even silent protest is “too much” for them: the nfl & schools move to punish those who don’t stand during anthem

On Tuesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent a letter to league executives and team owners instructing them to consider changing league rules to force players to stand for the national anthem. The letter which was obtained by Albert Breer of the MMQB, critiques the leagues current policy, which asks that players players “stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand and refrain from talking” during the Star-Spangled Banner, but only allows for discipline if players fail to be on the field at that time.

But that isn’t enough for Goodell and the owners, who seem to be demanding absolutely no resistance to injustice from the majority Black players who commit exhausting manual labor on fields day in and day out to make them rich. Sounds frighteningly familiar…

The full letter reads:

“We live in a country that can feel very divided. Sports, and especially the NFL, brings people together and lets them set aside those divisions, at least for a few hours. The current dispute over the National Anthem is threatening to erode the unifying power of our game, and is now dividing us, and our players, from many fans across the country.

I’m very proud of our players and owners who have done the hard work over the past year to listen, understand and attempt to address the underlying issues within their communities. At our September committee meetings, we heard directly from several players about why these issues are so important to them and how we can support their work. And last week, we met with the leadership of the NFLPA and more players to advance the dialogue.

I expect and look forward to a full and open discussion of these issues when we meet next week in New York. Everyone involved in the game needs to come together on a path forward to continue to be a force for good within our communities, protect the game, and preserve our relationship with fans throughout the country. The NFL is at its best when we ourselves are unified. In that spirit, let’s resolve that next week we will meet this challenge in a unified and positive way.”

This just goes to show that even the most minor of challenges to white supremacy are unacceptable in this country, because this country is white supremacist.

It’s not just the NFL. In Michigan, a Black 6th grader “violently” dragged off his seat by teacher for not standing during Pledge of Allegiance. In Houston, a 17-year-old says she was expelled for the same.

They might as well say that they want Black people to shut up about their oppression.