Against the Wind
Anyone who has ever done it consistently knows what a fantastic workout running stairs can be. Those sensitive to weather will tell you that a sunny day in Seattle is the perfect time for such an activity. It’s nice to run outside on a beautiful day with very little breeze and the temperature just right. At the same time, there is something exhilarating about voluntarily working up a sweat outside when the weather is less than ideal. Running stairs, especially in bad weather, has a way of testing you physically and mentally. One’s character is often molded on cold, dark, and stormy days spent fighting the elements when the rest of the world has the good sense to remain indoors.
Some people—not necessarily by virtue of their own choice—lead their life seemingly in perpetual combat with the world around them, as if they are constantly running uphill and against the wind. This, for example, is what it means to be a person of color in a racist society; you are traveling against the wind. I imagine this is part of what it means to be a Muslim immigrant at a time when a narcissistic and ignorant blowhard is President of the United States. In these unsettling and often infuriating times, the “controversies” surrounding the national anthem highlight the strong wind of oppression that has always permeated this nation in the form of white supremacy masquerading as blind and narrow-minded patriotism.
NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick created a huge stir because he decided to kneel during the anthem last season and a number of athletes, young and old, followed his action. Needless to say the response exemplified the systematic bigotry of the American story. Some prominent individuals even labeled Kaepernick as “an embarrassment to the league” for his stance. The ramifications have also been felt in other organizations. Recently, the United States Soccer Federation has written a rule saying that all personnel representing the Federation must stand respectfully during the playing of the song. During this NFL off-season, Kaepernick has released a statement saying he will stand next season, which has brought yet another round of interesting comments and accusations his way. The fact that many of these critics wouldn’t think of doing a tenth of what Kaepernick has done to create change just speaks to how easy it is to be an unreflective judge.
Lasting change is hard to make in part because of the myth of the perfect change agent. In the midst of some idiotic criticisms of Kaepernick is an interesting point that warrants exploration. The fact that Mr. Kaepernick doesn’t vote is troubling because the ballot box is an important vehicle for creating policies that affect lives. Personally, I wish he would cast his vote and push others to do the same. That being said, I don’t believe his failure to take part in the voting process makes all of his efforts irrelevant. That is an extremely narrow view of what constitutes a positive change agent. There are certainly other ways to make an impact in society and with his time, money, and fame, Colin Kaepernick has done and is still doing more to combat social inequality than a lot of registered voters do in their entire lives.
History shows us very clearly that when a society is faced with those who run against the wind, against the popular narrative, every attempt is made to discredit them by highlighting their flaws rather than dealing squarely with the validity of their social critique. When it comes to American history, there are many people from different backgrounds who have challenged the very essence of this nation. These individuals have drawn public scorn and hatred because they refuse to comply with the "proper" story of America. Kaepernick is just the latest in a long line of people who have dared to run against the wind from a prominent platform. His decision to kneel during the anthem wasn’t simply because he didn’t like the song. It was about poking through the empire’s armor to expose the injustices that have always been here.
To be perfectly clear, the anthem itself is exclusionary; it doesn’t represent all of the people in America and it never has. It represents a whitewashing of history that covers up seemingly inconvenient truths. Contrary to what many young school children learn, the founders of this country are among the descendants of people who came here because they weren’t making it in their native land. They were refugees in every sense of the word and they came because they wanted a better life for themselves, not because they wanted to establish a land of liberty for the entire human race. Once they arrived on these shores, they fought and stole in accordance with their ‘divine’ right to take ownership of a previously inhabited land. In order to establish their civilization they used the bodies of Africans—as well as poorer and more undesirable Europeans—to produce wealth for themselves and capital for their divine project. This is how these United States of America were conceived in violence, blood, and sweat for the benefit of a ‘chosen’ few.
The Star Spangled Banner was written by a white supremacist celebrating that American colonists were holding their own against British troops and the enslaved Africans who dared to fight on the other side. Why should any American, who says they value freedom and justice for all, stand in observance of such a song? One of the things we are apparently terrified to wrestle with in this country is the lie that somehow the lessons of history magically vanish on their own after a period of time. Those who bring up the violent and oppressive origins of the nation are constantly being admonished for ‘living in the past’ or for failing to understand that people and things change over time.
