Appearing as a guest on Friday's CNN Tonight to discuss the issue of Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players refusing to stand for the National Anthem on the eve of September 11, liberal CNN political commentator Van Jones praised Kaepernick's actions as "deep patriotism" as he derided standing for the anthem or wearing an American flag pin as examples of "cheap patriotism."
Fellow guest and conservative CNN political commentator Ben Ferguson was arguing that the NFL should punish its players for showing disrespect by refusing to stand for the anthem:
And the NFL should be held accountable for this because they will fine guys for not wearing a tie, not showing up for a press conference, for celebrating in a unique way on the field. They should have rules that, if you're going to play in the NFL, you're going to honor the country or at least at the bare minimum show respect for this country.
Jones began his response:
I just don't understand the relationship between playing a football game and being compelled and forced to express your patriotism in a particular way. I just don't.
After Ferguson jumped back in to argue that the players are not being forced to be part of the NFL and play, Jones fell back on the liberal argument that criticizing America with the goal of improving it is more patriotic than honoring the flag while not being critical, and derided the patriotic actions taken by nearly all Americans as being "cheap." Jones:
But there's zero relationship between playing a game and being forced to express your patriotism in the way that you say is patriotic. And part of the thing I think is interesting here, is the deep patriotism -- it's -- dissent is cheap patriotism. Cheap patriotism is standing up because you're supposed to.
Cheap patriotism is wearing an American flag pin because you're going to get in trouble if you don't. It's deep patriotism to reflect on the shortcomings and say, "Listen, I am sending up a signal. I am sending up a signal that we're not there yet, and I want to see us get closer to being a more perfect union."
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Friday, September 9, CNN Tonight:
11:55 p.m. ET
BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And the NFL should be held accountable for this because they will fine guys for not wearing a tie, not showing up for a press conference, for celebrating in a unique way on the field. They should have rules that, if you're going to play in the NFL, you're going to honor the country or at least at the bare minimum show respect for this country.
DON LEMON: Go ahead, Van.
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I just don't understand the relationship between playing a football game and being compelled and forced to express your patriotism in a particular way. I just don't, I mean, I just don't understand-
FERGUSON: You're not -- well, here's my thing. I don't think you're being forced. You have the choice to not play.
JONES: You're asking them to be forced to do something.
FERGUSON: No, it's not force. You have the choice to play in the NFL or not play in the NFL. You can play anywhere you want to.
JONES: But there's zero relationship between playing a game and being forced to express your patriotism in the way that you say is patriotic. And part of the thing I think is interesting here, is the deep patriotism -- it's -- dissent is cheap patriotism. Cheap patriotism is standing up because you're supposed to.
Cheap patriotism is wearing an American flag pin because you're going to get in trouble if you don't. It's deep patriotism to reflect on the shortcomings and say, "Listen, I am sending up a signal. I am sending up a signal that we're not there yet, and I want to see us get closer to being a more perfect union."
