Why So Serious? Another Day, Another Hot Topic!

Another Day, Another Hot Topic

           

            There is one thing that continually hampers the Trump administration and as a result hampers the unification of the nation.  President Trump never maintains his stride. When things are going good, they don’t stay good.  He always seems to wander into a hotbed of social controversies where none seem to exist or are not truly offensive.  And the president's behavior takes a negative tone.  

One place that a president typically avoids is the world of sports.  Presidents often honor winning teams, go to sporting events, flip the coin, and throw out the first pitch but traditionally leave things alone.  They know Americans love their sports and that sports fans are both Republicans and Democrats.  Voter conscious presidents don’t want to offend potential supporters and they know that the politics of sports should be left to the other branches of government.

Yet, the world of sports has never been devoid of politics and now is no different.  Politics have played a role in the Olympic games, professional and collegiate soccer, tennis, and golf as well as MLB, the NHL, the NBA and the NFL. However, in the current climate everything uttered in relation to sports and politics, whether it is a single comment, a graphic, tweet, or conversation is controversial.

            Last season, several athletes following the lead of Colin Kaepernick protested about social conditions in the United States by not standing but kneeling during the national anthem.  And those protests have continued and found their way into most American sports and sports arenas. This summer, for example, some fans hoisted a banner at Fenway Park during a Red Sox game that stated: “Racism is as American as Baseball”.  Shortly after it was noticed, the fans were ejected.  And more recently, ESPN’s Jemele Hill used her private Twitter account and in the course of her conversations called the president “a white supremacist.” 

I am not going to debate the merits of the Kaepernick protest, the fans’ banner, Hill’s assertions, or the ensuing controversies because that presents a no-win scenario.  In the era of social media, people believe that they have the right to say anything on any medium, and in many cases companies feel that they have the right to discipline workers if the worker’s social media comments adversely affect the company. 

However, these recent stories have some interesting twists and lead to interesting analysis.  In the case of the baseball banner, many fans, in particular, and people, in general, see Boston as a racist town.  The Red Sox were the last team to integrate, and fans often envisioned the Celtics as an all-white team, even in the era of Bill Russell.  Baby Boomers will recall the language and violence associated with school busing protests in and around Boston during the 1970s.[1] And despite negative events in other cities, the legend of Boston as a racist town persists.

Similarly, Hill is not the first, nor the last, to call the president or a president a racist or white supremacist. This notion surrounding Donald Trump has been present for some time and it has also had a strong connection with the Baby Boomer generation.[2] So, why so serious?  Why are we so disturbed by Hill’s comments since many more prominent Americans were offering similar comments in the press and as well as on Twitter and other forms of social media?

Regretfully, this takes us back to the president and his stride. It is equally interesting because Trump's behavior affects his stride.  His use of Twitter is illustrative. When he is going well, his use of Twitter is positive, but when something seems wrong he has tweeting spasms [3] and says negative things about other Americans and some international figures.[4]  Tweeting can get people in trouble, but in America we have free speech.  The rights of all must be honored equally.  And some negativity, especially via Twitter, should be ignored.
Yet, the White House, through Ms. Huckabee Sanders, the President’s Press Secretary, suggested that Ms. Hill be fired.  I’m not sure which comment (Sander's words or Hill's tweets) infuriated more people, but it (sports and sports journalism) is the place where presidents should not tread.  The president was recovering from the negative events at Charlottesville and was attempting to stand tall against North Korea before this banter enveloped him.  Almost instantly, he struck back.  Shortly afterwards, he lost his stride.  And it has not come back!

Days later, without provocation, President Trump attacked NFL players for not standing for the national anthem.  He ignored their purpose of speaking out against police brutality and the shootings of unarmed black males, and turned it into a crisis of not supporting the troops, first responders and the flag.  Mr. Trump also uninvited Steph Curry to visit the White House if an invitation was extended to the Golden State Warriors for winning the NBA championship.  The president, in very colorful language, also demanded that players who refused to stand should be fired. In response, the following Sunday, more players took a knee before or during the anthem, LeBron James criticized the president and called him a “bum”, and several champion college teams voted to not go to the White House for ceremonial congratulations.

