Trump offsides in fight
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,” is a concept utterly foreign to President Donald Trump, as so clearly shown by his clash with the NFL.
The quote is often attributed to the great French philosopher Voltaire in defense of free speech. Voltaire didn’t actually say it (it was written by historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall in 1906 to describe Voltaire’s attitude).
But Trump can’t even think it. You’re either for him or against him. And if you disagree with him, there is no way he’s going to defend your right to speak up. It just makes no sense to Trump.
Nowhere was this more evident than in the firestorm with NFL owners and players over protests about racial inequality during the national anthem. Calling the protesters “sons of bitches” who should be fired in a speech on Friday, the president galvanized the NFL into a show of unity for the protesting players. Players and owners — including some hitherto staunch Trump supporters — took a knee or otherwise showed their support during the anthem in games across the country.
On Monday, Trump doubled down, as he usually does, tweeting, “The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!” On Tuesday, he called on the NFL to create a rule requiring players to stand during the anthem.
As he so often is, Trump is wrong. The protest actually is all about race. The protesting players (led initially by former quarterback Colin Kaepernick) may indeed be overpaid, overindulged athletes who get tons of money to play a mere game. But so what? They still have a right to protest what they see as injustice and to bring the issue to the nation’s attention. And if the players’ employers are willing to countenance the protests, should the government in the form of Trump try to impose its will on an expression of conscience? Of course not.
There is racial inequality. There have been incidents of police violence against minorities just as there have been incidents of violence against police. As a nation, we have been discussing and protesting and arguing about these issues going back to the founding of the country. To bring them into the NFL, which is part of the national culture may be uncomfortable, but it is hardly wrong.
The players who have peacefully and quietly protested should be able to do so without fear of retribution or of losing their jobs.
The president, who should be the first to defend the right of peaceful protest and of those who disagree with him, believes otherwise. That should be very concerning to all of us who believe in free expression.