A Republican lawmaker in Louisiana is hoping to make the state’s NFL team pay for protesting before the national anthem, arguing “slavery was however long ago” and “it’s time that we move on,” NPR reports.
State Rep. Kenny Harvard will introduce legislation to cut off tax breaks to the New Orleans Saints as retribution for players exercising their right to protest. The NFL team currently receives free rental of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, among other benefits.
"We're paying the Saints a lot of money to entertain us—not to get off in the weeds of, you know, political discourse," Havard said, according to NPR. ”They can do that, but do it on their own time."
"Look: Slavery was however long ago, and it was a horrible thing and no one should have to go through that," he added. "But it's time that we move on as a nation."
Harvard also insisted there’s no reason for members of the NFL team to protest because, as NPR reports, “he believes institutional barriers to equal opportunity are gone.” Instead, he argued, the debate over standing for the national anthem comes down to decency, comparing it with being chivalrous and holding doors for women.
"When I see a lady coming, I open the door," he said. "When I sit at the table, I take my hat off. When the national anthem plays, I stand."
Democratic state Rep. Ted James, a Democrat, told NPR he’s preparing a legislative fight against Harvard.
"As a black man and as a black player, you are telling these athletes 'go throw that ball, catch that ball, run that ball, tackle that quarterback, but you dare not say a word,' " James said. ”That's a plantation mentality."
"This is not a conversation about Saints players being political," he argued. "This is a conversation about race."
