Fake News

It crept into our conversations and narratives with little to no effort. While the “concept” of FAKE NEWS has always existed in our societies on some level, this was something altogether different. This wasn’t your basic conspiracy theorists trying to point out that we didn’t in fact land on the moon. It also wasn’t a publicity stunt by some major Hollywood studio or recording artist promoting their next project. This was the currently seated administration uttering a phrase with a sole purpose; to erode and erase any and all public confidence we might have with the nations news outlets.

Therefore, in order to help the populace properly identify what information we receive from the institution of journalism is in fact fake, I would like to place a spotlight on what I see as a clear representation of fake news and more importantly it’s ability to multiply and evolve. On Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018, the National Football League, correction, the 32 club owners along with the administrative/governing bodies of the National Football League convened to approve what we may all come to affectionately call the Stand or Suffer Policy, but I’ll call it FN III (this will make sense a little further in). I am attaching a copy of the policy which is pretty straightforward. Stupid and silly but straightforward.

Maybe I’ll circle back and address the policy in another article, who knows. Right now the question at hand would be why I feel and more importantly why we all need to recognize that this particular piece of news is fake news. The answer is it was born and bred from a previously reported piece of fake news, that’s that evolution thing I mentioned earlier.

Conception

During a pre-season game on Friday, August 26, 2016 (see we’ve been telling you to get rid of these… this was all avoidable, lol) former NFL player Colin Kapernick did not stand but rather “took a knee” during the National Anthem. When asked after the game to provide HIS reason, HIS motivation, HIS charge, Mr. Kapernick indicated that “(to) show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” He went on to reflect on the fact that, “ There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder”. Bigger than football, larger than all of sports entertainment combined this was now a professional athlete seeking to highlight a racial and social justice problem within neighborhoods and communities in our country. In any other decent and reasonable society this may have been the birth of a movement, a change. This would have been the story. Can you imagine the birth annoucements:

NFL QB TAKES A KNEE: US GOVERNMENT ISSUES UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS CALL ON LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY

Unfortunately, when you try to create something new you run the risk of creating more than you may have intended. Meet the granddaddy of it all, Fake News Sr.

Grandfathered In

It would be hard to determine the exact time or location of the birth of Sr. It possibly happened at some point after the post game interview. More than likely it occurred once a news outlet had the necessary sound byte and the reporter mic’d up. It may have happened as soon as the first individual noticed Mr. Kapenick seated during the anthem, long before he had given his actions purpose. None of that really matters, what matters is this story was alive and it had legs, despite how sturdy they may have been. Lest I be accused of showing favoritism let me also highlight the annoucement(s) of this birth, by now I’m sure you’ve seen at least one of them:

49ers QB REFUSES TO STAND FOR NATIONAL ANTHEM

Hearing this story reported this way makes Mr. Kapernick seem ungrateful, spoiled and pompous. “How dare he?” and “Who does he think he is?” were possibly thrown around among social circles. Sponsors and fans began to withdraw their support from the NFL in response. Other individuals allowed this news to inspire feelings of solidarity and alignment with what was taking place. Players on the professional, collegiate and even amateur level, began taking a knee during the anthem. Can you hear it, the sounds of the birth pangs? That’s right another baby was just delivered, because now we were no longer to be just talking about Colin Kapernick and his actions. Now we have multiple individuals with various takes and motivations for partaking in this type of demonstration.

CUSTODY DISPUTE

For the benefit of simplicity, although very few things with humanity are, let’s say there are only two sides on this anthem debate. Side A believes that being as this is America, we are allowed within reason to freely express ourselves. At the very least this belief allows them to write freely, speak freely, and demonstrate freely as long as it is done legally. Side 1 says you stand during the singing of the National Anthem (not sure what else they think you should or should not do during the singing of the National Anthem, take a look at the picture from Colin’s initial “knee” there is a lot going on during what should be a moment of stillness and silence…here’s an official look at the appropriate behaviors). None of us really know how this side feels about the freedoms given by the First Amendment, all we know is their stance on exercising any freedoms during this particular event. And so the baby grows, Fake News Jr. aka the Anthem Debate. Sponsors complained of losing income due to players demonstrations. Politicians, radio and talk show hosts of various social economic, educational and racial backgrounds weighed in; offering what is merely their opinion on this act. Law enforcement officials began to decline working security at football games. Teams, coaches, players, fans, everyone had their opinions… some similar and some very, very different even within organizations. Until finally, out of options and before more money was lost or before they further enraged anyone in the upper echelons of our government, the owners met and birthed the before mentioned Fake News III (FN III, told ya). A new life, a new way of behaving for players and personnel in the National Football League. No wiggle room, no having rights and liberties. You will do this or you will face the consequences. EOS, end of story.

EXCEPT…

Okay in case some of you missed a few of the basics of biology in high school, let me give you a quick recap on evolution. As things evolve, they gain some attributes and lose others. Typically this doesn’t matter as the changes are for the better. But do me a favor if you don’t mind, go back over the previous paragraph for me. Read every word I wrote…slowly if you have to. And then read the previous paragraph. And yep, you guessed it the one before that as well. Notice anything about this little family that was created? It has little if anything in common with what it’s creator, it progenitor intended. Nowhere in Fake News Sr. do you hear of the brutality perpetrated against individuals by law enforcement officials or the call for accountability. Gone from Anthem Debate are the concerns of communities unsure whether those sworn to protect will in fact do that and how that impacts their daily lives in the community. Absent in FN III is any message other than to quote Montgomery Brewster “this is a business, and we’re in the business of being in business and we’re doing business and nobody’s business…Do It!”

Sad, isn’t it. One man searched, sided and ultimately sacrificed but we didn’t even tell the right story. We should have seen more investigative reporting done by journalists, more calls for body cam footage transparency and reliability by our elected officials. Millionaires who earned their spoils on the backs of individuals they now call their “football family”, who came from the communities where now people, who may actually be their family, are laying face down in pools of their own blood should have done more than worry about their bottom line.

Sad, isn’t it. One man searched, sided and ultimately sacrificed but we didn’t even tell the right story. We should have seen more investigative reporting done by journalists, more calls for body cam footage transparency and reliability by our elected officials. Millionaires who earned their spoils on the backs of individuals they now call their “football family”, who came from the communities where now people, who may actually be their family, are laying face down in pools of their own blood should have done more than worry about their bottom line.

Hopefully, for you Mr. Colin Kapernick, there will once more come the opportunity for you to participate in the sport you appeared to love at the professional level. Hopefully, for us we will once again realize what true leadership looks like and we begin to respect it and give it the recognition it deserves.