...Of predominantly black players playing for rich, white owners. That makes it inherently political. If we are going to empathize with the morale of Pittsburghers (66% white) having to witness a protest, can we not also empathize with the message of the players that there's a systemic problem in this country with disproportionate police brutality and racial inequality? Am I alone in thinking that the latter is a far, far greater cause of concern? I personally can't equate black people having unequal access to higher education and being gunned down in the streets with viewers of a television product having to observe a televised political statement they disagree with.
Matt to your earlier point of escape, that is indeed the (completely understandable) reality so many of us are living in. Politics has gotten so ugly in this country, why wouldn't we check out? I've deleted Twitter a couple times because keeping up with the constant barrage of local/national/global current events diminishes my well-being.
The tough thing, though, is that healthy democracies DEPEND on citizen engagement. That's where I struggle - knowing that I should still be an active part of the political process to contribute what I can, while feeling so defeated by it. Politics CAN be a positive force for good in this country, but I'm not sure how we get back to that.
Nick