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Taking The Right Stand By Not Standing

On Friday night, an NFL preseason game that would not have otherwise been of any great consequence played home to a silent political protest which has got the whole nation a-flutter.

San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick chose not to stand during the playing of the national anthem before the game.

In explanation, Kaepernick said,”I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

The last sentence is of course in reference to the numerous cases concerning the alleged use of excessive force by police officers in dealing with citizens of racial or ethnic minorities.

The 49ers made their stance quite clear in the immediate media wake of the event, releasing a statement which read, “The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pregame ceremony. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”

Quite frankly, that should be the end of the story.

Kaepernick expressed his constitutional right of free speech to silently protest for a stance that he believes in.

Unfortunately, as with most statements made in the name of racial or other hot-button questions, this was thrown out the window in the eyes of many who fell back on the out-dated notions of “national pride” and “patriotism”.

In just the last two days, there has been a mountain of criticism thrown onto the gesture.

The three arguments that have most often been made against Kaepernick’s actions are: un-American, disrespectful, and negative.

First, the use of ones constitutional rights is about as American as it gets.

The founding principle of this country is that every citizen has certain rights and freedoms which are universal (“unalienable rights”).

Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression, both covered by the First Amendment to the Constitution, are the exact rights Kaepernick is taking full advantage of here.

If a fan in the stadium for the same football game chose not to stand, nothing would be made of it. A figure in the public light has the exact same freedoms.

Secondly, a national flag or national anthem should not be respected by default. A country is nothing more than artificially-drawn lines built and altered as it suits the needs of people or environment.

A flag is nothing more than a piece of cloth which is marked with certain colors and patterns which are recognized as “representing” a particular country or region.

Respect for these ideas are not earned, but instead demanded and coerced by tradition and peer pressure.

It is not disrespectful, as there is no inherent respect which comes with the flag or anthem.

Furthermore, declining to stand for the anthem, or declining to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school, is not disrespectful to the service men and women who fought and died for this country.

Those soldiers and civilians gave their lives not to protect the rights of the many, or powerful, but to protect the rights of all citizens.

The disrespect here is insinuating that these sacrifices were made to promote your personal way of life.

Lastly, this idea that what Kaepernick did was “publicity stunt” or shines a poor light on those who Kaepernick is supporting (read: minorities) is dripping in white privilege.

It is easy for current and former players to deride Kaepernick’s actions when they are not personally affected by the circumstances which the man is protesting.

I have also heard someone say that Kaepernick “should be doing positive things”, in other words, that he should be working in his community to bring about positive change.

While this is a good thought, it does not take into account that this is not a problem restricted to a single community.

It is a national issue and deserves national attention.

This man is choosing to put his public persona and, perhaps, money on the line to defend his beliefs.

That is not “negativity”.

That is making a choice and living with the consequences of that choice.

Question: was it negative when NBA star Dwyane Wade appeared on a panel for ESPN’s The Undefeated to talk about gun violence in Chicago one day before his cousin was shot and killed by a stray bullet only a few blocks away?

Of course not.

Just as Wade witnessed first-hand the violence of the inner city growing up, so too has every person in this country borne witness to the very thing that Kaepernick was protesting.

In fact, it is imperative that people in the limelight, celebrities and the like, do their part in showing solidarity with those whose voices have so long and often have been shouted down.

They should do just as Kaepernick has done, use a gesture, whether in silent protest or in grandiose discourse to bring these issues to the forefront.

Personally, I hope that Kaepernick continues to observe his constitutional rights.

More than that, I hope that people come to understand that gestures like this are not made to get the media talking about the person who made the gesture, but instead about what that gesture represents.

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.

Cover Photo Credit: Mike Morbeck/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

Frisco Five Hunger Strike: What You Need To Know About This Growing Movement

By Alexandra Van Erven

Even though it didn’t make national headlines, something really important happened in San Francisco over the course of the last few weeks.

Major protests have rocked the Bay Area after five local activists endured a 17 day hunger strike in an effort to force out San Francisco’s police chief.

