Patriotism Vs. Racism

Susanna Leighton — September 1, 2016

Tomi Lahren; image courtesy of www.rawstory.com

Tomi Lahren, conservative host of Tomi for The Blaze, has crossed the line. Desperate to reach the ranks of anchor in a hopeful attempt to replace Megyn Kelly (who dared anger Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump by asking, you know, questions) on Fox News, she went on a tirade about San Francisco’s NFL 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s conscious choice to remain seated during the National Anthem. Her rant went viral. As ridiculous as it is to claim Fox News reports anything resembling actual “news,” the network is still quite popular with the conservative right. Facts; who needs them so long as people can still get their daily fix of misogyny, racism and hate, am I right?

In the video, Ms. Lahren stated, among other deplorable things, that Kaepernick’s adoptive white parents raised him because his biological parents (he was born to a white mother and black father) weren’t “willing to.” She also said, “When will those in black communities take a step back and take some responsi-damn-bility for the problems in black communities? Because it seems to me, blaming white people for all your problems might make you the racist.” She told him to leave the country if he hated it so much because there were others who would gladly take his place, while also making sure to mention Kaepernick was “half-white.” Also included (as it always seems to be) was how disrespectful his actions were to the United States military.

Wait, what?

The whole point of the US military is to protect and preserve the freedom of Americans. ALL Americans. This includes people of color, which it seems Ms. Lahren has trouble comprehending. Kaepernick refusing to stand during the Anthem is not disrespectful to the military. On the contrary, it shows more support for their sacrifice and service for the job they do to ensure each of us maintains our equal human rights; the very basis on which this country was founded. Kaepernick made this abundantly clear when speaking about his refusal to stand for the National Anthem, as did 16-year-old gymnast Gabby Douglas when she refused to put her hand over her heart during the Star Spangled Banner.

Colin Kaepernick; image courtesy of www.chatsports.com

Kaepernick eloquently explained his decision to stay seated (and why he will continue to do so) saying, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder. I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country. I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone. That’s not happening. People are dying in vain because this country isn’t holding their end of the bargain up.” I couldn’t have said it better.

As I’ve mentioned before, hate speech is not the same as free speech and it NEVER.WILL.BE. Why is it alright for Donald Trump to run a Presidential campaign whose slogan is “Make America Great Again,” but people of color are not allowed to say the same? What Trump REALLY means, by all documented accounts, is he wants to make America WHITE again. Guess what? It never was. In addition to the fact Native Americans were brutally stripped of their homeland by a bunch of parasitic, privileged white men, this nation has always been a melting pot of various cultures, religions and yes, even skin tones. When racist bigots get offended by the actions of people like Douglas and Kaepernick, their go-to line is typically, “Go back to Africa where you came from!” Have we completely forgotten the slave trade? That blacks were brought to America against their will to work for those who were too lazy to do the work themselves, though plenty willing to reap the social and monetary benefits of it?

Newsflash: every human being on Earth is originally from Africa. Look it up.

Shame on you, Tomi Lahren. Next time you decide to open your filthy mouth, make sure to wash it out with soap first. Whether you did this for the sake of going viral or because you actually believe in the rot you spewed, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Oh wait, I forgot. This doesn’t apply to you because it’s just another attempt by the “liberal media” to try and steer us away from the real issue. That issue being that people of color aren’t entitled to same rights as white people.

Did I get that right?