Stand to sing, Sit for preaching, Kneel to pray
Sit for preaching
Stand to sing
Kneel to pray
Americans in Puerto Rico may not have power indefinitely, while I’m inconvenienced this morning by a momentary flip that flashes the lights off with a bang and back on with a jerk, blanks the televisions, turns off the internet until I can get it restarted, and requires four clocks to be reset. Puerto Rico is an economic, cultural and geographic issue unto itself, but we don’t seem to realize that there are no second-class Americans.
But there are, aren’t there, there are, always have been second-class Americans, as a matter of fact, that’s what the Kaepernickian Kneel is about, being Untouchable in a land where all men are created equal but not treated so. I don’t Kneel: first and lifelong an American naval officer, in churches where I was in charge, I had the American flag removed partly due to the fact that we were there because of the cross not the flag, partly due to my own grievous fault that even as a priest, when the flag is present I cannot see the cross for the flag.
When I was a boy, if the national anthem came on radio in my grandfather Gentry’s home, everyone in the house stood; who did not stand stood quickly when caught by my grandfather’s eye. When I was a boy we acolytes carried in procession first the cross, then the American flag; my choice, when given, was to carry the flag, slanted out, staff held with right hand, flag held with left hand such that it draped properly, beautifully, and never touching floor or ground. I know this about myself. But I’m not alone. Once at a Navy change of command ceremony in San Diego, I saw a Navy captain break into tears as the color guard marched by, halted, and a band broke into the Star Spangled Banner.
The Kaepernickian Kneel is not what we seem to take it for, it’s an American right to protest that has chosen the most emotionally-charged possible symbol and moment to get attention: Star Spangled Banner, American flag rising to the crashing music of the national anthem.
It’s emotional, how we feel every time it’s played at the Olympic Games as the flag goes up in the center, marking yet another gold medal. More, how we feel when three American flags go up, for gold, silver, and bronze.
How I have felt hearing “cast off all lines” as my American warship was freed from the pier to the announcement, “Underway: shift colors.”
Yet, I’m on the Kaepernickian side for two reasons. First because they are correct, there are indeed second-class Americans and will be until some people have the guts to make the personal sacrifices required to get attention and action. In this case, competitive sports are dominated by people whose life experience is being second-class Americans regardless how obscene their pay, and in this country there is no more powerful symbol to center on for protest than the one they have chosen, flag and anthem.
Second and equally, I'm on the Kaepernickian side because every American has the right to protest, and no American has the right to choose what another American may choose to protest, nor, within the law, the actions or symbols used. Counterly, every American has the right to protest what other Americans are protesting. Sadly in the end, this protest match will fade as the Occupy Movement has faded, and nothing will have been accomplished except temporarily to overexcite fringe groups while some people will go on being second-class Americans and many PuertoRican Americans may have been imperiled.
Leaving shortly for Tallahassee, a beloved playing in a high school band at an American high school football game tonight. Stand to sing.
DThos+
Stand to sing
Kneel to pray
Americans in Puerto Rico may not have power indefinitely, while I’m inconvenienced this morning by a momentary flip that flashes the lights off with a bang and back on with a jerk, blanks the televisions, turns off the internet until I can get it restarted, and requires four clocks to be reset. Puerto Rico is an economic, cultural and geographic issue unto itself, but we don’t seem to realize that there are no second-class Americans.
But there are, aren’t there, there are, always have been second-class Americans, as a matter of fact, that’s what the Kaepernickian Kneel is about, being Untouchable in a land where all men are created equal but not treated so. I don’t Kneel: first and lifelong an American naval officer, in churches where I was in charge, I had the American flag removed partly due to the fact that we were there because of the cross not the flag, partly due to my own grievous fault that even as a priest, when the flag is present I cannot see the cross for the flag.
When I was a boy, if the national anthem came on radio in my grandfather Gentry’s home, everyone in the house stood; who did not stand stood quickly when caught by my grandfather’s eye. When I was a boy we acolytes carried in procession first the cross, then the American flag; my choice, when given, was to carry the flag, slanted out, staff held with right hand, flag held with left hand such that it draped properly, beautifully, and never touching floor or ground. I know this about myself. But I’m not alone. Once at a Navy change of command ceremony in San Diego, I saw a Navy captain break into tears as the color guard marched by, halted, and a band broke into the Star Spangled Banner.
The Kaepernickian Kneel is not what we seem to take it for, it’s an American right to protest that has chosen the most emotionally-charged possible symbol and moment to get attention: Star Spangled Banner, American flag rising to the crashing music of the national anthem.
It’s emotional, how we feel every time it’s played at the Olympic Games as the flag goes up in the center, marking yet another gold medal. More, how we feel when three American flags go up, for gold, silver, and bronze.
How I have felt hearing “cast off all lines” as my American warship was freed from the pier to the announcement, “Underway: shift colors.”
Yet, I’m on the Kaepernickian side for two reasons. First because they are correct, there are indeed second-class Americans and will be until some people have the guts to make the personal sacrifices required to get attention and action. In this case, competitive sports are dominated by people whose life experience is being second-class Americans regardless how obscene their pay, and in this country there is no more powerful symbol to center on for protest than the one they have chosen, flag and anthem.
Second and equally, I'm on the Kaepernickian side because every American has the right to protest, and no American has the right to choose what another American may choose to protest, nor, within the law, the actions or symbols used. Counterly, every American has the right to protest what other Americans are protesting. Sadly in the end, this protest match will fade as the Occupy Movement has faded, and nothing will have been accomplished except temporarily to overexcite fringe groups while some people will go on being second-class Americans and many PuertoRican Americans may have been imperiled.
Leaving shortly for Tallahassee, a beloved playing in a high school band at an American high school football game tonight. Stand to sing.
DThos+