DocuMENT1 ‘THE CHOICE BETWEEN KNEELING AND WINNING Adapted from David Leonhardt, The New York Times, 2"! October 2017 SI Whena young organizer named Jahn Lewis spoke at the March on Washington in August 1963, he delivered a scorching rebuke of racism and its “political, economic and social exploitation.” But Lewis also did something else: he aligned his side, the civil rights movement, with the symbols and ideals of America $2 Symbols matter in politics. They often matter more than the detailed arguments that opposing sides ‘make, Symbols are a shortcut that help persuadable outsiders figure out where to line up, $3 The professional athletes doing political battle with President Trump are heirs to the civil-rights ‘movement, They are protesting government-sanctioned violence against African-Americans. Risking popularity for principle, they have shown a courage frequently lacking among the affluent and famous. 54 Trump, meanwhile, is heir to yesterday's racist demagogues. He called an athlete “a son of a bitch” not long after saying that white supremacists included “very fine people.” $5 From amoral standpoint, this issue is clear. The athletes are right, Trump is wrong 56 _Butrighteousness does not automatically bring effectiveness, And I've reluctantly become convinced that many athletes are making a tactical mistake. 87 Yes, the athletes and their allies can make nuanced, genuine arguments about why kneeling during the national anthem is not meant as a rebuke to the entire country. Liberals have rallied to their side, almost uniformly. I have the same instinct 58 Winning over blue America, however, is a pretty modest goal. The kneeling argument needlessly alicnates persuadable people, and it’s one the athletes don't need. Almost 70 percent of Americans get that the protests are directed at police violence or Trump and not the flag, according to a YouGov/HuffPost poll. Yet only 36 percent consider the kneeling protest to be “appropriate.” 9 Why? Because most Americans respect the country’s symbols and because standing is a simple sign of respect. Sitting while others stand sends a different message. 510 Beyond the athletes, there is a bigger question: Do Trump's opponents want to oppose him in ways that are merely just and satisfying? Or do they want to beat him? “You can’t get angry,” as the longtime activist Vernon Jordan has said, describing a different civil-rights hattle, in the 1950s. “You have to get smart” SI Getting smart means nominating progressive candidates who can win, even ifthey aren't progressive ‘on every issue, Getting smart means delaying internal fights and unifying against Trump's agenda. Getting smart means understanding, as civil-rights leaders did, that American symbols are a worthy ally. S12 The athletes shouldn't apologize for anything. Those who continue to kneel, and draw ire, deserve ‘support. But the smart move now is not to expand a tactic that Trump loves as a fol S13. The protests can still be aggressive. Trump, of course, will blast any pratest as some version of ‘uppity. But so what? The target audience are the many Americans open to opposing police violence and a bullying president — but uncomfortable with a gesture that scems to oppose America itselfsl 8 s4 5 86 s7 88 DocumENT2 Way TAKING A KNEE DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IS NOT ONLY UNPATRIOTIC, I's IGNoraNT Adapted from Kris W. Kobach, Breitbart, 25" September 2017 The act of NFL players taking a knee during the National Anthem has gone from being a stunt toa plague that is infecting the whole league. ‘The absurdity reached a new high on Sunday, when players for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens at an exhibition game in London refused to stand for the National Anthem, but stood for the British anthem. Its ironic because the National Anthem was written to commemorate the bravery that the outnumbered and outgunned American soldiers showed when they nevertheless defeated the Bricish at the Battle of Fort McHenry in 1814 What would those American soldiers who lost their lives to British cannons think about the American players today who stand in respect for the British anthem, but refuse to stand for the American song that commemorates theit valor? Aside from that, there's an additional problem with the football players’ protest: it doesn’t make sense, The players are protesting the police shootings that involved African-American victims. But the National Anthem stands for three things: (1) the bravery of the American soldiers at Fort McHenry; (2) giving thanks to God for the miraculous victory; and (3) America itself. Presumably, they are using the National Anthem as a symbol representing the third ~ our country itself. But how can these NFL players disrespect the very country that gives them the opportunity to earn seven- oF eight-figure salaries just for playing a game that they enjoy? There's no other place on earth that they can become rich role models just by playing American football, And there's no other place on ‘earth that so thoroughly investigates and holds accountable its police officers in those cases where an officer actually does something wrong If they want to protest incidents of police shootings, they should wear symbolic armbands naming the victims or put stickers on their warm-up gear on the sidelines. That would be more specific and it wouldn't disrespect our country. Over the course of history, more than 650,000 brave Americans have given their lives in defense of ‘our country, our Constitution, and the freedom, liberty, and justice that it represents. It is entirely possible for those who wish to voice their opinions on issues to do so in a way that doesn’t disparage the ultimate sacrifice our veterans gave in defense of our nation, We have the freedom as Americans to speak out on matters that deeply concern each of us, But in an ever polarized society, there is simply no excuse for disrespecting our country, our National Anthem, cr the sacrifice made by so many brave veterans. That's why so many fans are booing the protesting players and declining to watch the NFL on TV. There are better ways to protest than by taking a knee during a time universally reserved for solemmn respect.DOCcUMENT3 SHEN MANS eer Is HAT’S OFFENSIVE! Drew Sheneman, Tribune Content Agency, 30" September 2016