Paul Derengowski, ThM
Last night at AT&T Stadium, before the football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, another insipid protest was orchestrated by the pastor of a local Baptist Church.
The attempt had a two-fold goal: One, to “refocus the narrative,” and Two, to bully Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, into joining the stupidity of it all.
According to Pastor Frederick Douglass Haynes III, “We’re here to stand with [Colin Kaepernick] as we also refocus the narrative.”
And just what is the narrative? Why, it’s police brutality. “It was never about the flag. It was never about the anthem.”
The more I think about Haynes’ commentary, the more I conclude that he needs to resign his position as a pastor and move on to something more appropriate as his “calling.”
Because if protesting the flag and the national anthem were never the focus of his and Kaepernick’s gripes, then why put on a show when the flag was being honored at the playing of the anthem?
Could it be that Kaepernick and Haynes failed to think about how offensive their non-patriotic rebellion against patriotism truly is to every red-blooded American who takes pride and honor in what the flag and the National Anthem have traditionally represented ever since the 1918 World Series?
You see, it was during the 1918 World Series that playing the National Anthem and standing and honoring the flag got its officially recognized start.
The world was at war (WWI), American military men were dying, and the mood was not exactly cheery.
Then, in the seventh inning, the Navy band began to play the Star-Spangled Banner and Red Sox third baseman, Fred Thomas, who was a Navy veteran himself, turned to salute Old Glory.
Thomas’ teammates, along with the players from the Chicago Cubs, and fans throughout Comiskey Park joined in by standing and singing the first stanza.
By the time they were all done, the fires of patriotism had been stoked to a fever pitch and a tradition had begun that has lasted unto the present.
That is the real narrative behind the National Anthem and honoring of flag.
It is not about a bunch idiots attempting to change the narrative to refocus attention elsewhere, so that everyone will bow to their subversive agenda of condemning the police and promoting the criminal element in society through reverse racism.
And how do we know that “Pastor” Haynes, Colin Kaepernick, et al are promoting a subversive agenda? By simply noting whom they want to exalt as their heroes.
Haynes tells us, “It was always about Christian Taylor.”
Christian Taylor was the criminal who broke into an Arlington, Texas car dealership, was vandalizing vehicles, while being strung out on drugs. After a foot pursuit into the dealership, Taylor was shot and killed by a rookie police officer.
Haynes tells us, “It was always about Clinton Allen.”
Clinton Allen was a criminal, strung out on PCP, who was involved in a disturbance and decided to attack the responding police officer, when he showed up. After being tazered twice, with no effect, the officer shot and killed Allen.
Haynes tells us, “It was always about Tamir Rice.”
Tamir Rice was a wayward 12 year-old, who was hanging out in a Cleveland park, on a winter day, waving a toy gun (that looked like the real thing) at people, when the police showed up and immediately shot him when Rice approached their car.
These are the paragons of moral virtue that Haynes believes ought to serve as examples to justify his agenda to demean and damn every person in America, which would include himself, if he really stopped to think about it, by sitting or taking a knee during the playing of the National Anthem.
It is idiocy of the highest order.
If Haynes, Kaepernick, or anyone else associated with the Black Lives Matter movement had any common sense at all, they would take their “protest” to the proper authorities, in the proper forum, and resolve it with the proper argument.
Taking a knee during the playing of the National Anthem, regardless of the sporting event, to insult everyone, is not the proper authority, the proper forum, or the proper argument.
Taking a knee, while never actually addressing those, face-to-face, to whom the accusations are being pointed, is about self-promotion. “Look at me, I’m such a hero.”
No, you’re not a hero. You’re a selfish idiot, just like all the selfish idiots you’re attempting to exalt as some kind of examples we’re all supposed to feel sorry.
Frankly, I hope all of this unpatriotic nonsense becomes so unraveled, confused, and self-destructive that those pushing it start devouring themselves.
Until such time, I know I will keep on standing in honor of those who have given of themselves to make America the greatest country on the face of the earth, while gladly pointing out the self-aggrandizing hypocrisy of those who choose to do otherwise.
