We keep finding ourselves subjected to Trump’s yammering about “disrespecting” the nation, our troops and our law enforcement community when NFL players kneel for the national anthem. His comments fuel division rather than inspire unity, but he doesn’t care so long as he looks powerful and respected (har de har har). Germany, on the other hand, knows exactly what’s going on here and one of their soccer teams, Hertha Berlin, decided to shame Trump in solidarity with the rest of us. Take a look:
Wow!!! The players from Hertha Berlin from the German Premier League took a knee in solidarity with American athletes protesting injustice! pic.twitter.com/hgAjG0c2y5
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) October 14, 2017
But it wasn’t just the players who did this. The coaches and the rest of the staff decided to do it, too:
The coaches and managers from Hertha Berlin took a knee against American injustice as well. Solidarity with American athletes pic.twitter.com/Bu4KuCT21n
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) October 14, 2017
Even better, there are those replying to these tweets saying their fans cheered loudly for this display of solidarity with those here in the U.S. who have found themselves victims of unjust police activity and brutality. But as those same people have pointed out, Europe has a much better understanding of the darker sides of their histories than we do here in the U.S.
One of the reasons that people are finding this particular protest so offensive is because it intrudes on their little “Nobody’s racist anymore” bubbles. It reminds them that white people aren’t saintly at all – that we have a very dark past when it comes to people of color here, and that we still stomp all over people of color while pretending they bring it on themselves. We like to whitewash our history so we feel better about ourselves and our behavior today.
Germany has put Donald Trump and his white supremacist base to shame with this.
Featured image via Drew Angerer/Getty Images
