I Will Continue to Dream: On Dabo Swinney
Tuesday, at his weekly press conference, Clemson Head Football Coach, Dabo Swinney, was asked if he would discipline a player if he took a knee during the national anthem.
His comments in full - all 10 minutes and 34 seconds - is below. Watch it if you haven’t and then keep reading.
So, obviously, I was a bit late to the party. However, I knew this was something I was going to have to check out for myself after I noticed on Social Media people commenting on Dabo’s response. I hoped I was going to be wrong about my assumption. I wasn’t.
This, obviously, is a delicate situation and as cautious as I am to respond, I must.
Here is the problem: as much as we talk about race (and we should) and as much as we talk about one’s right to free speech (and we should), I find very few people on either side of (enter topic)-debate logically viewing comments and/or situations without bias.
(Before I go on, I 100% believe that 10 out of 10 people have built in biases towards (enter topic), for a multitude of different reasons, whether it be race, religion, or anything else. However, it does not follow that we are then precluded from following statements as stated to their logical conclusion without adding words, emphasis, or what have you.)
For full disclosure’s sake, I am a Caucasian, Christian, Florida State football fan, I love females, and I think Leonardo Dicaprio is the best actor of our time. So there’s that.
This is what I do not understand: I cannot find in Dabo’s response where he said racism is fixed?
Dabo said Martin Luther King Jr changed the world. Did he not?
Dabo said that if everyone followed the two greatest commandments (Loving God with all your heart, mind, and soul and second, loving your neighbor as yourself) that the world would be a better place.
Would it not?
Two key words: “would be”. I’m not sure how that is a statement on racism being fixed.
Dabo said there are a lot of good cops and a lot of criminals who wear badges. That isn’t a statement how racism has been fixed.
Dabo said he thinks we have a sin problem. This also isn’t a statement how racism has been fixed. Rather, he tied racism to sin; that if we could fix that problem, racism (and a multitude of other things) get fixed. Is that not true - regardless of religion, but just responding to what Dabo calls sin?
“Does that mean there is still not problems?” Dabo answered his own question with a resounding yes stating as long as there are people involved, the problem will exist. This directly combats the above tweet.
No. Actually, Dabo was asked a question, which he responded to by stating, in his opinion, there is a right time and place to protest and he is not supportive of protesting the National Anthem on the football field.
I’m not supporting or disagreeing with Dabo’s statement here. But, unless I am missing something, even Dabo has a right to his opinion just like Colin Kaepernick. Or did I miss something?
This is from the article in the above tweet. I chose to not link it. You can find it if you want but I did not find it worth.
Problems:
That is exactly like me saying this article makes the author come off as a poor white blogger, just because. It is nonsensical.
In Dabo’s opinion, there is a time and place to voice your opinion. He also said he would not discipline a player of his for performing the exact protest he was asked about. So, I am at a loss how that supports the reasoning behind “such a protest movement in the first place”. I was unaware that one is protesting the American flag because “rich white” men are telling others “how and when” to protest. I thought it was due to injustice in America towards the African American race. I could be wrong as I have not followed the story super closely.
Now if what was meant that Colin Kapernick is protesting because white people are stifling protests or stifling African American’s, then go that far and say that but you cannot tie what Dabo said to what you may have meant.
More from the article.
This is purely eisegesis.
Again, could be wrong but I do not see how Dabo citing President Obama, black quarterbacks, and black football coaches was “padding his case”. Mainly because WHAT CASE WAS HE MAKING other than making a statement that Martin Luther King Jr changed the world in just one part by paving the way for the aforementioned? Never once did Dabo say, BECAUSE of this, race relations in America is just fine.
And actually he said the opposite. In the same press conference - as I have already referenced above - Dabo asked the question, “Does that mean there is still not problems?” and then answered with a resounding Yes, we do have problems.
I’ll call this what it is: lazy journalism/blogging while making the monumental leap to claim Dabo was saying there is “level ground in the social justice world in which we live.” All in the name of political correctness.
That is eisegesis in its purest form. Also, lazy, unethical, and it self disingenuous.