The president wisely said nothing about the college students and their white coaches.  Instead, he praised NASCAR drivers and NHL players for standing for the flag. [It should be noted that there are very few black NHL players and most are Canadian not Americans.  In contrast, there are only a handful of non-white NASCAR drivers and it is a required NASCAR policy to stand for the flag.  (Similarly, many remember the association of NASCAR with the Confederate flag, so it might be seen as a somewhat regional sport.)]  A week later, the president was still calling for owners to fire players that did not stand. Though the commissioner, players and owners met, the NFL players still had the right to protest. 
By continuing his call to fire the athletes, Ms. Hill’s statement gained greater acceptance. President Trump did seem to be insensitive to the issues that African American players were protesting. Yet, in the ensuing storm, the president turned the situation into a national debate and then skillfully aligned the protests with declining NFL television ratings. In essence, he split numerous issues and then pitted the African American community against the white community, liberals against conservatives, and those who are rabid patriots against those who are less so.

This practice of "doubling down and expanding the conversation” should not be a daily exercise.  It's extensive use is an unending mess, but it is just part of a larger “crisis.” As a result of this tactic, Americans are being tested on a daily basis largely because the president fuels contentious conversations.  His use of Twitter and the position of the White House Press Secretary turns countless conversations over minor events into major ones.  And the result is that all of the air is sucked up into the Trump-sphere!  We spend every day talking about Trump and his behavior, not solutions to problems like health care, tax reform, trade deals, Iran and North Korea. 

Is this a strategic diversion or the inability to stay on task? Does the president want us to talk about him and fight each other? Or is he trying to establish new standards and values?  But why use sports, a centerpiece of American life, to fight the culture wars?

So, please don’t misunderstand what I am saying.  I’m not saying that Americans are or are not employing double standards, and that action should or should not be taken, but I am asking why do we want action taken at some point and not at others?  I am asking why we don't demand better of our elected officials and ourselves?

A few weeks ago, many Americans were calling for the president to resign because he did not recognize a moral equivalency.  And now we are equally outraged by acts by somewhat insignificant figures!  Are you serious? And is the knelling of players going to stop you from watching the NFL? Will Ms. Hill's tweets stop you from watching football on ESPN? (Maybe you won't watch her show, but the NFL is another matter.  If you love the game, I sincerely hope not!)  Instead, it should draw your attention to the issues for judgement rather than ignoring the problem!

Consider this example: we live in a society where if I speak out about "police brutality against African Americans", someone counters with a comment about "Black on Black Crime".  Why?  They are two important issues, but I’m only talking about one right now, so why do you want to change the conversation?  And then if I speak about "gun control" in relationship to some mass-shooting, why do you still want to talk about "Black on Black Crime"!  What is that about?

Our behaviors, not those of the protestors or tweeters, gives license to others embracing social protesting as a way to get our attention and to make points about the ills of America.  It happens on both the left and the right.  However, instead of discussing the message, most Americans often choose to punish the messenger for bringing a situation to a larger audience.  Hence, societal division continues!

"Why So Serious?” was spoken by the Joker in the Dark Knight Trilogy.  And if you look at it deeply, you might see its true significance.  The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s Batman was a terrorist.  Yet his brand of terrorism was anarchy.  He pitted people of all stripes against each other.  One of the best scenes in the movie is when he had two opposing ferry boats deciding who should live or die.  In reality, Nolan was foreshadowing America in 2017, not President Bush’s War on Terrorism in 2008. For this nation to survive, just like for the people on the boats to survive, we have to trust each other. 

Given our levels of daily frustration, it is necessary to discuss the ways in which we, the public, frame our conversations about these current events.  How are we going to learn how to survive?

I feel that the so-called American divide is manipulated by a spirit of anti-intellectualism and cultural ignorance.  On virtually every level, older Americans, those over 18, have discarded the key elements of discourse learned in elementary school. Between the third and sixth grades, most American students learn about other cultures within and outside of our nation. Our students are exposed to race, nationality, and culture, and they systematically learn how these variables have contributed to making the United States an exceptional nation. Children are taught that we have to work together to make the nation even better.  They are conditioned to appreciate difference.

In contrast adults are refusing to appreciate difference and are demanding the right to argue for a singular mindset. For many, there is only one interpretation of everything, and any other viewpoint is wrong.  However, in reality, this is impossible because words matter, and every word, whether printed or spoken, is subject to interpretation.  For democracy to exist, there must be respectable conversation!

It’s been suggested that we live in an era of public outrage culture.[5]  Regardless of the comment, a group has to declare moral outrage and demand retribution.  The simple answer to that frame of mind is: well yes, but no!  You have the right to be outraged, but you don’t have the right to demand retribution.  Free speech is protected by the Constitution, but free speech does not mean that your statements are correct, nor that they should be accepted by the mainstream!

