In the eyes of many Americans, those inheriting institutions may not be worthy of it. Hence the hashtag: #notmysteelers. My Steelers (of the past) may not have shared my political, religious, or social views, but I wasn't made subject to their airing of opinions, and really wouldn't have been interested. The current team has ceased to be mine, because they have thoughtlessly insulted me and have disparaged things I believe are important. This may not have been intentional, but the result is the same. As a Steelers fan for most of my life, this past Sunday's display was
disappointing and offensive in so many ways. And the attitude and
comments of the head coach and the quarterback afterwards made the
situation worse. I heard several people across Steeler nation calling in to broadcasts in a shaken state, some breaking down into tears at their sense of loss. Reading social media and seeing videos of burning Steelers items gives a sense of the seriousness of the painful outrage people are feeling.
It has been hard to stomach the protests (if you call them that) in which our NFL stars engage during our national anthem in recent years. It is hard even when many feel they are provoked by President Trump. I think this is because the singing of the national anthem during public events has become a kind of national sacred space over the decades, a time made more sweet by its juxtaposition with the simple escapism of immediately following events. Honor then fun, a frivolous celebration made possible (earned) by the seriousness of national shared sacrifice which preceded it.
We have grown up with this tradition, and many take offense that it is being used for default anti-American political purposes, often in an incorrigible spirit arising from misunderstanding, or even worse, ignorance in fact. This is very sad for the fans, and for the institution of football as it was known to many of us.
It is a very glaring example of a growing trend in our society. I firmly believe that many who are inheriting institutions must grow worthy of the inheritance. This applies to beloved sports franchises, schools, churches, and families. Rather than appreciating and understanding the importance and function of the institutions of which they are a part, many seem to default to immature and selfish behaviors. Such behaviors do no favors for the public or the institution, and end up decaying and perhaps destroying the social contract and the institution itself. There is a time, a place, a way of protesting or sharing one's opinion. Maturity and wisdom helps a person gain a sense of appropriateness, a social sense and commitment that transcends what the individual may demand or want for himself. Rather than name-calling and anger, it's time to set grown up examples, and to show young people what it means to be an adult in a free society. Putting ourselves in their shoes, we need to bring people along. Perhaps then, afterwards, they can be transformative in a more meaningful way to the institutions of which they are a part.
One thing is clear, the young people will inherit the institutions, no matter what we think.
