Wide recceivers Chris Moore and Breshad Perriman of the Baltimore Ravens kneel in prayer prior to kickoff during the NFL match between The Jacksonville Jaguars and The Baltimore Ravens at Wembley Stadium on September 24, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo: Mitchell Gunn/Getty Images)
10 Clarifying #TakeaKnee Tweets to Beat Back Idiotic Arguments by Right-Wingers
Backlash, says one commentator, "very much about setting limits in US for how our rights 'should' be exercised, and by whom."
With #TakeaKnee going viral on Sunday as NFL players push back against threats by President Donald Trump, those who support the president's position that professional athletes--and especially black or brown professional athletes--should just do as they are told and not speak their minds were infecting the social media hashtag with a variety of racist and otherwise ill-considered arguments about why "millionaire players" shouldn't have or express political views. (Also, it's all about the flag and misguided pro-war patriotism, aka freedom.)
Here are ten tweets chosen not at random to help refute at least a little bit of the circulating hatefulness and wrongheadedness:
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
With #TakeaKnee going viral on Sunday as NFL players push back against threats by President Donald Trump, those who support the president's position that professional athletes--and especially black or brown professional athletes--should just do as they are told and not speak their minds were infecting the social media hashtag with a variety of racist and otherwise ill-considered arguments about why "millionaire players" shouldn't have or express political views. (Also, it's all about the flag and misguided pro-war patriotism, aka freedom.)
Here are ten tweets chosen not at random to help refute at least a little bit of the circulating hatefulness and wrongheadedness:
With #TakeaKnee going viral on Sunday as NFL players push back against threats by President Donald Trump, those who support the president's position that professional athletes--and especially black or brown professional athletes--should just do as they are told and not speak their minds were infecting the social media hashtag with a variety of racist and otherwise ill-considered arguments about why "millionaire players" shouldn't have or express political views. (Also, it's all about the flag and misguided pro-war patriotism, aka freedom.)
Here are ten tweets chosen not at random to help refute at least a little bit of the circulating hatefulness and wrongheadedness: