A football game at Lakewood High School in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, was intercepted and run into racial politics and partisan grandstanding territory when a voice over the public address system before the game declares that the school would has designated itself an “agent of change” in the battle against “systemic” racism in “society as a whole.”
After the band played the Lakewood alma mater, it then played “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the so-called “black national anthem,” in imitation of the NFL, which is featuring the song this season as part of its official grovel to Black Lives Matter. The announcer added his commentary about how racist the U.S. is, intoning,
“Let us pause and reflect on the inequality that our nation has faced since its beginning. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tamir Rice among others remind us of the systemic racism that persists across so many of our nation’s institutions and society as a whole. By acknowledging, discussing, and taking action to address these inequalities, Lakewood City Schools aims to be an agent of change, not only in our community but in the world. We must all take a stand against racism. Let this be the moment when our children someday look back and say, ‘This is when we stood together for change.’”
Sources confirmed that both the school principal and the band director approved the political kick-off.
Despite receiving many complaints from parents and law enforcement over the stunt, the school reportedly will repeat its BLM-themed ritual in future football games but will remove the names of those killed in encounters with police. Absurdly, the school will read a tribute to first responders at halftime as part of a “compromise” with law enforcement.
The new revised speech will provide context for “ the black national anthem” explaining how “Lift Every Voice and Sing” sets “an atmosphere of reverence for the journey of people of color, gratitude for the selfless sacrifices of their ancestors and for the inheritance of indomitability and resilience. The song recognizes these moments as important to moving forward toward hope and faith for a better future and a better America. The song is universally uplifting and speaks to every group that struggles.”
Here are some questions, rhetorical and otherwise:
1. What would you do if your child was involved in a high school sports contest and the school perverted it into a political demonstration? One father who attended the game said afterwards that he would have walked out…if it were not his son’s senior year. Yeah, those are typical priorities all right. It’s an outrage, but not important enough to teach a child that preserving standards and values is more important than a high school football game.
This is how Black Lives Matter and their allied racist extremists are chipping away at American culture, civil society and the rule of law. Nobody, apparently, has the courage and integrity to confront them.
2. Why weren’t all parents infuriated by the politicization of a high school football game? This shouldn’t be a left/right issue: such conduct by a school would be unconscionable regardless of the cause. Yet the parents who are sympathetic to the BLM rhetoric are supportive? Have they ever heard of the Golden Rule? If they would not accept a school similarly pimping for a movement they did not support, then they should understand what’s wrong with what Lakewood High School did.
3. What makes a school administrator think such conduct could possibly be appropriate? Whatever it is, it should disqualify such an administrator for the job.
4. is it possible that this wasn’t cleared first with all the parents in the school as well as all the student players and the school district? If so, everyone who allowed it to go forward is complicit, and students were subjected to oppressive political pressures. If not, heads should roll.
5. Since public schools have proven that they are incapable of performing their primary job of educating students, by what massive attack of hubris can they presume devote their energies to other tasks?
6. Is there anything in that story to make us believe that the school personnel responsible for the fiasco know what they are talking about, other than mouthing false BLM narratives? For example, there is no evidence that the fates of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tamir Rice, as well as Michael Brown and Jacob Blake among others, had anything to do with racism. Using those names shows either ignorance or a willingness to lie.
7. How can parents trust a school to competently educate their children when the staff’s own critical thinking skills are so obviously flawed?
8. Why would any police officers accept such a hypocritical “compromise”? They’ll call you and your society racist at the start of the game, but it’s OK because they salute you during half-time? Are the school administrators stupid, or do they think the police are stupid? Or ARE the police that stupid?
9. If “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is the “black national anthem,” does that mean that African Americans don’t consider themselves included in the “Star Spangled Banner”? Does that not constitute a divisive, rather than a unifying statement? Doesn’t the term “black national anthem” inherently exclude whites? If football game crowds have to hear about what the “black national anthem” means, shouldn’t the history and meaning of the actual National Anthem also be explained?
10. Finally, who is going to stand up against this perverse, race-based, anti-American indoctrination, and stop it? At very least, this requires,
- Leadership, from those who are skilled, articulate, informed, and not going to dissolve into apologies and tear when they are called “racist.”
