#TakeAKnee is a beautiful thing, all around. Both the football and baseball players kneeling during the national anthem, and those criticizing the players, are all exercising their First Amendment rights. The government cannot fine or jail anyone either for taking a knee in protest of police brutality against people of color or for denouncing Take A Knee as disrespectful to the flag and our military. Our President is also empowered to express his opinions on the matter – as government speech – so long as his government does not threaten to jail or fine anyone participating in the protest movement started by former quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
The Take A Knee movement demonstrates why the First Amendment distributes power the way it does – preventing only government suppression of speech and allowing even a powerful entity like the NFL to suppress speech. However, the movement also shows why one of its rallying cries, unity, is somewhat misplaced. Indeed, what our free speech culture allows for is a diversity of opinions and approaches, even while we build community.
Continue reading “#TakeAKnee, Unity, and Public Versus Private Power”