A recent incident in New Jersey can highlight this point.  A high school teacher interrupted a sidebar conversation in her class by silencing them and telling them that “Men and women are fighting. They are not fighting for your right to speak Spanish.  They are fighting for their right to speak American.”[6]  What should have been a simple response has turned into a major controversy with numerous sides calling students, teachers and administrators racists.  Students subsequently walked out of school, a student protest began, the Board of Education met, and three days later, 37 students have been suspended.

Yes, the teacher had the right to criticize and address the students, but she needs to realize that her comments could have easily been interpreted as demanding retribution.  We are trying to teach cultural diversity and cultural sensitivity, and one of our own educators failed the test!  Clearly this situation had nothing to do with the armed services and the contributions of people to the fight for freedom.  It should have been about disrupting the class with side chatter.  Discipline, of some type, was appropriate. 

Unfortunately, the situation, as currently portrayed, has become a story of former Italian American enclaves being overtaken by rapidly increasing Latino populations, and the resentment displayed by white educators towards different racial and cultural student populations.[7]  Because the media is fixated on what will happen to the teacher and because the Board of Education is silent, the attention has been turned to the students.  And they have plenty to say, and most of it is not good. Their voices have been ignored and they spoke of their disenfranchisement.  So rather than resolving the situation, the conversation lingers and resentment grows.

This also is true with the crisis in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. There is more attention devoted to challenging the authority of Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz and her view of a dire situation rather than addressing levels of inactivity in repairing the damage and restoring required life sustaining services throughout the island. We are missing the real issues because some are demanding retribution as a means of personal satisfaction for what they are perceiving as an attack on the president.  However, the president is neither the hero or goat in this story.  He just needs to do his job! He is charged with a task and his sole goal is to fulfill it by helping American citizens.  We, and he, should expect both positive and negative criticism of his actions.

Why so serious has become deadly serious!  Sadly, we see this every day. That is, simple issues turning into major conflicts.  And, it is largely due to disrespecting other's opinions, providing false information, and creating mountains out of ant hills.  The next crisis is waiting to happen and some event like, the loss of four soldiers in Niger and the president’s response to his messages of condolences to Gold Star families, will persist for days into weeks and transition into multiple points of disagreement.  Often, these issues could be resolved with the use of additional language including, “I am sorry”, “I misunderstood”, “let me correct my statement”, “perhaps you misunderstood my intentions”, “I apologize”, “let’s talk more”, or even, “I guess we can agree to disagree.”

However, that is not what is happening.  Perhaps many Americans need to look at their school books before they speak. We need to use verifiable sources to support our arguments, we need to be polite, and not just speak off the cuff.  Instead, the outrage culture has encouraged numerous citizens to defend the image of the nation, conservatives, the president, as well as other influential figures in any imagined manner.

So, it is pretty obvious that these micro-aggressive actions disguised as commentary are going to continue.  Starting with the president but extending through his administration and into Congress and the media we will be bombarded with daily situations that explode into outrageous incidents.  And we should expect many of them to have racial overtones.

But let us keep in mind that there is a difference in the outrage over a Richard Spencer statement than a Donald Trump statement.  And we need to acknowledge the difference.  Both are entitled to free speech, but perhaps we should only pay attention to the one who is the "President of the United States."

President Trump's allies have tried to demonstrate that he is neither a racist nor white supremacist. [8]  Yet, as this pattern of attacks continue, that quest is failing.  His initial comments to Ms. Hill’s tweet are illustrative.  President Trump tweeted: “ESPN is paying a really big price for its politics (and bad programming). People are dumping it in RECORD numbers. Apologize for untruth!”[9] However, his response should have been silence.  The president does not need to give an ESPN anchor the time of day.  Ms. Hill has a right to her opinion, but the president should not feel threatened and have the need to get retribution!  He is not her boss and our views about the president are not going to be changed by a sports journalist.

Vice President Pence should not have left the Colts-49ers game when some players did not stand.  So, why so serious?  Wasn't he there to honor Peyton Manning?  So his decision to leave was perceived more as a stunt than a counter-protesting reaction.  And he missed honoring Peyton and it cost the tax payers nearly $200,000.  (The former governor did not have a ton of support.  Lots of fans did not follow him from the stands! They were not there for politics.  They were there to honor their hero and see their team win.) 

