Baltimore Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson would struggle to kneel or stand on a football field (Watson tore his Achilles in a preseason game against the Detroit Lions), but if he could, he would choose to stand during the national anthem.
Watson, an African-American man, wrote a passionate column on his Facebook page on why he would stand for the anthem.
The statement came following the actions by San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has opted to sit or kneel during the national anthem as a sign of protest against racial injustice in the United States.
In an excerpt from Watson’s column:
“I stand, however, because I grew up in NAVY town USA and traveled overseas to support members of our armed forces who follow orders regardless of their personal sentiments. I stand for those who were forced to give their lives building the country that confined them to the tobacco fields and indigo plantations. I stand because as a child, I saw my father stand. A man who lived the tumultuous transition from “separate but equal” to the times surrounding the Civil Rights Act when angry people who held signs at his new school viciously screamed “(Redacted) GO HOME!” I stand because on the contrary, no one held such a sign when I walked into my grade school.”
Watson has a history of being a vocal and passionate civil rights activist. The author of “Under Our Skin: Getting Real About Race — And Getting Free From the Fears and Frustrations That Divide Us,” a book examining both sides of the race debate in America and providing hope on how to stop racial injustice, frequently takes to social media to offer his viewpoints, from the racial riots in Ferguson, Missouri, to the terrorist attacks in Paris just last year.
His column recognizes America’s flaws. Watson pens that the growing imbalance of viewpoints of racial justice, abortion, religious freedom and violence is a great concern of his and America. But Watson’s patriotism trumps his internal beliefs.
Watson still made one thing very clear: He may not agree with Kaepernick’s method of protest, but it’s important to recognize Kaepernick’s message behind the protest. More from Watson:
“I stand, because this mixed bag of evil and good is MY home. And because it’s MY home my standing is a pledge to continue the fight against all injustice and preserve the greatest attributes of the country, including Colin Kaepernick’s right to kneel.
“His actions and similar actions by figures of the past and present are a vital part of our journey and a key component of the equation for social change and should be respected as such. From the country’s inception, such displays against the status quo are distinctly American. My hope, though, is that these actions bring more attention to the PROBLEM than to the PROTESTOR. And that ensuing dialog discover truth and that truth give birth to justice in legitimate situations where there is none. My hope is that in this time of toil and discord we collectively use our positions in public and private life to take responsibility for our role and collectively seek solutions, not because we HAVE to but because we CARE to.
“Sometimes listening is of greater value than speaking. As elusive an aspiration as it may be, our goal, especially in the arena of race, should continue to be to create an America where eventually everyone can, in good conscience, stand. No matter the historical context or the present circumstance that is the unity I, perhaps naively, imagine when I see our flag and listen to our anthem.”
Several athletes have joined Kaepernick in protest, including US Women’s soccer player Megan Rapinoe. Other notable people in sports, including World Cup of Hockey’s Team USA coach John Tortorella, have vocally taken a stand against Kaepernick’s protest.
• Tommy Chalk can be reached at tchalk@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.