Fuck Yo Flag Drew Brees

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"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color...To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

Drew,

In your recent interview with ESPN, it came to my attention that you decided to step into your white privilege and respond to Colin Kaepernick's protest of the national anthem. You claimed that Kaepernick's action had been "bothering me all day long." It's ironic that what you had to say bothers me! It bothers me because you picked this one time to speak out on racial injustice and it was to defend a symbol of oppression. In your reference to the American flag being "sacred," it's like you negated that this flag represents more than just white freedom. Your Precious flag has a history and is representative of folks who look like you, who never had to worry about being hung like strange fruit from a tree in some swampy bog. Its laughable that you would "wholeheartedly" disagree with Kaepernick's reasoning and method of protest, while not considering the factors at play.

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"Like, it's an oxymoron that you're sitting down, disrespecting that flag that has given you the freedom to speak out.." 

Lets define oxymoron, shall we? It is a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction. I see no oxymoron in boycotting the national anthem, you made this about a flag, not only did you do that, YOU MADE THIS ABOUT YOU and your white lens:

"I've been on five USO trips, so I've had a chance to meet and talk with a lot of military personnel. I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of the things that they go through. Also having family that have served and sitting around and listening to my grandfather talk about World War II, so maybe that gives me a heightened level of appreciation for them," Brees said. "But when I look at that flag, I think about them too. I think about a lot of things. Like when I stand and listen to the national anthem with my hand over my heart, there is emotions that well up inside of me." 

That's cute for you Drew, many of us relate to that too and as only most people who look me can, through a BLACK lens. You ain't the only one who has worked with the USO, let alone had a chance to talk with members of the armed forces. The truth is that while you feel like you have a pretty good understanding of what folks in the military go through, YOU DID NOT SERVE. You only have feelings about experiences shared with you, and the irony is that you had a chance to do that with the Black and non Black POC community by trying to understand our issues, by speaking with us about why we feel the way we feel. Instead, you pulled typical white boy shit and defended the source of your privilege. We have had our family tell us about their World War II experiences too, the segregated platoons, battalions and etc. Arriving back home from war in Europe only to be lynched and called niggers in a land that they fought for. I have a heightened appreciation for veterans like you do, but when I look at that flag, I think about them too. I think about a lot of things. Like when I sit and listen to the national anthem with my hand limp at my side, there is emotions that well up inside of me too. Emotions of anger and oppression as I am reminded that we were kidnapped, bought, and sold to build this country and exist as animals in your white world.

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"I disagree. I wholeheartedly disagree," Brees told ESPN. "Not that he wants to speak out about a very important issue. No, he can speak out about a very important issue. But there's plenty of other ways that you can do that in a peaceful manner that doesn't involve being disrespectful to the American flag."

When in the hell did he or we need your permission to speak out against injustice? Did this make you uncomfortable? To say that this isn't about him speaking out on important issues of race, class, and privilege using his platform, only to turn around and say that he could have done it in a peaceful manner is bullshit. Where was he committing a violent act? How was his silence not peaceful? Oh! I get it! His courage made your whiteness feel fragile and unsafe, your flag was being burned in a sense. Get used to it Drew, get used to being made to feel like you are losing your privilege and that your whiteness is no longer a prerequisite to have a good life free of worry and hate. You said it yourself, "The great thing about this country is that we have the freedoms that allow you to speak out openly about any issue. So I'm not commenting on the issue itself because any person has the right to speak out on any issue they want. That's the great thing about being an American. But the American flag is what represents those freedoms. It represents the very freedom that Colin Kaepernick gets the opportunity to exercise by speaking out his opinion in a peaceful manner about that issue."

"Listen, if I chose to speak out on every issue that I have an opinion about, that's all I'd do all day. I'd probably have a hundred Twitter posts a day. But this one ..." Brees said without completing his thought." - ESPN

No matter how subtle you were being, you are trying to silence Colin with patriot speak, while excusing yourself from speaking out against the systems of oppression like racism and prejudices toward Black and non black POC. That is the privilege in being white, not having to recognize that the very thing that we are speaking out against is that which empowers you in this society. One thing is very clear, you should have kept your mouth shut if you can't speak about the issue in totality. It is interesting how you refused to address the issues that Black "Americans" face while trying to silence us as we speak for ourselves. All this for your precious flag.

"Like, I could shed a tear every time the national anthem plays if I would allow myself because it's that powerful." - Drew Brees

Fuck yo flag! That flag don't mean shit unless Black Lives Matter.

Sorry but, not sorry

Ashton - Angry Black Man