Ruth Bader Ginsburg Calls Colin Kaepernick’s National Anthem Protest ‘Dumb’

[meegs73]

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court justice who came under fire recently for lacerating comments about Donald J. Trump, has dropped another eyebrow-raising remark about a different figure in the news: the N.F.L. football player Colin Kaepernick and his protest against the national anthem

Comments

[screw_reality]

Ugh. What is this? "it's dumb" Fuck off.

The same jingoistic people constantly squawking about how the anthem and flag are sacrosanct also love to reminisce about how this country was founded on genocide and slavery armed insurrection against a tyrannical government. Right up until it means having to acknowledge they are now either representative of or bolstering tyranny, then protesting is a dumb thing stupid people do!!!

[meegs73]

Preach.

[quietpathos]

I don't understand the need to kneel in protest. Kneeling is traditionally a symbol of deference or submission. Why not just sit down?

[screw_reality]

I mean, standing during the anthem is the traditional sign of respect, so kneeling sort of feels like the inverse of that. Plus, being seated is usually you starting position before being called to stand for the anthem, at least when you're an audience member. So remaining seated feels very passive, even though it will still draw attention to you if you're the only one doing so. Choosing to get up and then sink into a kneeling position is a lot more blatant an action- which I've seen some audience members do in solidarity.

As for Kaepernick and the other athletes who've joined him, a lot of the photos I've seen are of them standing on the field. So just for practicality's sake, it's a lot easier to get back to your feet from a down on one knee position. Sitting down on the field and then climbing back to your feet would be more awkward and clumsy.

[quietpathos]

Well, as someone with balance issues, it's actually a lot easier for most people with and without strong hips/core/trunk strength to ascend from a seated position than a kneeling position. Even without that, these are professional athletes. I don't think it would require that much effort to change positions.

[rhysande]

That's always how it strikes me. In it's own way kneeling feels more respectful than standing to me. As a protest, I feel Kaepernick, et.al., are being quite respectful to the symbology of the flag and anthem while protesting by visibly refusing to conform.

[eveofrevolution]

Not to play the Oppression Olympics, But…

[quietpathos]

Gay people, especially white gay people as Megan Rapinoe is, do not face the same amount of structural and systemic prejudice that POC face. The national anthem in its original form celebrated slavery.

Protests against unfair things are not required to be respectful and docile. No progress was ever attained by being pleasing all of the time.

Re: Not to play the Oppression Olympics, But…

[quietpathos]

And I'm a white gay man, FWIW.

Here's background on the symbolism of getting on one knee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genuflection

[eveofrevolution]

Re: Not to play the Oppression Olympics, But…

[quietpathos]

The national anthem is not a symbol of the troops. If people want to respect the military, they can lobby Congress to stop wasting billions of dollars on weapons and technology the Pentagon doesn't want and fight any attempts to privatize the VA.

[eveofrevolution]