More protests during the national anthem; more opposition to those protests by the Trump administration; more recriminations about the administration’s opposition to the protests. Ah, modern times.
Let’s review:
- NFL players have a constitutional right to take a knee during the national anthem.
- NFL owners do have or could have (depending on who you believe) a contractual right to require players to stand for the national anthem or face action.
- Presidents have a right to suggest that owners fire NFL players who take a knee during the anthem, though I’d really prefer they not use the term SOB — though again they have a right to say it.
- Vice-Presidents have a right to leave an NFL game if NFL players take a knee during the anthem or, believe it or not, for any reason they feel like. And under our free system, they can even go further, and plan their reaction ahead of time depending on what action players take.*
- NFL fans have a right to continue to be fans or not.
I love football, but haven’t followed the NFL for decades.
I love rights even more. And I think we certainly ought to be talking about and, more importantly, working on criminal justice reform. Let’s not lose sight of that in the controversy over the NFL protests.
Perhaps, the time for protest is ending. The time for action is now.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
* Did Vice-President Mike Pence leave the Colts-49ers game as a PR stunt? Well, every move the president or the VP make is a public relations stunt. If that’s the primary attack on the VEEP’s actions, he has turned the corner and is in the clear.
