Today's MOZEN: A Struggle for the Soul

F LoBuono

If you think the current protest by some NFL players who kneel during the playing of our National Anthem to highlight racial inequities in this Country is simply about football, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I would like to sell you. The reason the debate rages almost unabated is because the stakes are nothing less than the very Soul of America.

It seems that ever since the last election our Country has been divided into two distinct camps. On one side, there are the unwavering supporters of President Trump and the current administration. They tend to be white, less educated, and more conservative. They have a distinct vision of where America should stand - in everything - and, that's first. On the other, we have a group that is virulently anti- Trump and his agenda. They tend to be more ethnically diverse and progressive in their thinking. They, of course, have their own vision for America and it doesn't include Mr. Trump or his cronies.

And, this current debate seems to mirror those lines exactly.

There are the conservatives who see the action of the players, regardless of how honest their motivations may be, as morally reprehensible. They feel that the playing of the Anthem is a sacred tradition that lauds all the principals that we hold dear AND honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect us and those very principals. It is inconceivable to them why someone would demean that tradition by doing anything but standing at attention with ones hand over their heart. Anyone who does anything else is simply unpatriotic. The 1st Amendment be damned! No compromise is accepted. Anything else is simply un-American. Long-time fans have been seen burning team jerseys in disgust. The league will be boycotted, favorite players scrapped.

The others, generally more liberal and progressive, see it all in a different light. First, they all tend to support the 1st Amendment to the Constitution which guarantees Americans the right of free speech and non-violent demonstration. And, their interpretation of the Amendment, and supported frequently in rulings by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), is quite literal - short of yelling "FIRE" in a crowded theater - just about any expression goes. In fact, SCOTUS, has already ruled, as disgusting as it might sound to most, that even burning the American flag is a form of expression protected by the 1st Amendment. Yes, as an American you have a right to be an asshole! So, by comparison, kneeling to make a point seems quite tame!

There is also the moral ambiguity of allowing someone to defile something that others have literally died for. And, herein lies the fight for the soul. Those who support the protest and the 1st Amendment see the sacrifices made by those who secured our freedom as the very reason we MUST support free speech. Our near total freedom of expression is what truly makes us different, i.e. Americans. Those people sacrificed so much so that we could be free to stand, sit, kneel, genuflect, crawl, or hop, skip, and jump during the Anthem. And, no one has to LIKE IT. But, they do HAVE to accept it. Why? Because it's the law of the land. As completely irrational as it may seem, in a sense, those people gave everything to preserve the rights of others to give them absolutely nothing in return. THIS is the bold experiment that IS America!

However, there are still those who have difficulty understanding what is such an esoteric concept. For them, it's simple: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT. There IS no moral dilemma. There is only room for those who unabashedly and unequivocally love their Country and will not tolerate any deviation from this dedication. What they fail to realize is that by doing so our Country would be no different than North Korea.

Another point of contention is that many people are weary of being challenged by the seemingly constant barrage of "underdog causes". They simply don't want to hear anymore about Black Lives Matter or from women's groups looking for job equality or the LGBT Community seeking understanding. Even my 94 year-old mother complained that she is tired of hearing from feminists, saying after all, look how far we've come. Well, to these folks I would explain that things may have indeed improved but they can still get better - a lot better. When a woman makes what a man earns instead of the .79 cents on the dollar she currently does, we can stop. Blacks are incarcerated at a rate 5X's greater than that of whites. When that changes, we can stop. When 1 in 4 LGBT people cease reporting harassment at their places of employment, we can stop.

Until we realize that what makes us unique and, therefore, free, is our ability to live, and let live - even when it seems counter intuitive to do so, we are doomed to fail. This is our challenge as a Nation. And, failure is not an option.