A Longish Rant on the Whole Staged Pence Walk Out

I probably should have known better than to get embroiled in a stupid Facebook argument with conservative Trump supporters. Trying to explain to them how Mike Pence as VP, an elected official of the Republic, represents all American citizens and not just conservative Americans was, predictably, all in vain.

It is inconceivable to me that the VP can pull a stunt like this and not get ousted from office. It's a complete overreach of the VP's power, not only because he's using the White House and taxpayer dollars to send a message as Mike Pence the VP (not Mike Pence the citizen), not only is his protest of peaceful protesters a denial of their message and what they're protesting in the first place (if he even is aware of what that is), but his staged Diva walk-out, when we know (for a fact) that he was scheduled to be in a different state that same day anyway and so had no intention of watching the game, is such a slight against American values as to be utterly grotesque.

If you missed why his walk-out was unconscionable it simply is this: As VP he has no right to silence the voice of Americans. He's supposed to represent those Americans, regardless of what his personal position might be with respect to their form of protest. This is intimidation plain and simple. And that's WRONG on every level.

But pointing this out caused me to get blocked by three people, told to shut up by two, and about a dozen others chanted variations on...but...but...but...don't disrespect the flag! Others were sure to mention all Pence did was peacefully walk out--how could I be mad at his peaceful protest of their peaceful protest?

BECAUSE he's the Vice President of the United States! Did you not know this? Are you not aware of the power dynamics at play here? How dense do you have to be not to get it?

If you were wondering how bad it is in America...it's this bad, folks. The VP literally protested the First Amendment act of peacefully protesting by protesting the protesters.

He said something to the effect that he was protesting the manner in which they were protesting, but this is the same difference. Clearly, he hasn't the faintest idea of what the protesters' message is. Probably because like all those who think it's a flag issue miss the point of why the protest is bothering them so much. Hint: It's not a flag issue.

It's not even a respect issue. It has nothing to do with one's level of patriotism. It's a status quo issue.

The protesters are saying that there is a segment of the American population that's not being treated fairly and that until this happens, they are taking a knee. The so-called disrespect is deliberate! It's to get you to wake the fuck up and pay attention to their message--we're not being respected so we offer this reflection of the daily disrespect that we as people of color receive.

And if you think it ain't so, look no further than to our own city streets where Nazis and white supremacists have been marching about with torches. And what do they protest? Their loss of privilege. Not exactly a slight against them as a people. Just an effect of a society becoming more inclusive.

You may feel kneeling before Old Glory is offensive, but have you forgotten the flying of Nazi flags on American soil just weeks earlier? How many of those inbred Nazi-wannabe fucks have you told to get out of America since then? Or have you sheltered them from due criticism and given them safe passage in the marketplace of ideas, claiming they have a right to free speech just like everyone else?

When these same Nazis / White Supremacists took an innocent woman’s life, shot at black people in an open crowd, and spewed racial slurs and bigoted hate at anyone not as white as they--where was your outrage then?

And when people of color say this offends us, so we'll take a knee as a peaceful sign of the slights we've received, of the insults and slights we’ve endured, and you grow outraged, well, I think you might be missing the fucking point.

It was never really was about the flag. It's about fighting a class-war where the opposition’s message isn't at all a peaceful one--but actively calls for the extermination of and continued abuse of people of color.

What a fucking message, eh?

And this brings us back to Mike Pence and his Diva walk-out. Like so many others, he's clearly missed the message. Like the others, he’s crying about his hurt feelings, ignoring the issues behind the protest.

This is a form of Whitewashing minority issues because many white folks, if you haven't guessed, don't believe minorities and people of color are treated differently in America. Not enough to be a problem. It's just the "liberal media," they say. They think it's all made up. And they balk when you talk of police brutality, of unfair incarceration, and of economic disenfranchisement. Racism isn't a problem here, they say--as Nazi's continue to convene in their squares and march in their streets. It's a matter of having pride for the country that's given you so much.

Talk about a HUGE misdirect! And do you know what the best way to get through to these knot-heads is? You guessed it...by taking a knee.

If you really are offended by the protesters' message or their act of taking a knee, I can only offer this advice: GET OVER YOURSELF. It's not about you or your delicate, bleeding heart, snowflake feelings.

Newsflash! You're not that important. Your small slight of having to see someone take a knee pales in comparison to the slight minorities and people of color feel every day at the unfairness that is built into our undeniably racist culture. And the only way to claim the culture isn't as racist as everyone has been telling you it is is to demonstrate to everyone that your country doesn't actually have Nazis and White Supremacists marching in your streets.

No? Well, then. Don't say I didn't tell you so.

Kneeling during the national anthem shouldn't be any kind of grounds to determine a fellow American’s true level of patriotism. It's certainly no grounds to find reason enough to prevent them from exercising their first amendment rights. It's not even grounds to ask them to leave--even if you are incensed.

You don't need to agree with the protesters' message, although I'll certainly question your lack of empathy. You don't need to like it though, that's your right. And you certainly don't need to call them un-American or tell them they should get out of your country. That's jingoism. That’s the same as using the flag as a tissue for your great big patriotic circle jerks. It's disrespectful to your fellow Americans and to your country. It merely seeks to diminish their status as Americans. If they're not patriots, they're FAKE Americans, so what do they matter? Right?

It's far worse when the Vice President does it. I can assure you.

It's disheartening for sure. I've never felt so bad for America in all my life. And by "bad" I mean terribly embarrassed.

What's more, it just goes to show we CANNOT possibly begin to make America great again until we change the QUALITY of Americans in America.