Photo of Oakland Raiders players kneeling‘Kneeling’ by Sean Galli The Society February 27, 2020 Culture, Poetry 6 Comments On TV, I saw them kneeling __Before their golden cow; Mere worshippers of a flimsy feeling __Desecrating a vow. They’ve never knelt in battle’s fire __Nor bowed in a foxhole; Yet, proudly they display their ire __Spitting on the flagpole. True, you can’t offend an object, __But symbols get besmirched: Men’s noble sacrifices wrecked; __While sideline vultures perch. An anthem written by war-light __Can’t merit their respect While soldiers think “Is freedom trite?” __“Is this who we protect?” Sean Galli studies history at Baylor University. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Trending now: 6 Responses Martin Rizley February 27, 2020 Short but powerful rebuke to those whose minds have been blinded by an irrational hatred toward the land of their birth. There seems to me to be something “against nature” for a person to be so utterly devoid of patriotic feeling. I can understand how painful it must be for members of the armed forces to sacrifice so much to defend the country, only to find that their efforts are help in contempt by people who have been brainwashed by cultural Marxists into despising the principles on which the U.S. was founded and who see the flag as nothing but a symbol of racism and injustice. So sad! Reply Leo Zoutewelle February 27, 2020 Amen. Reply Ann Stewart February 27, 2020 Stated so simply, but the emotional impact is great. Excellent Reply Joseph S. Salemi February 27, 2020 The “kneeling” is nothing but a risk-free virtue signalling, typical of the American left. These guys are being paid a king’s ransom in salary, and they are the object of mass adulation. The mere fact of their kneeling makes them cultural heroes to the left-liberal establishment. They haven’t put a single thing in their lives in danger with this pathetic gesture. All they’ve done is add another trendy fashion-statement to their accessories. Reply Patsy March 1, 2020 Very true and nicely written Reply Dave Whippman March 1, 2020 Joseph Salemi is right; this poem is a fine comment on the triteness of virtue-signalling gestures. It angers me when protesters like this are hailed as “brave”. They know full well that they risk nothing – unlike the soldiers in your poem. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Martin Rizley February 27, 2020 Short but powerful rebuke to those whose minds have been blinded by an irrational hatred toward the land of their birth. There seems to me to be something “against nature” for a person to be so utterly devoid of patriotic feeling. I can understand how painful it must be for members of the armed forces to sacrifice so much to defend the country, only to find that their efforts are help in contempt by people who have been brainwashed by cultural Marxists into despising the principles on which the U.S. was founded and who see the flag as nothing but a symbol of racism and injustice. So sad! Reply
Joseph S. Salemi February 27, 2020 The “kneeling” is nothing but a risk-free virtue signalling, typical of the American left. These guys are being paid a king’s ransom in salary, and they are the object of mass adulation. The mere fact of their kneeling makes them cultural heroes to the left-liberal establishment. They haven’t put a single thing in their lives in danger with this pathetic gesture. All they’ve done is add another trendy fashion-statement to their accessories. Reply
Dave Whippman March 1, 2020 Joseph Salemi is right; this poem is a fine comment on the triteness of virtue-signalling gestures. It angers me when protesters like this are hailed as “brave”. They know full well that they risk nothing – unlike the soldiers in your poem. Reply
