The first step to fixing a problem is to first admit that there is one. A lot of the police departments in this country seem to not want to do that. So many of the politicians in this country seem to not want to do that. Many citizens in this country seem to not want to do that. We're just walking around with blinders on like the Netflix movie, "Bird Box".
We just keep walking around aimlessly as if nothing is going on. "Nope. No racism here!"
Now the NBA players are boycotting. I'm not sure what their endgame is, but I stand behind them exercising their right to peacefully protest. Anything that raises awareness to people of color being fed up with status quo is just fine with me.
What was the final straw that prompted this boycott? A knuckle-headed teen shot and killed two people last night because he wanted to be a cop. How telling is that? And when the cops were responding to the scene, they drove right past the 17-year old, rifle-toting white kid with his hands held up in the air. Drove right past him! Why? Because evidently he didn't appear to be a threat to them. But a 12 year old black kid named Tamir Rice was shot and killed seconds after police arrived on the scene of a playground where he was playing with a toy gun. And Tamir, unfortunately, is just one of many examples.
Racism is real. White Privilege is real. Racial biases are real.
I read an article today about how a Chick-fil-A restaurant in the UK will be shutting down after its 6 months lease is up. It's their very first location there and I'm unsure of if there will be others any time soon.
The restaurant opened in early October 2019 and has faced heat from an LGBTQ rights group calling out CFA for its previous financial support of anti-LGBTQ groups like The Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Paul Anderson Youth Home. The pressure was great enough to get the Oracle Shopping Center to not renew its lease with CFA.
CFA faces scrutiny on a regular basis from LGBTQ groups for their previous actions yet they are still the 3rd largest U.S. restaurant when it comes to sales. They're just behind Starbucks and McDonald's.
Will it hurt a company that has earned billions or will it hurt those who lose their jobs when the company closes?
CFA gets over 20,000 inquires per year from franchise candidates. They open 70-80 new restaurants annually. Those restaurants bring jobs and tax money to the communities they service.
How people handle discrimination is completely their prerogative as long as it's legal. I'm just playing devil's advocate here and I have two questions because I want to know how people feel about this:
Who does the boycott really hurt? The huge company or its employees? Are you anti-LGBTQ if you patronize or work at Chick-fil-A?
Okay, so we've all been hearing about the controversy behind Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the National Anthem last season. It's been discussed for a year now, but it's reared its ugly head once again because a new season is about to start.
For those who have been living under a rock, let me explain what's been happening over the past 365 days or so. Kaep, who was a member of the San Francisco 49ers at the time, decided to take a stand against police brutality. Unlike most athletes these days, Kaep decided to use his platform as an NFL player to raise awareness to his cause. He said that he would take a knee during the National Anthem until this country took a stand against the treatment of black and brown people by the police.
The response from the media? "Colin Kaepernick hates the troops!"
Of course, that same rhetoric came from the fans as well (since we take instruction from the media on where and how to direct our outrage). Fans said that Kaep was disrespecting the veterans because he would not stand for the Star Spangled Banner. Rarely was police brutality mentioned at all during the many weeks and months of this controversy. It's been Kaep vs. the USA. The whole message of police brutality was lost thanks to the media's spin.
Well, now that the controversy is a hot topic again, thanks to a new season kicking off, I started receiving a video link on Facebook about boycotting the NFL. You may have seen it, but if you haven't, then peep it here:
First, I want to applaud the people who put together the video. Any time black people get together to do something positive, then I'm all for it... in most cases. This one, I still can't get with the message.
The focus of this video, to me, is that once Kaep gets his job back, then everything is good. No, it's not. The message has been lost again. Boycotting the NFL to get Kaep's job back will not fix police brutality against black and brown people in this country. Does the NFL need to be brought down a peg? Absolutely. These 32 "owners" are undoubtedly blackballing a player who could contribute to just about all of the teams in the league. But not watching games won't hurt anyone other than the TV stations, who may lose some ratings.
The best way to boycott the NFL is to boycott their sponsors directly. That's what happened with Michael Vick. People boycotted his sponsors and they dumped him faster than you can say "Hector 'Macho' Camacho".
Do you think Budweiser cares if you don't watch an NFL game as long as you're getting a six pack on your way home? Do you think Nike cares if you're watching Kaep play as long as you keep buying their apparel? No, they won't. Because they would still be getting your money.
And would you stop your son from watching the games, too? Especially if he is an up and coming star looking to play in the NFL some day?
Don't get me wrong. So much has to be done to right a lot of wrongs in this country. But, our approach will determine if it works or not. Keep boycotting and not voting and you won't see very much change. Be mindful of where you spend your money if you want to promote change.
In fact, encouraging the players to do more is the best route to go. If 70% of the NFL is made up of black players, then wouldn't that be the best place to start? No players, no games? If it worked for the University of Missouri's football team, then it can work for the NFL players, too.
So, will I "black out" the NFL games this season? Nope. I will watch like I always do. Will I buy a Budweiser, Nikes, Gatorade, or something else that sponsors the NFL? Nope. And I don't think that you should either.
Consumer sponsorship boycotting is the way to go. History agrees with me.
