[THEMIX.NET] NBC News published an op-ed blasting NFL star Drew Brees for criticizing football players who kneel during the national anthem. The op-ed by Noah Berlatsky goes so far as to say that Brees’ "biggest mistake" in defending the American flag was "believing" that it "means anything."
Brees has been hit with an unprecedented amount of backlash this week after simply saying that he does not agree with kneeling during the national anthem. The New Orleans Saints quarterback said that he views the move as a sign of "disrespect" and shared the story of his military roots.
NBC News decided to pile on to him on Thursday with this op-ed, teasing it on the network’s "THINK" page under the headline "Drew Brees’ biggest mistake?’ Believing the American flag means anything."
The actual headline of the story, which was written by Noah Berlatsky, ended up reading, "Drew Brees’ comments on George Floyd protest prioritize symbols over justice."
Needless to say, Berlatsky was not kind to Brees and his patriotism in the slightest of ways:
"[Brees] has unfortunately become the poster child for what happens when you venerate a hollow space wrapped up in red, white and blue. Brees believed that his comments honored the flag and America’s ideals. But valuing a symbol of justice over justice itself isn’t moral or righteous. It’s the opposite. When honoring the flag is the price of justice, then the flag does not symbolize justice. It symbolizes force, inequality and racism. It’s a flag of conquest for white people, not of mercy or freedom for all." |