Yesterday, the NFL, which frequently makes headline news in sports sections across the Nation, jettisoned itself onto the front pages highlighting a very different topic. Politics. After President Trump unleashed his vitriol (directed at the organization) via one of his infamous tweets, team owners, coaches, and players responded. As a fever pitch approaches, I can no longer stay silent, either.
Now, to fully disclose, I don’t particularly care for the sport of football. I was a wrestler and a runner during high school, but truth be told, I prefer to play sports (or at least watch them live) as opposed to turning on the tube. That said, I was glad to hear Alejandro Villanueva stood up, both for the sacrifices of those who have kept our nation free, and against his team’s near unanimous display of disrespect toward the same. Villanueva is a former Army Ranger who earned the rank of Major and a Bronze Star for his service to America.
He has not been shy about his patriotism in the past, saying this when asked about his feelings toward Colin Kaepernick’s decision to protest the anthem last year:
“I agree that America is not perfect, I agree there are lot of issues with minorities in this country, I agree we should do something about it,” Villanueva said. “But I don’t know if the most effective way is to sit down when the national anthem of the country that is providing you freedom and providing you $60 million a year is the best way to do it when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan and protecting our freedom for less than $20,000 a year.”
I don’t agree with President Trump often (as a matter of fact his choice of words and the method he chose to employ them are both, as he loves to say, WRONG!), but the principle he is standing on is correct, this time. Like Villanueva, I agree that America still has work to do in regards to race relations, but Our few turning their backs on Her brave is a sorely misguided way to accomplish this goal.
By all means, let’s have a discussion about why minorities get harsher penalties when they commit the exact same crime as white people, under the exact same circumstances. Let’s talk about why the media continues to push a false narrative regarding police brutality. Let’s figure out how to remedy this gross injustice, and let’s do it together, as One Nation, Under God. The Bible tells us God has the power to heal nations in the book of Second Chronicles:
“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14
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