Sunday, October 9, 2016

    The article, Protests push all of us to face dilemma of racial injustice , describes how NFL star Colin Kaepernick's protest of the national anthem allows American's to realize the racial injustices non-white people continue to face everyday. During the national anthem, Kaepernick chooses to take a knee as protest of the violation of rights towards people of color, and also speaks out about the issue as much as possible. This protest has caused a huge stir; many people support his right to do this while others go as far as sending him death threats for expressing his right to freedom of speech.
    Tim Wendel, author of the article, wrote in favor of Kaepernick's actions. His shocking headline catches the attention of anyone aware of Kaepernick's protest, as well as those who have not heard. Wendel does not stall, and begins his article immediately giving examples of those in support of Kaepernick. He gives quotes from multiple sports coaches who approve of Kaepernick's actions, then gives examples of other athletes of color who have spoken out about racial discrimination.  He then delves into the history of athletes using their fame to shed light on racism. By using this technique, Wendel gives a compelling argument. Those who do not understand the importance of Kaepernick's actions or the right's he has to do so can read this article and understand a new perspective. They will be educated and most likely persuaded. Unfortunately, however, this article will not persuade racists who hate Kaepernick because racism is an ignorance often chosen to be ignored. No matter how compelling an argument, and ignorant racist will not be able to comprehend because they have suppressed their institutionalized racism without realizing it and will ironically view logical arguments as ignorant.
    Wendel's article is informative and persuasive to those unsure of the impact of Kaepernick's protest, however it is hard to say how successful this article is at persuading racist people to stop viewing protest through white-colored lenses.

No comments:

Post a Comment