- Action. Parents and non-parents alike should make their objections known and unavoidable. They should pull their children out of Lakewood and any school that behaves similarly
- Preparation. Know the facts about the misrepresented police incidents that “remind us of the systemic racism that persists across so many of our nation’s institutions and society as a whole.” How can they remind us of something they don’t represent? When I challenge people on this point, they say, “Do you deny that there isn’t racism in the system?” And I say, “If the problem is as bad as you say, why are you relying on false examples/” They then say, “Well, do you deny that blacks are pulled over by police more than whites are?” You see, they know rioting, violence and attacks on police seem excessive if the complaint is police stops, so instead, they need deaths. But there aren’t many examples of police harming blacks out of racist motives, no where near enough to justify the rhetoric.
- Confrontation. This is indoctrination, not education. It represents edicts, not democratic debate. Don’t let them get away with it. This is your country and your society too, and your children. Make certain there are consequences, long and short-term, of unilateral bully tactics like the high school’s, and let everyone know that the consequences will be severe and inescapable.
Ethics Alarms 
when fighting for black lives goes against your politics, maybe it’s time to rethink your politics
With all due respect, Natalie, and it isn’t much, that’s a moronic statement.Normally it wouldln’t get through moderation, but occasionally such kneejerk laziness is worth circulating as evidence of the level of reasoning people like you devote to complex issues.
Pathetic, but interesting.
This is the new normal. The thinking behind statements and actions like this is that Black Lives Matter and what it stands for isn’t about politics, but about human rights. As such, it is above being criticized as political and everyone can be forced into the fold.
We saw some of this attitude with the fight over gay marriage, when folks like Dan Savage wrote that those opposed were like flat-earthers and should be denied a seat at the table. We have also seen the same attitude from antifa, telling us there are only two positions, opposition to fascism and fascism, so everyone is antifa unless they are fascists.
It is tyranny and fascism disguised as social justice. It is also the same attitude that allows someone like Bill Maher to allegedly support #metoo while at the same time referring to conservative women as cunts, etc. Essentially, it is what happens when one side in an argument gets too powerful, or thinks it is all-powerful. I won’t say unity vanishes, but unity becomes only possible on their terms.
at least for a time this year, the black lives matter movement was more popular than either political party. As such, they have come to think of themselves as untouchable, same as these other “human rights” movements that supposedly transcended politics. You don’t get to oppose them, and you don’t get to disagree with them. Now, raise a fist and say the phrase, white boy!
The propaganda works on some folks.
I wonder how many people have figured out how they’ve been tricked. Because there is a not insignificant number of people too embarrassed to admit being fooled.
Enough to put Biden up by 14 points in the latest poll. I’m sorry, but unless something really drastic changes, the president is headed for Jimmy Carter and John Adams territory.
Well, I cannot trust those numbers even though it does give me an uneasy feeling about the outcome of the upcoming election. I still remain slightly optimistic overall that Trump will be re-elected.
What’s your factual basis?
You claimed that this Black Lives mastter movement was enough to put Biden ahead 14 points in the polls.
Now here is a tweet from Professor Black Truth, citing polling data regarding black voters.
His support among black voters has hovered in the low 80’s (with a spike to 85% around mid-June) , despite the focus on the Black Lives Matter movement. This is similar to what Marc A. Thiessen pointed out in his article dated August 20, 2020 “The convention shows Democrats have ceded the working class to the GOP”, with only 48% of Biden supporters being very enthusiastic, and CNN reporting that Biden’s support among Black voters being smaller than what it was in 2016.
So you are to tell me that Biden is doing overwhelmingly well with working-class white voters, even better than President Obama did in 2008 and 2012. And that he is doing this, bringing working-class white voters home, despite riots and the Back Lives Matter movement and the George Floyd freakout (none of which increased black voter support for Biden).
I am understanding why Jack Marshall is skeptical about the polls.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-05/trump-campaign-hobbled-by-virus-as-biden-starts-to-pull-away
Well?
