Last Friday, an American fencer went down to his knee during the national anthem at the Pan American Games in Peru. Race Imboden, from New York, said that it was not a time to stay silent and this was his opportunity to make a statement. Imboden sought to capitalize from this moment of attention on his Twitter after the event.
and a president who spreads hate are at the top of a long list.
I chose to sacrifie my moment today at the top of the podium to call attention to issues that I believe need to be addressed. I encourage others to please use your platforms for empowerment and change.— Race Imboden (@Race_Imboden) August 10, 2019
Imboden says we need a change. In contrast, he also said he was no longer proud of the US because of racism, gun control, immigration, and a President spreading hate. Typically, I would say that I am proud of our American athletes for showcasing their skill in these international competitions. Just like Imboden, I’m not proud…of him.
If you’ve followed my posts for any length of time, you’ve heard me talk about the need to get away from these types of political statements in sports. Ben Shapiro over at The Daily Wire says it well when he discusses how American’s need a way to come together without statements and politics. This used to be in sports or in movies, but we have lost this ability now.
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee denounced his actions stating that he acted outside of his agreement to refrain from political statements. I am thankful for the statements by USOPC to denounce the actions. Certainly, Imboden is entitled to his opinions, but the setting was not the appropriate one to make it.
I disagreed with a lot of what Obama did, but I didn’t take a knee whenever I heard the national anthem. I disagreed with the racism he promoted during the Trayvon Martin case and the Michael Brown case. I disagreed with Obamacare, the Iran Nuclear deal and the various bailouts. While I disagreed with his actions and politics, I never took a knee during a moment of national pride to protest.
So we’ve had the NFL players take this action, the US Women’s Soccer team and now a member of the US fencing team. In each instance, these people taking a knee is disrespectful and inappropriate during these moments of national pride. Sure, there are times that it is appropriate to take a knee, when it is respectful and reverent such as in a moment of prayer. In each of these instances, taking a knee was disrespectful and an embarrassment to our nation.
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