As I was gathering my thoughts to write this week’s column, I kept coming back to the old saying “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
Take the case of Colin Kaepernick, the professional football player who has created a firestorm of controversy by refusing to stand during the national anthem before NFL games. His stance on not standing is that this country is not worthy of his respect because of what he views is oppression of segments of our population. Since making his position known, other players and coaches from different sports at a variety of levels (professional, college and even high school) have either stood with him in his refusal to stand or have gone emphatically in the other direction with elaborate displays of patriotism.
Some teams and coaches are telling their players who won’t stand that they won’t play. While this controversy has taken on a life of its own, I’m not seeing real change come out of the movement. Mr. Kaepernick, who makes millions and millions of dollars playing a game for entertainment and whose lifestyle in terms of house, travel and cars is the envy of many, could do a lot to support programs that directly work to improve the lives of those he views as oppressed.
While I disagree with his decision and believe he could use his celebrity to a better end, I believe that he has the right to do it. It would be frightening to live in a country where people aren’t able to exercise free speech.
In my opinion, just because he can, doesn’t mean he should.
It’s like going to an all-you-care-to-eat buffet. Just because you can eat until you stuff yourself, it’s probably not a good idea.
Take the downtown parking lot. Pulling into the kiosk lot across from Panera recently, I noted there was a very large, very visible, sandwich board style sign, indicating a temporary rate hike, identified as “special event parking.” Like so many other local entities, the parking office has every right to jack up their prices for the guests and visitors to our area when they come in for events like the Arts Fest and Penn State football games. But should they?
Coincidentally, there is no big sign to tell patrons that there is no fee to park in that lot on weekdays before 10 a.m. and no fee to park on Sundays. Although the kiosk itself has hours and rates posted, it takes your money during those hours if you miss the tiny notice (or are new to the somewhat confusing system and are focused on the instructions). I can’t tell you the number of people that I have stopped from paying in that lot during the free parking hours.
Similarly, seeing people pulled over on the bypass on the way into town on football weekends is becoming routine. I have seen up to three cars pulled over at once (by three different police officers) in the stretch of road between Boalsburg and the stadium exit. I noted it again last month on move-in weekend for Penn State students. Speeding is against the law and people should be pulled over for it but the timing and inconsistency of the enforcement raises some questions. While people can be pulled over for speeding at any time, should we focus on those weekends? Welcome to Happy Valley.
In many instances, the cans and the shoulds go hand-in-hand.
I am teaching a new-to-me course at Penn State this semester and am already seeing the can-but-should debate taking place. In previous courses that I have taught, I took attendance. The class size was smaller and we did a lot of group work so accountability was key. I have more than 130 students in this new course so an attendance sign in sheet just didn’t seem to fit and asking students to buy the clicker just for attendance didn’t seem right. Instead, I am using randomly chosen days to have an in-class assignment. I am already seeing students who are repeatedly taking the option on class attendance. At the end of the semester when the inevitable questions and complaints about final grades come in, it will be a reminder of “you probably shouldn’t have.”
From what we post on social media to the conduct of our presidential candidates, the freedoms that we are granted in this country do not prohibit us from saying or doing things that we probably shouldn’t – even though we technically have the right to do it. Sometimes we don’t for moral or religious reasons. Other times we don’t, even though we can, because the consequences – intended or unintended – outweigh our right to do or say or act.
While many applaud Mr. Kaepernick’s decision to take a stand against racism and to use his public profile to bring attention to the issue, it seems that the outcome has been to bring attention to Mr. Kaepernick. There are real things that he – that we – can and should be doing collectively to address this and other issues in our communities.