The chief in question, Greg Suhr was accused by the strikers of not being responsive to the concerns of members of minority communities after a series of police involved shootings.

The hunger strike ended last week after doctors implored the strikers to stop it for their own health and safety, but the movement to reform the city continues.

Last Monday, May 9, nearly 100 impassioned citizens of San Francisco took to the streets in front of City Hall, calling for the resignation of Suhr.

The protesters circled the city hall roughly a dozen and a half times, doing so for the protesters who had to make sacrifices such as not eating for nearly two and a half weeks.

“One for every day the hunger strikers did not have food in their bodies,” Benjamin Bac Sierra, one of the organizers said according to ABC 7 News.

The Frisco Five protesters had been at it for 17 days and had camped out in front of the Mission District police station, going days without food and without shopping in order to protest police brutality, killings, and racism.

Police also allegedly injured four journalists who were covering the protests, further escalating the situation:

These protests seem to be having some of the desired effects, with multiple sources claiming that San Francisco supervisors Jane Kim, David Campos, Eric Mar and John Avalos are all calling for Suhr to be replaced, therefore becoming the first San Francisco elected officials to do so.  

“Chief Greg Suhr has served San Francisco for over 30 years and we should thank him for that service,” Jane Kim said in a press release. “But even he must acknowledge that leading a culture shift in that department would be easier and faster if there was new leadership there.”

And the Mayor of San Francisco has called for more money to fund police reforms. However, the hunger strikers do not seem to feel like that is a real fix for the problems gripping the city: 

RISE NEWS will continue to monitor further developments as this story progresses. 

RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.

A Red Panda Is On The Loose In California

UPDATE: 11:43 PM EST

A red panda made a daring escape from a California zoo yesterday and is currently on the loose.

By daring, we mean it was probably exceedingly adorable.

The escape happened at the Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka, CA.

From the Los Angeles Times:

“Masala, a young, furry female panda, escaped her grassy riparian habitat Thursday and was last seen in the forest behind the park, sparking an intense search effort in the area, zoo and city officials said.

The panda posed no danger to the public, but city officials advised anyone who sees the cat-sized animal not to approach it or try to capture it.”

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Masala, the red panda on the loose. Photo Credit: Sequoia Park Zoo/ Facebook

Gretchen Ziegler, the zoo manager told The North Coast Journal that zoo employees were concerned for the safety of Masala.

“We have no idea how she got over the fence,” Ziegler told the North Coast Journal. “It’s contained red pandas since it was built. Animals can do things you can’t imagine. We’re going to try to figure it out.”

In a Facebook post late Friday morning, the zoo said that the local fire department was actively searching for the animal in the forest near the zoo and that she was seen around 3 AM local time near a Golf Course.”

If you live in the area and would like to volunteer to help find the panda, you can call Chelsa at the Foundation Office: 707-442-5649 x 203. The Zoo is planning to launch a large search party on Saturday morning.

WATCH: Red Pandas at Sequoia park zoo in 2010

Cover Photo Credit: Neil McIntosh/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)

James Franco Is Going To Teach A High School Acting Class

Hey kiddos, this is pretty cool.

James Franco, one of the most interesting and perplexing (really just another word for cool) actors of our generation has decided to give teaching high school kids his craft a shot.

Franco announced on his Instagram page that he would be teaching a course for high school aged students in Palo Alto, CA at Palo Alto Senior High School.

The actor is a 1996 graduate of the school and is looking to teach 24 students in the film workshop.

Franco is well known for his serious commitment to education. After all, how many Hollywood superstars have actually gone on to teach college level courses and pursue an Ph.D? 

According to the entertainment website Hello Giggles, Franco is used to being in a college classroom:

“Since 2006, he has attended UCLA, Columbia University, NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Brooklyn College, Warren Wilson College, Yale University, and the Rhode Island School of Design. He has studied filmmaking, English, creative writing (including poetry), and more.”

Would you want to be in Franco’s acting class? What do you think it would be like? Tell us in the comments below.

Cover Photo Credit: James Franco/Instagram

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