all Americans (including the one in the mirror) will be able to live up to American ideals, to love one another, and to fight against prejudice.  What if I'm too angry to pray?  Well, that's probably the best time to pray.  God can handle anger, and earnest heart-felt prayers are sometimes the most effective ones.

One final thought:  I’ve heard people declare they won’t say the pledge of allegiance.  My question is this: To what are you pledging allegiance?  To all the actions, good and terrible, of all Americans?  Or are you pledging allegiance to the ideals of America…to liberty and justice for all?  Think about it…