Taking the knee

[TroubleNo1]

Really just wanted an insight into the history or significance of 'taking the knee' in support of Black Lives Matter.

I am 100% in support of the movement but Dominic Raab has been criticised for not doing it and in response I've not heard a reason why it is historically or currently something that if you don't do means you are not in support?

I want to be educated!

Looking forward to learning the meaning and reason behind it and if anyone thinks if you don't do it it's in some way opposed to the movement.

Ok, I'll educate. Taking a knee is a move in American football. If a "catcher" catches the ball and then takes a knes, the game must stop. Colin kapernic, some some years sgo, took a knee during the national anthem.

It's become a movement that represents BLM

But you knew most of that, didn't you? Or your Google is broken

Don't you have google in the UK?

Long before this, the Civil Rights Movements in the sixties would ‘take the knee’ in silent protests in Washington and other states.

User1471..... thanks for an answer.
I though I'd ask some actual people rather than Mr Google.
No I did not look it up in Google as I didn't think I'd get an answer that would actually do an emotive subject justice. I do not live my life and get my answers from Google. I would rather engage with actual people.
Sorry if that's not what anyone else would do.

This is half the problem. People expecting the work to be done for them. "I want to be educated! Come and tell me everything so I don't have to expend any emotional labour!". It's just so, so tiresome.

Has he been criticised for not doing it or for suggesting it originated in game of thrones....

Why is asking the question the wrong way to be educated?

I am sorry if it is tiresome to you.

I can't go to a library. I have very little time to spend even washing my own hair with two kids under 3 and working full time. I literally have time to read just the headlines. I don't trust everything I read on google. What is wrong with me asking? Please tell me where else best to educate myself than asking actual people?

Because it is not the job of other people to teach you this stuff.

In the time you've spent replying to these messages you could have easily researched this issue. It's not hard. Stop expecting people to do the work for you.

Google, read a variety of things, consider the credibility, bias, political leanings and track record of the writers and those of whatever newspaper/book/blog/ whatever whatever it is has appeared. Why would you assume that the opinion of a total stranger on the Internet was any more valid than a careful/considered internet search?

And what @B1rdinthebush said.

I was under the impression that taking the knee in it’s current (Americanised) form is a protest against the USA anthem and flag. In USA it is a sign of respect and patriotism to stand for the anthem/flag and so those protesting refuse to do so and instead will kneel.

It has nothing like this meaning in the UK and is much more likely to symbolise subordination, surrender or begging.

And aside from whether or not you know what it means OP, Raab is the fucking foreign secretary - he should know what this means. Either he’s been poorly briefed or he’s deliberately being provocative. And quite frankly who knows which is more believable with our government at the moment.

Dominic Raab bless him, got it a little confused with 'bending the knee', a popular concept in Game of Thrones, an act of which displays submission, subjugation and a willingness to relinquish control.

'Taking the knee' is of course entirely different, but we wouldn't expect our Foreign Secretary to display any sort of understanding of other countries political landscape would we, that would be mad.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/taking-a-knee-national-anthem-nfl-trump-why-meaning-origins-racism-us-colin-kaepernick-a8521741.html%3famp

There you go OP. It's not hard. There are several articles actually, but this one,while wordy it picks up several reasons and issues.

While I understand the origin of taking the knee, it makes me uncomfortable due to the fact that the death of George Ffloyd was caused by someone kneeling on him.

The idea is that you don't do it with someone under your knee. Unlike the verminous little bastards who think it's funny to re-enact George's murder.

OP, please don't thank me, however sarcastic you may have been. I'm from the UK and know fuck all about American football. But I am curious about things I don't know about. Instead of asking randoms on a forum, I read around a subject.

I did not know about the the Martin Luther King connection until today. But the virtue of self education is that it doesn't ever stop. You never stop being educated.

I recommend it to you

Try googling Colin Kaepernick?

His actions and the response were major stories in UK media for ages. Surprised you missed it tbh

This is an article written by one of the original footballers.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/opinion/colin-kaepernick-football-protests.amp.html

Really user? Any need to be such a bitch this morning. If people didn’t ask questions, there would be no mumsnet. Honestly, there is no need.

'If people didn’t ask questions, there would be no mumsnet. Honestly, there is no need.'

This.

Completely unhelpful and downright unpleasant response from some posters here.

There is NOTHING wrong with asking questions of real people rather than Googling and it is part of what forums like this are for.

Also ridiculous to complain about 'having to educate' the OP. Jeez if it's such an effort, why are you even on here?

Stop being bitchy and actually stupid.

Good for you OP.

I really dislike people who are hard on people, who are trying to learn about something. FYI Google is full of random stuff and who knows if it is true? Anyway, if you want a world without prejudice, an open and transparent approach is the best.

As a white person who has lived abroad in non-Western places, I've always taken the approach that no question is too silly to answer, in a nice way - and believe me, I've had some very silly ones. My view is, I can correct misunderstandings about my culture/country, while learning a bit about other people's point of view. Try that approach, mean girls!

I’m not white and completely understand why being asked questions like this is frustrating. In person it’s difficult to avoid the feeling of having to educate, and you can’t avoid the conversation without being rude. But on a forum you can scroll on by. There’s no obligation to respond so the same issues don’t matter.

And to user1471... can you not see how illogical it is to say that the op should have found this out by ‘educating herself’ and then admitting that you’ve learnt something new from her thread despite already having read around the subject yourself. The only reason you learnt something here was because the op asked the question, which you criticised her for.

I’m glad you asked the question OP. I’ve not been keeping up to date with the news (lockdown plus so many sad stories isn’t good for my mental health!). Mumsnet is my only ‘social media’. Surely talking about these things can only be a positive?! People saying it’s not their job to educate, well why comment? I think having a discussion where people can add their knowledge plus opinions is better than articles. I’ve learnt something from this thread that I otherwise wouldn’t have 🤷🏻‍♀️

Don't be sorry for asking op, that's what forums are for, Google can be a minefield and often not give you a definitive answer. On the other hand you ask on here and get bitched at so you can't win!