October 7– The video posted online by Argus Streaming News, shows a protest outside of a St. Louis Cardinals game demanding justice for Michael Brown, an unarmed African American 18-year-old who was shot in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9, 2014 by a Caucasian officer Darren Wilson. Many Cardinal fans were angered by the protest and only saw it as a sign of disrespect rather than a sign of distress. The video posted online by
The biggest question amongst the Cardinals fans is why? Many of the fans were angered and confused by the location of the protest. It may have been confusing to many, but it comes down to one word, exposure, whether in the media or exposure of the thoughts, attitudes, and opinions of several American people. Often coverage of major stories tend to gain the interest of the public, but as time goes on and coverage declines so does the public interest in the issue and their understanding that the issue still exist. For Blacks racial profiling resulting in death is still a major problem facing the community. It seems that only a few cases actually make it to breaking news. However, the video of the protesters makes it clear that racism is a problem in this country, and to some, it is a problem that no longer exist. Although one group does not represent every American, the Cardinal fans expressed the opinions and attitudes of White American society.
It does not take long for things to get heated as the video shows an elderly Caucasian male looking directly into the camera referring to the protesters, “That’s right! If they’d be working, we wouldn’t have this problem!” (0:38). The man’s yell is followed by a battle between chants, “Justice for Mike Brown!” (1:30), and “Lets Go Cardinals!” (1:39), then later, “Let’s Go Darren!”(2:40).
In the mix of the protest, one person swung the American flag upside down, an act that displeased Cardinal fans. The man taping the protest explains that the upside down flag is “The official symbol for when the country is in distress, and these protestors feel that the country is in distress with so many unprosecuted police killings of unarmed teens” (13:18). In accordance, the USA Flag Site.org confirms the meaning of the upside flag, “The flag…is flown upside down only as a distress signal.” In response, a Cardinal fan yells, “I got family that died for that flag” (8:15), and orders the protestor to flip the flag around while a Caucasian female shouts, “We’re the ones who gave all y’all the freedoms that you have” (10:27). Another woman even questions the man holding the camera whether or not he was a veteran, “How far did you get [in ranking]?” (11:58).
Majority of the fans seemed to be very angered by the protest as they continued with senseless chants such as repeating “Africa” and “USA”. The negative reaction towards the protestors speaks for itself revealing that there is a lack of understanding of the turmoil’s that racism has caused within this country when looking at the history, roots, and foundation of America. And as the fans stand on one side and the protestors stand on another represents the divide in the country that many choose not to admit exist. With all that occurred during the protest one has to ask what constitutes distress in America?
