Being Outraged at the NFL is a Waste of Time

Over the past week, the outrage at the National Football League has been astronomical. Escalated by President Donald Trump’s condemnation, people have responded to the planned protests of NFL players in droves. It’s difficult to get on any social media platform without having something related to the protests come up right away.

The responses have been specifically dominated by conservatives who are outraged at the NFL for defending players who protest. The popular rhetoric has been to point out disrespect for our troops. “How dare they kneel during the anthem when so many people have died for this country, that flag?” they argue.

What I would like to broadcast to all these outraged conservatives is that getting your feathers ruffled by NFL protests is an absolute waste of your time.

Even if you disagree with the argument being made, shouldn’t we be encouraging peaceful protest? These players are exercising their First Amendment rights. Shouldn’t we be broadcasting that even though we may disagree with their protest, the way they’re doing it should be commended?

Is someone taking a knee during the National Anthem or locking arms with other players in solidarity really something that we should be focusing all our time and energy on? After all, they have the right to peaceful protest, and you have the right to turn the T.V. off and disagree with them. Aren’t there more important things to be talking about?

Hundreds and hundreds of babies will be aborted in the United States today. Thousands will be aborted in the next week. Do you know that the national debt has climbed to over 20 TRILLION dollars? That big government is on the rise and federalism is being attacked on all fronts? That religious liberty is under fire? That we STILL haven’t repealed Obamacare?

I’m not saying that conservatives who are tweeting and talking about the NFL aren’t discussing these things as well-I’m just certainly not seeing them anywhere I look. You can disagree with the NFL’s defense of their players all day long, however, the question this all boils down to is this: “Is this something I should be wasting my time on?”

Shouldn’t we be looking to use our platforms, positions, and messaging to make an impact in areas that actually matter? Is an NFL player protesting actually a matter that is so problematic is must take up all our thoughts and energy? Let’s focus our efforts on the areas of life and politics that actually matter-not in condemnation of a nationalized sport that is currently watching its ratings plummet.