Arizona police officer and former ASU football player Brandon Tatum delivers a powerful rebuttal to NFL players kneeling during the national Anthem as a form of protest.
Tatum starts out by saying, “It’s not about the act of protesting, it’s not about the act of believing in something and pursuing it, it’s the way you’re doing it. I don’t know how many times people have to say this. Listen, what does the American flag have to do with your perceived oppression? What does the National Anthem have to do with the issues these people are bringing up?”
The key phrase in the above statement is the “perceived oppression” that the NFL kneelers are supposedly protesting. I can’t help but imagine that the vast majority of working class Americans have little sympathy for millionaire sports players crying about oppression and America’s “injustice”. Tatum continues:
“The flag and the National Anthem have nothing to do with what you’re talking about. You’re talking about an anthem of hope and unity within this country that have made people become great, that have made the poor become rich and give people opportunities. You’re talking about a flag that represents hard work, dedication, blood sweat and tears. Sacrifice.”
The NFL has tried to make these protests about “unity” and the “right to free speech”, yet every single protest has centered around the time the National Anthem is played, when players would typically be starring at the American flag out of respect for the opportunities this nation has given them.