Simply because something occurred in the past doesn’t mean that the ramifications are not felt many years and generations later. After all, it’s not really a good argument to say something is buried in the past when it is recalled everyday in the form of a song or a pledge. The anthem celebrates a version of this country’s history that ignores who the colonists really were and what their relationship was to blacks and indigenous Americans. The part of the song that we sing erases the fact that African slaves weren’t included in the grand design of glorious and ‘exceptional’ American democracy. It is a tune made for one purpose and one purpose only: to comfort and celebrate a very narrow group of white people. It pays homage to their triumph in creating a space over which they had complete control. The winds of white supremacy are strong, regardless of how benign they might appear through various art forms.
During a battle with Britain, Francis Scott Key was so proud to see the flag still waving that he penned four stanzas dedicated to the land of the free and the home of the brave. Some of the same people who are so quick to pounce on others for not observing the national anthem don’t even know what the entire thing says! That’s not only blind patriotism; it’s sick and twisted logic. It’s irresponsible and extremely offensive to expect people to stand in observance of a song that glorifies their slavery and death.
http://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/pdf/ssb_lyrics.pdf
When the anthem was written, black slaves were recruited and were running away from their colonial masters to fight for the British because the latter offered them freedom. Honestly, who could blame them? They were sick of living their brutal lives running uphill against the wind. In the third stanza of The Star Spangled Banner, Francis Scott Key celebrates the demise of slaves.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a Country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
So who are the “free” and the “brave” that he’s swooning over? No refuge could save the hireling and slave. Clearly the “free” and the “brave” are not a reference to the blacks dying as perpetual pawns in a white man’s war. He wasn’t talking about indigenous people whose land was stolen to create the desired space for this divine cause. And this is the song and the history that we’re all supposed to be proud of as Americans? This is a testament to our common denominator? No. Let’s change the damn song. If it didn't mean anything to the black members of the United States at the time that it was written, then why would it mean anything to their descendants now?
“But my Grandfather fought for this country and when you disrespect the anthem or flag it’s like slapping him in the face!” This is one of the most common refrains to why the current anthem is important. To this point I simply say this. We need to STOP using military service as a shield for social degradation and injustice. There are countless individuals—some honorable and some not—who have served the country in many different capacities, but that doesn’t change the fact that this union was built on the back of white supremacy, genocide, and slavery. American slavery—exemplified by the total control and abuse of black bodies—was the social and economic engine driving the nation on its way to become a global superpower. Every person who has ever suited up to fight for this country has done so for an empire that has the blood and tears of its own children on its hands. In far too many cases our military power has been used as a terrible hurricane of destruction and imperialism, not a force for justice and freedom.
To create a better society, we have to be able to tell the truth about everything, including who serves in the armed forces and what we have them do in the world. The strong winds of patriotism and military pride are often just a cover for something else. When we fail to adequately address critiques of the status quo, we do so at our own peril. The degree to which future generations will enjoy a more equitable and just society depends on our ability to deal with our shortcomings and how we choose to represent ourselves. It’s easy to get mad at Colin Kaepernick for not voting. It’s even easier to go along with the desire to invalidate everything he has been vocal about because he is not perfect. But this is precisely where we need to grow up. People are imperfect, including those who have the audacity to run against the wind. However, it doesn’t mean that we can’t learn something from them and it doesn’t necessarily mean their critique is worthless. It just means that humans are complex and fighting against large systems is hard, mostly because it can be an extremely lonely and risky venture.
Let me end with this. I love this country and it has shown the ability, through the courage of its people, to improve and evolve. Yet, we still have a long way to go. Oppressive systems survive by tearing down those who rise against them. These attacks are often in the form of the lies we tell with the words we choose. The lies shield us from looking at our history and the forces that have created the country we live in. What I hope we realize, sooner rather than later, is the fundamental abuse of demanding people to believe and pay respects to something that is utterly false. It doesn’t matter how rosy the lie is or how beautiful it sounds, if we don't face it then we can’t overcome it. Thankfully, some people choose to run against the wind. Some people choose to run uphill. Others have no choice except to live in perpetual combat because their story and their very presence is perceived as a threat. Who stands and sings for them?