The first fact is that polls are not facts. 2+2=4 is a fact. A poll gives statistical extrapolations within a calculated margin of error. In this case, an extrapolation base on 800 registered voters. I do not know in this particular poll, but many other polls that poll registered voters use the 2016 register voter list. One good thing the Republican Party did was get new registered voters, hundreds of thousands of them, in key battleground states. Second fact, only 60% of registered voters actually vote. Voter enthusiasm for Trump far surpasses that for Biden. This fact likely indicates a higher percentage of Republican registered voter will actually vote as compared to Democratic registered voters. Third fact, Biden is a milquetoast ass-wipe. Most Americans do not vote for milquetoast ass-wipes if their alternative is clearly the opposite of a milquetoast ass-wipe. Particularly true during a crisis. So, I am optimistic that the polls do not reflect the political reality. That, too, is a fact.
The Zogby poll shows Trump rising, and just 2 pts behind Biden. (If Biden’s just 2 pts up in the popular vote, Trump wins.)
Having one poll show a candidate 14 points behind and another have him within the margin of error is unheard of, and Nate Sliver’s “averaging” doesn’t fix whatever it is that’s screwed up.
Huffpo is already saying Trump lost because he ignored the virus, but that’s Huffpo, who ARE biased.
So how did Zogby do in 2016?
I keep seeing polls the same day that are 10 or more percentage points different. That just doesn’t seem reasonable.
About as badly as everyone else. He looked at that, and adjusted his criteria.
Well, I don’t have any factual basis. I’m not refuting what you posted. I just cannot rely on any articles I see or read; hence, my comment, “I still remain slightly optimistic overall that Trump will be re-elected.” I should have added, “regardless of the polls”
Steve-O-in-NJ wrote, “Enough to put Biden up by 14 points in the latest poll.”
DON’T PUT ANY STOCK IN POLITICAL POLLS! ! !
Political polls are literally being used a propaganda tool even more now than they were before the 2016 election. The polls in 2016 were clearly favoring Hillary Clinton and then when Clinton lost the election the political left completely lost their shit, flushed critical thinking and fell over the edge of reality. The polls are now building up for the left to disastrously fall into the abyss of total insanity (some are already there) if Trump wins again; there will be gnashing of teeth and Biblical wrath of God kind of violent shit in the streets but it will be short term in the great scheme of things.
Dire prediction; you bet it is.
I’ve learned from history; based on the decline of civility across the United States, the breaking down of society along every possible societal divisional line possible, the societal cancer of emotional childishness, the increased presence of fascist like violence and intimidation in our cities and the irrational reactions of the political left over the last four years, this is exactly what I expect to see if President Trump wins reelection. Since the political left seems to be consumed with intimidation to push their totalitarianism, if Joe Biden wins the election it will likely be much worse for the United States in the long term.
Eventually the childishness that consuming our society will need to be slapped back into reality.
Recency bias. Just because rhe unlikely event occurred once before doesn’t mean it is lokely to happen again.
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/black-lives-matter-video-freedoms-future-place/#comment-3511955
Well, both Black Lives Matter and the KKK are Democratic institutions geared towards making sure Blacks don’t vote Republican. The KKK has ‘branding issues’ right now, so why not do a modern reboot? It makes sense.
Natalie,
More Black lives are destroyed by the idea that any attempt to engage in self improvement to become an valuable economic actor in the greater society is “trying to be white”. This causes so many Black youth to eschew education and hang with their “gangsta” buddies who seek easy money and then blame all their problems on people they don’t know let alone care about. It is so much easier to blame someone else for your own lack of achievement.
The likelihood that more young men will be engaged in a violent confrontation with police increases every day as they are perpetually indoctrinated with the belief that the police will execute them for being black. These young men are taught that they must fight or flee when approached. What do you think that suggests to a police officer? It does not suggest that that the person is doing nothing wrong.
If you want to fight for black lives start in your community and demand that the gangs cease and desist. Tell the gangbanger’s moms that the extra money the boys bring in from their illicit activities is blood money because it means that another young Black man has probably died in the hood from your children protecting their turf. (Amazing what you learn when you talk to prison inmates)
Get your head out of the sand and stop blaming everyone else. Here are some facts: Despite Jim Crow and much more systemic racism than today the time leading up to the Civil Rights Act of 64, home ownership among Blacks was higher than today; fewer children were born out of wedlock than today; graduation rates of Blacks was higher than today; and rates of male Black employment were better then.
