Black state senator sits during Pledge of Allegiance in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick

Black state senator sits during Pledge of Allegiance in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick

It’s not just dumb jocks who are protesting symbols of America … and not just the national anthem either. A dumb pol in Missouri has extended the protest to the Pledge of Allegiance.

CBS Jefferson City affiliate KRCG identifies the latest idiot as Jamilah Nasheed, a Democratic member of the Missouri State senate from St. Louis. Nasheed explained her actions in a statement:

I decided to not stand for the pledge of allegiance today to stand in solidarity with the cause of injustice that Colin Kaepernick has shined a bright light upon. I am not anti-America, and in fact, it is because I love this country that I take this stand.

I just wanted to shine the light on these issues and stand alongside those NFL players that have really brought this conversation to fluition [sic].

And, yes: She said “fluition.” Let’s go to the videotape, as Warner Wolf might say:

Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?

So what injustices is Nasheed seeking to shine a light on (to coin a phrase)? Here’s the list, but see how many you can guess before reading it:

  • The injustice of police brutality – the refusal to mandate police body cameras;
  • The injustice of poverty – the underfunding of our public schools;
  • The injustice of voter suppression – passing Voter ID laws;
  • The injustice of not having health care – not expanding Medicaid;
  • The injustice of unlivable wages – refusing to raise minimum wage and the right-to-work attack on labor;
  • The injustice of unequal pay for women;
  • The injustice of mass incarceration; and
  • The injustice of economic disparity.

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder released a statement:

My reaction to Sen. Nasheed’s demonstration is not one of indignation or anger. Instead, it’s an occasion for great sorrow. The Pledge of Allegiance, like the National Anthem, is an occasion for all Americans to stand together in national unity. There is no question of the senator’s right to remain seated during the Pledge, but it’s a question of the propriety of her action. I worry about the example she is setting, particularly for our young people. I have stood with Sen. Nasheed on issues facing the African American community, fighting alongside her to restore funding for low-income housing tax credits in St. Louis, as one example. I believe our best hope for tackling the tough issues of racial unity and economic opportunity is through the shared commitment to the principles and ideals that make America great. Standing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and for the National Anthem symbolize our unity of purpose to keep America the ‘land of the free, the home of the brave, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’

The article closes by noting that Nasheed was arrested in October 2014 during a protest outside the Feguson police station.

Howard Portnoy

Howard Portnoy

Howard Portnoy has written for The Blaze, HotAir, NewsBusters, Weasel Zippers, Conservative Firing Line, RedCounty, and New York’s Daily News. He has one published novel, Hot Rain, (G. P. Putnam’s Sons), and has been a guest on Radio Vice Online with Jim Vicevich, The Alana Burke Show, Smart Life with Dr. Gina, and The George Espenlaub Show.

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