Pay Them More Than The Military
To Honor The Troops, The NFL Should Be Paid More Than The Military
As a United States veteran who has not actively participated in the play of professional or collegiate sports, it may seem like the reasonable thing is to pay the military instead of some people playing kids’ games. But the reason for having a military is to avoid enslaving people into the need for war. At an earlier stage of my life, I took that road ideologically. But, as I spent my years challenging and wondering what people were saying, my ideas shifted. It was not like I devalued military service or have a disrespect for those who serve. Nor do I suggest that veterans should be given less in resources than what they have. While veterans deserve more than most of the nation for so many reasons, their services exist to empower citizens with more opportunities and freedom than was awarded to the soldier. The soldier’s job is to sacrifice in their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. They take this sacrifice with a strong sense of community value that is likely not shared by most other career fields.
Before and during the American Civil War, the warrior was an iconic image of the strength of the land. Even among Native Americans, the soldier was a protector, a leader, and the face of tenacity. In the 1800s, Americans chose to shift that image for a fresher image. The face of workplace leadership, skills development, and discovery was less dictated by the authoritarian military lingo. As Americans built more homes and explored more options, the civil wars among each other grew tiresome. Even the powerful names celebrated from the coldest one in the 1860s began to bother or bore Americans into finding better ways to build heroes.
Colleges, marketers, and media turned to sports for new heroes. They forged baseball into a pastime, football into a present, and nostalgia into a good time. Though not invented by Americans, we the people took control of a new leadership technique to inspire workers to unionize, invest, trust, and work together. Today, it is more difficult for military generals to rise to the Presidency, in contrast to the promotions of George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor, and Ulysses Grant. Even Rough Rider, Theodore Roosevelt, pointed more Presidential emphasis to the American sportsman and editing the game of football as a key part of his own Presidency. Eventually, the Republicans chose to send former footballer, Gerald Ford, and sports broadcaster, the Gipper, Ronald Reagan to the Presidency. By the end of the 20th and throughout the 21st centuries, it is more likely to have a draft dodger in the White House from either party than a General like Colin Powell or John Mattis. While I have reservations about some of those choices we make in politics, it does show a positive sign that people are looking in places of peace and joy for true leadership.
Yes, Americans underpay for protection and overpay for entertainment. But, if I could choose for the children that I love to be paid more money to sing and play than to die and kill, I would choose the former every single time.
Perhaps, something to consider is that sports has become a way of peace. Since the implementation of rising sports and arts, the attacks on Native Americans is strongly declined and humiliating for the families of the victorious invaders. Sports created opportunities to bring people into jobs that keep them out of their miseries in poverty. Instead of joining gangs, some kids have the power to join teams that celebrate and create fun for the community. They brought platforms for social changes and proof that people can be healthier working together. They gave people case studies and motivations for medical empowerment.
While sports does a lot of good things, there is more work to complete. There are corrections to be made. For example, the sports world has encouraged some of the strongest social weapons against communities, especially in areas of poverty. It was said that alcohol was the weapon of choice against the Iroquois tribes and Irish communities. It was historically effective. Excessive medication and excuses are made among athletes that are being used to promote various forms of upper and downer drug abuses. By bringing diverse communities together into stadiums of tens of thousands, people crowd into each other and start reasons to wish and inflict harm on their own neighborhoods. Political rivalries are intensified in sports communities. People eventually are ignoring those they came to support to draw attention on expressing their desire to see someone else fail. Children are watching us do this.
Just like military or political service, sportsmen (in the nonbinary title) are royalty with a major responsibility. It is beyond showcasing talent and styles of leadership. It is a power that has to be respected, treasured, and corrected constantly. Those involved in sports are given a great trust from people past and present to help those who come to inspire communities that need hope, joy, and love for others. And so, yes, pay them all. It is better to work without killing each other.
Comments