Letter: NFL Protests

John Perry, San Juan Capistrano

Football is a game governed by rules. All players are taught the rules by their coaches who expect them to follow the rules of the game.

Referees are on the field to make sure everyone follows the rules. If a player violates a rule, the referees impose a penalty. If the violation is severe, the player can get ejected from the game. Sometimes a referee misses or blows a call, but they generally “call them as they see them.” Suppose the football game was played without referees. The game would soon degenerate into chaos.

Civilization is governed by laws (rules) that all people are expected to obey. We employ police officers to make sure everyone follows the law. If someone breaks a law, the police can give the person a citation or may arrest the person suspected of breaking a law. Some police may not actually see the violation but may rely on witnesses who did see the event. Not all police officers are fair, but a vast majority “call them as they see them.” The police officer is required to present evidence to a judge who makes the final ruling. Suppose there were no police and everyone was allowed to do whatever they wanted. Civilization would soon break down and survival of the strongest would prevail. In other words, civil order would degenerate into chaos and there would be no civilization.

We need people who follow the rules to play the game.