The only people who are abusing the Black community today are the race hustlers and their progressive lackeys who continue the narrative that white society and 400 years of oppression is to blame for the failure of so many Blacks to achieve real success.
“It is so much easier to blame someone else for your own lack of achievement.”
The inimitable Dr. Thomas Sowell outlines that very subject in his Seductive Beliefs I and Seductive Beliefs II
Natalie wrote, “when fighting for black lives goes against your politics, maybe it’s time to rethink your politics”
When irrational propaganda dominates your brain and your politics, maybe you should learn to think critically and try not to swallow the propaganda swill you’re being fed.
Are you referring to voters who continue to elect democratic mayors and city council members in “systematically racist” cities such as Chicago, Baltimore and Los Angeles despite the fact that democrats have run these cities unopposed for decades even though broken public school systems, crime, violence and property are still pervasive? If so, then I agree with you, it is time for “them” to rethink their politics. If not, then Jack is being kind by merely referring to your comment as moronic.
Tyranny starts when people say, “unless you support these exact policies, and advocate for them in the ways we tell you to, you don’t share our values and are therefore evil.”
Also, if you don’t give people space to forget the conflict, if you bring it into every context and don’t let people have some respite, they’ll be more likely to dismiss you, tune you out, and try to silence you. Basic empathy mindset points to the need to set the proper stage for a discussion, where people don’t feel fear.
What are they teaching kids these days? I thought that educational children’s books and television shows had lessons about understanding people’s feelings. I hypothesize that people learn to ignore them because “the real world is more complicated,” which is ironic because most of the people saying that believe in a party of Good and a party of Evil.
It all comes down to fear. Even hate comes from fear. If you can stop people from being afraid, you don’t have to do exactly what they demand. They’ll learn to cooperate, and you can build constructive relationships. But those have to be build on trust, which means you have to reach out and dissolve the fear first, by demonstrating understanding.
I can find no evidence that “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was ever intended by its writers to be a “national anthem” for Black people. It is a spiritual song of prayer and thanksgiving, and I think it’s likely that its creators would be aghast at the modern use of their song in service of division and conflict.
But hey, if we’ve got time for multiple anthems per game…
This week I watched a couple of young men (to me-one is in his late 20s and the other early 40s) take apart the Netflix Cuties film without ever having seen it. These guys are an odd pair and their channel is called Tentacle Croissant. Not stodgy. Having seen clips, they ventured watching the film could lead to the experience of being aroused by 11-year-old children, and they refused to risk that degenerate (in their eyes) possibility, or accept Netflix’s reasoning.
I mention this as an example of voting with one’s feet, in contrast with dad’s weaker response.
As a side note to my fellow Ethics Alarms commenters…
Ethics Alarms has been a staple of reading for many of us over the years. The blogger Jack Marshall has never asked a thing from any of us over the years. Now it’s time that we give something back that shows the value that his efforts have been and continue to be. Jack inspires discussion about the ethical lessons that can be learned by looking at current events. Other than the automatic fees that GoFundMe charges, 100% of the gifted dollars will be sent directly to Jack Marshall for the purpose of getting a new laptop blogging computer of his choice.
Ethics Alarms New Laptop Fundraiser
Keep it coming, folks. $5, $10, $763, whatever. We are more than halfway there!
3. What makes a school administrator think such conduct could possibly be appropriate?
School administrators know that the social justice hordes have won the battle of the minds because rational people like the father in #1 choose not to do what needs to be done and submit to the will of the social justice horde.
Because they know they’d be wasting their time arguing and just get overwhelmed with all the bs about we get killed because of our color and if you’re not part of the solution you’re part of the problem…
Because Communist ideology had dominated the Universities for 50 years and people allowed it. The social ‘sciences’, including the ed programs, have bought into it wholesale and now there isn’t anyone left. Even in the Midwest solid red state, the teachers teach the kids that the Soviets invented space technology and we stole it. Every single person in this country has been subject to such indoctrination. Even those who realize the problems with it still are affected by it. Everyone knows what happens if you protest the ‘right’ opinion or complain about the ‘right’ policies. School boards are powerless to act even if they wanted to by unions and the judges friendly to them. You can’t vote your way out of the situation. Even if you were to bring a ballot initiative to eliminate the public schools and it passed, the state would just ignore it (we passed a Constitutional Amendment to eliminate the state DHS and the state just ignored it). What do you do when there is no democratic way to fix the problem?