Similarly, Chief of Staff Kelly, should have not felt compelled to attack Rep. Wilson for her criticism of President Trump’s remarks to Sgt. Johnson’s widow.  In the process, General Kelly has created another controversy where the press is actively demonstrating that his comments were incorrect. Now it appears that he lied or misspoke in his defense of the president.  However, in these cases, our views are going to change.  Distrust of the administration will become more polarized.

In an educated society, the officials would be able to do the right things and the public would appreciate them.  An educated society should appreciate difference and degrees of disapproval.  It would be aware of the growing sentiments that the sources of critical commentary are directed at women and people of color.  That this society is becoming increasingly sexist and racist.  That civility is disappearing and political correctness is gone. That this constitutes grounds for change.  But, unfortunately, we don’t live in that society.

Our society is filled with confused people connecting dots where dots do not exist and being angry with each other over trivial issues.  And when the issues become more heated the same levels of anger re-emerge.  Our society is filled with bitter, angry, and disenchanted citizens who refuse to work things out in a civil manner.  Our society is letting itself be torn apart.  And the administration is contributing to the divide because the behavior of the president tends to be caustic when his perception of progress stalls. 

Tomorrow, and on subsequent Sunday afternoons, NFL players are going to take a knee during the playing of the anthem.  Some will continue to do so until the league makes them stop.  Some may do it solely in defiance of the president.  Conversely, fans will boo them largely because of the president's comments.  And the fact that not one police officer has been convicted of murdering an African American will be ignored by the angry fans.  The president is going to continue his attack on the players and owners, and then probably roll his frustration into another issue.  In the process, another aspect of Americana will lose its luster.

So as sure as the sun rises, tomorrow will greet another hot topic that will embroil us all.  We will wait for our cues on how to respond and we will be back at each other's throats.
Maybe the president will regain his stride by promoting Christmas over Seasons Greetings, and we can all make nice by New Year's Eve.  Until that happens, I will pass the time watching the World Series, the NBA, and NCAA sports!  And, I might even watch the NFL!

So seriously, lets pray that a national wisdom develops soon!

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[1] It should be asked why isn’t the same aura surrounding New York City, which also had its share of racially motivated protests and the Yankees who were next to last before the Red Sox in selecting a black player?

[2] For some opinions on this subject see Yamiche Alcindor and Maggie Haberman, “Circling the Square of President Trump’s Relationship With Race” New York Times August 17, 2017, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, “The First White President” The Atlantic October 2017.

[3] Christopher Ingraham Wonkblog*Analysis The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/08/14/on-twitter-trump-accuses-blacks-of-racism-three-times-as-often-as-whites/?utm_term=.73b8ff13ae37

[4] Former CNBC host Donny Deutsch called Donald Trump a racist.  He later apologized.  And, before becoming president, Donald Trump tweeted that several African Americans were racist. He claimed that Toure, Bryant Gumbel, Tavis Smiley, and Barack Obama were racist.  Trump also accused whites of being racist.  This group includes Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren, and David Letterman. His views on racist programming include the film “Django Unchained” and “Blackish,” the television show.  See Christopher Ingraham, “On Twitter, Trump accuses blacks of racism three times as often as whites” The Washington Post August 14, 2017.

[5] I’m borrowing the term “Outrage Culture” from Joe Rogan. See the Joe Rogan Experience #1012 on YouTube.

[6] See Daniela Herrera, “Students Walk Out on New Jersey Teacher Who Tells Them To “Speak American”” People Chica October 18, 2017 http://people.com/chica/new-jersey-teacher-tells-students-speak-american/ .

[7] Ibid. About 54% of the high school is Hispanic.

[8] See Yamiche Alcindor and Maggie Haberman, “Circling the Square of President Trump’s Relationship With Race” New York Times August 17, 2017. The president’s closest associates of color, and particularly his African American friends stress that Trump is not racist, but simply has a small contingent of black s in his inner circle. The article states: “Beyond dating a biracial woman, he made outsize efforts to hang out publicly with African American celebrities: the boxing promoter Don King, the hip-hop impresarios Kanye West, Russell Simmons and Sean Combs, and celebrities as big as Muhammad Ali, James Brown and Michael Jackson.” Also see, Maggie Haberman and Steve Eder, “Rise of Donald Trump Divides Black Celebrities He Calls His Friends” New York Times December 21, 2015

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/us/politics/trump-blacks-african-americans-girlfriend-charlottesville.html?mcubz=1

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/22/us/politics/donald-trump-african-americans.html .

[9] Twitter September 15, 2017 7:20am