By saying all Swinney had to do was say he would not discipline a player, that less is more, is exactly making the statement that Dabo should not have exercised the right that Colin Kaepernick, and others, is making his self. How much more hypocritical can we be as a people?
In the end, what these responses (and many more) tell me, is protest race relations all you want, make all the statements you want, but don’t you dare protest the protest, much less have a simple opinion on said protest because the constitution somehow limits some from opining and not others? Uh, no!
What I have written is - like Dabo said at least 5 times - MY OPINION. That opinion is what I am entitled to. It does not mean I am right and it does not mean I am wrong, but I do strive to take words as they are presented rather than reading what I want them to say - eisegeting along the way. My opinion in this piece - unpolished as it is - is heavy against those who are lambasting Dabo for having an opinion. This is not in support of Dabo. It is not in support of Christianity. It is not in support of white people.
It is, though, in support of having the right to have an opinion. American’s, in large part, have lost its grip on logic. We actually believe we are being coherent when we opine against someone for opining. We call each other stupid for having an opinion when what we call each other stupid for is not what we said at all. These individuals have the right to have their opinion too. However, we should speak up and speak out when words are misappropriated to a meaning we desire, just because.
And, yes, we should also speak out when statements that do nothing to improve relations are made. Like Trent Dilfer making the statement that because Kaepernick is a backup QB, he should be quiet and sit in the shadows. That makes no sense at all. Whether Kaepernick was a starter, a backup, or a free agent nobody, if he has an opinion he should be able to share it.
I neither like nor support Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the National Anthem. Personally, I don’t care for it at all. I can make that statement without personally attacking Kaepernick, just like Dabo Swinney (and I) should be able to make a statement without adding to the statement. Kaepernick kneeling during the National Anthem does not equate that he is a terrorist or a hater of America. He is making a statement on the status of race relations in the country. Is there a better, more effective way? In my opinion, yes, but isn’t that the beauty of the country for which that flag stands? We are - all - free. If Kaepernick believes this the best move to make, then sobeit. But, I can have the opinion that this possibly is only causing further division. Who is right and who is wrong? I don’t know but a healthy debate is what makes America so wonderful. It was a very heated debate when this country was formed, like many thousands of debates that followed over the history of America: some causing great good, some causing great evil.
Dabo never said we do not have a race problem. He said we have a sin problem which ties directly to said race problem. And, personally, I agree with Dabo.
We have reached a point in America where we are - and I must pinch myself to actually believe it - actually going against a coach for stating the answer to our problems is love, peace, education, tolerance, and Jesus. And yes, Martin Luther King Jr said many of those same things. Why is that a bad thing?
Would love in its truest form - regardless of the color of ones skin - not be a solution?
Would peace in its truest meaning - regardless of skin color or religion - not be a solution?
Would proper education - however you define that - not be part of, if not the, solution?
Would tolerance of all - yes, meaning Christians too - not be a large step towards a solution?
And would Jesus - whether you are a believer or just an admirer of the man’s teachings - not be a great solution? Jesus taught love. Jesus taught proper judgment. Jesus saw past skin color and your past garbage. He, rather, urged all to strive towards a better way.
The answer to all of those questions is “yes”.
But no, many would rather sit squarely on the perceived “Politically Correct” side and tell someone they shouldn’t have an opinion. Racism comes in many forms. One form, is accusing a white man of saying things he did not say because of the color of his skin.
Racism, is in fact a very real thing in this world. It is as pervasive of a problem as any in the world. I hate it. I dream of a world where this nation would rise up and live up to the true meaning of its creed, in a world where all men are treated as they were created, equal! I dream of a world that one day injustice would be transformed into freedom and justice. I dream of a world where all would be judged by the content off their character, not their skin color. I dream of a world where racists are no more. I dream of a day where all of God’s children see each other as just that, children of God, not a black man or white man. I dream of a world where white men and women did not fear walking up on a black man or woman because of their skin color. I dream of a world where black men and women did not automatically assume a white man is being racist, ignorant, or “stupid” because of an opinion on race.
This was in fact the same dream as Martin Luther King Jr.
I will continue to dream.