ON SEPTEMBER 29th, at 7pm, when the Parkway Panthers face the Airline Vikings in a high-school football clash in Bossier City, Louisiana, the drama will begin before the first snap. The previous day, the principal of Parkway High School sent a letter to student athletes warning them not to mimic the widespread protests that took place over the weekend at National Football League (NFL) games. Parkway players attending “any sporting event in which their team is participating”, wrote Waylon Bates, the principal, must “stand in a respectful way throughout the National Anthem”. Anyone who kneels, sits or makes any sign of disrespect will risk being benched, or, with “continued failure to comply”, subjected to “removal from the team”.
With its legalistic language, this pre-emptive strike against student protestors is different in tone to President Donald Trump’s jeering call for NFL team owners on September 23rd to fire any “son of a bitch” who “disrespects our flag”. But the demand, like Mr Trump’s call, brooks...Continue reading
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