Civil Disobedience in 2017 is #TakeAKnee

"All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable. But almost all say that such is not the case now" (Thoreau, 1018)

I want to start off by saying I know nothing about sports. Sure, I know all the rules and regulations of kickball (thanks to fifth grade recess), and I know what pivot means in basketball, but that's where my understanding ends. One aspect I have no relation to is professional league sports. Whenever Mr. Aldinger discusses the past Lions games with other students, I look like this,

when in reality, I'm like this:

However, this past week, professional sports has finally become relevant to me. Ever since Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem in 2016 (in protest of the treatment of black people in the U.S.), the clash between political activism and professional sports has been on the rise. Moreover, when the Warriors were invited to the White House, Stephen Curry indicated he wasn't keen on attending, as him and his team don't stand for what Donald Trump does. Recently, buzz on this topic has escalated with Trump saying, "Wouldn't you love to see one of these N.F.L. owners, when somebody disrespects our flag to say 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, he's fired'". This, and Trump's recent tweet revoking Stephen Curry's invitation to the White House has led to widespread condemnation and protest from various professional athletes, many following suit of Kaepernick. This led to the emergence of the hashtag #takeaknee, with many athletes not only expressing their support of Kaepernick, but also protesting against Donald Trump and his comments.

There are two sides to this debate: on one hand, it's disrespectful not only to the spirit of American patriotism, but also our veterans who put their life on the line to not stand for the national anthem; on the other hand, patriotism is dissent, and dissent leads to accountability for this country's wrongs.

This debacle is reminiscent of Henry Thoreau's Civil Disobedience. Many are belittling the movement as futile, as complaining about nothing. But Kaepernick knelt for those black people killed by the police. Before him, Muhammad Ali rejected the draft in opposition to the Vietnam War. As Thoreau said, there will always be excuses to not express dissent, but does that mean we shouldn't? The black hole that Donald Trump himself has just opened will invoke not only protests on treatment of black people in America, but the very ideology of Trump. Turns out, a lot of athletes don't like him, and are proving it. Since Trump's tweet, more and more athletes have decided to raise their voices, and express support to Kapernick and Stephen Curry.

This begs the question: is patriotism blind devotion and glorification? Or is patriotism the courage to address issues and actively protest them? Today, in 2017, would Henry Thoreau  #takeaknee?

Would You Rather: Nostalgia or Memory?

Looking through any social media, ranging from Twitter to Instagram to Facebook, you can't go without seeing a throwback post. Honestly, you probably can't even go without seeing any High School Musical reference. It seems as though society as a whole has an increasing tendency to reminisce about the good ol' days. It's a contagious trend; I myself recently took three hours out of my day to look through my old emails, reading threads between old friends and lost friends. In fact, every new school year, I longingly reflect on the preceding year, wishing I could still be there today. Even today, I'm reminiscing about last week and the people I laughed with and wondering what changed so drastically that we don't make eye contact this week. Clearly, nostalgia affects everyone at all times. After learning and extensively analyzing memorials in English, I noticed a common pattern: the memorials aren't nostalgic, just requiring "imaginative presence and physical absence" (Booth 4). They are just that- in memory. On the other hand, nostalgia is when one romanticizes the past.The difference between the two is clear: remembering requires no emotion or attachment, whereas nostalgia (at least for me) looks a little like this:

So here's the big question: would you rather be nostalgic or simply just remember? Cast your vote https://goo.gl/Zi2Jpm (and try not to choose both!)

For me, I think I'd go with just remembering. Holding events in a glorified light only leads to thinking "those were the best of times", and slowly the realization dawns that you'll never relive that, or possibly not even replace it. Maybe that's why memorials aren't nostalgic; imagining the good times one had with a fallen soldier only intensifies the grief that they'll never see them again. In a sense, that happiness of sentimentality is closely followed by the grief of loss. Likewise, reminiscing about a memory somewhere or with someone you don't see anymore, reaps similar grief. Why is the only way you're in contact with someone or you're visiting a location through that memory? What changed in the gray area between connect and disconnect? These thoughts don't occur with simple remembrance. However, the only salvation is that maybe you'll be able to top that memory with a better one. So instead of cry-smiling like Michael Scott, you can look like this.

Maybe society should strive to do that. Maybe I should strive to do that. Maybe, once I do, I'll change my vote to both.





*Poll results are here: https://goo.gl/tUL6yq