Michael R. wrote, “we passed a Constitutional Amendment to eliminate the state DHS and the state just ignored it”
Where and when did that happen?
A state Constitutional Amendment.
“The measure amends the Oklahoma Constitution. It abolishes the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, the Oklahoma Commission of Human Services and the position of Director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. These entities were created under different names by Sections 2, 3 and 4 of Article 25 of the Oklahoma Constitution and given duties and responsibilities related to the care of the aged and needy. The measure repeals these sections of the Constitution and consequently, removes the power of the Commission of Human Services to establish policy and adopt rules and regulations. Under the measure, the Legislature and the people by initiative petition retain the power to adopt legislation for these purposes.
The measure adds a provision to the Constitution authorizing the Legislature to create a department or departments to administer and carry out laws to provide for the care of the aged and the needy. The measure also authorizes the Legislature to enact laws requiring the newly-created department or departments to perform other duties.”
That measure passed. DHS was not abolished, the Oklahoma Commission of Human Services was not abolished, and the position of the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services was not abolished. They just fired the director of DHS and hired a new one, claiming that is what the language meant.
https://ballotpedia.org/Oklahoma_Public_Welfare_Department_Amendment,_State_Question_765_(2012)
Michael R. wrote, “They just fired the director of DHS and hired a new one, claiming that is what the language meant.”
Based on what you quoted they lied.
Didn’t the State Supreme Court do something about this?
Nope. The reason behind this was that several children in a short span of time died under DHS investigation (2 near where I live). It became obvious that DHS doesn’t actually care about the children, and this is a systemic problem. The obvious solution is to just get rid of DHS and start a new agency from scratch (making doubly sure you don’t have the same director), which is what this ballot initiative did. This strikes right at the power of the ‘deep state’, however, so it wasn’t allowed to be. I mean, if they allowed this, someone might do it to the schools next.
If Black Nationalism is OK, why is White Nationalism so bad? Why is multi-racial nationalism bad? Why is the concept of having a nation with its own laws, traditions, language, and borders bad (the nationalism they accuse Trump of having)?
Michael R. asked, “If Black Nationalism is OK, why is White Nationalism so bad?”
Because white nationalism is equivalent to white supremacy which is equivalent to anti-black racism which is equivalent to EVIL and black nationalism is pure as the driven snow because it opposes EVIL.
Please try to keep up with doctrine of the social justice hive.
White Pride is EVIL.
Other Pride? Not so much…
Sorry, I was trained to reason and use facts. It is much more memory-efficient. This ‘memorize what you have to do in each situation and don’t worry if it contradicts what you were told to do last week’ is really hard. My brain is at about 95% capacity and I am going to have to start forgetting important stuff to keep up with this. Oh no, I had to delete the picture of my great-great aunt Ada just to work through that….:(
Jack,
Your #10 is a very cogent summation of what needs to be happening in every local community across this country. This morning I have already called two of our six county school board members (personal acquaintances) to direct their attention to the article about Lakewood. I assured them that if such a thing were to be allowed at any of our schools, they could look forward to me leading a contingent of citizens carrying torches and pitchforks to their next school board meeting. At present I believe the danger of any such “woke” BS here is infinitesimal, but we must all be vigilant.
I think that is the right, and indeed essential, course of action Jim, and doing it before the dime drops wise as well. Kudos.
Jim, You said ” I assured them that if such a thing were to be allowed at any of our schools, they could look forward to me leading a contingent of citizens carrying torches and pitchforks to their next school board meeting. ”
Funny thing, I said something nearly the same in an email to our local school board. I was not alone and I think they heard the clang of pitchforks and smelled the burning oil oaked rags that would be tied atop the carried pikes. The torches would have made the night sky glow blood red so they acted accordingly.
https://www.localdvm.com/news/maryland/washington-county-board-of-education-member-resigns-after-social-media-controversy/
Chris,
I followed up those first two phone calls with emails to the remainder of the school board plus the Director of Education several principals I know through the SRO program I formerly supervised. All the replies I have received (six of the ten contacted) have been in agreement with my viewpoint. I am also in the process of getting access to the history and social studies curricula they are using now.