WASHINGTON _ Alejandro Villanueva had no interest in being a symbol, but he had no say. Because of who he is and where he was, an Army Ranger veteran separated from his Steelers teammates during the national anthem Sunday at Soldier Field, he was unwittingly, unwillingly exalted as a 6-foot-9, 320 pound standard-bearer for those who disagree with the NFL's protests.
The striking snapshots that seemed to tell the full story, Villanueva said, did not. He attempted to invite nuance into a charged discussion, articulating that the protests _ and particularly the issues being protested _ are complex, not binary, not black and white.
"In the big picture, you're discussing different things," Villanueva said Monday. "Nobody thinks when you're taking a knee you're offending the flag. ... And I don't think anybody that's standing for the flag is not respecting the fact that there is a lot of injustice and racial divide in our country. So we're essentially talking about two completely different things."
The anthem controversy, which will be watched closely this weekend across the National Football League, is another illustration that there seems to be little room for nuance, little patience to parse intentions and interpretations in public discourse. In an age when politics _ the parties and their ideologies _ are as polar as ever, middle ground is missing.
Michael MacKenzie, an assistant professor of political science at University of Pittsburgh, said the problem is not the divide itself _ politics function because of division and partisanship, he said, not despite them _ but an unwillingness to bridge the expanse. MacKenzie, who specializes in democratic theory and deliberation, sees nuance as integral to identifying solutions.
"Kneeling during the national anthem is a form of protest, but like any form of protest it's a blunt tool," he said. "There's not a lot of room for nuanced discussion or explanation."
The Dallas Cowboys, a team that collectively knelt before the national anthem Monday night and then stood during it, represented nuance in the NFL protests. Their avenue attempted to avoid the argument that those who kneel for the national anthem don't appreciate the military, as well as the argument those who don't kneel ignore injustices.
"From one perspective, that might look like a really weak-kneed response to an important issue," MacKenzie said. "If this is about protesting the treatment of a marginalized minority _ which initially it was about protesting police brutality against usually young, usually black men _ then it seems we need a solid commitment from those who support that.
"But it's only by recognizing the nuance in political issues that we can hope to find common ground upon which to move forward and identify mutually acceptable solutions."
When the Supreme Court opens its term next week, one issue on the docket is partisan gerrymandering. The case, Gill v. Whitford, regards a situation in which Wisconsin Republicans drew district lines to ensure they would control 60 of 99 seats in the state assembly, and when Democrats secured 51 percent of votes in 2012, Republicans retained their 60 seats. In gerrymandered districts, candidates can focus on shoring up their base, eyeing the spectrum's extremes rather than considering compromises for those in the middle.
"Gerrymandering is an extreme form of political disenfranchisement," said Jon Delano, a longtime KDKA political analyst and an adjunct professor of public policy and politics at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, "It's clearly what one party does to another to discriminate against those with a particular political view."
The current climate in Washington does not reward moderation. There are fewer center-right Democrats, fewer center-left Republicans. Political entrenchment enters; nuance ebbs. It's not only politicians contributing to this state of affairs. Media plays a crucial role in influencing public perception, and aspects of the 24-hour news cycle might drive the sides apart.
On TV, in print and online, it is increasingly common for consumers to "silo," isolating their content consumption to one source. "You either are a Rachel Maddow lover and watch MSNBC, or you're with Sean Hannity and Fox," Delano said, adding the selection serves only to reinforce prejudices and political points of view, negating the others.
"I think that's fundamentally threatening to democracy," Delano said.
The rise of social media over the past 15 years has added another challenge, as its speed demands almost instant news gratification, Delano said. There's not always time for explanation, analysis or thoughtful reaction. "We are just going to feed the beast," he said, and instantaneous news isn't always accurate.
In Villanueva's case, perception overruled reality. Before he said a word, before he returned to the Steelers locker room after the overtime loss and reached for his cell phone, he was, intended or unintended, an icon. The next day, his jersey was the top seller in the NFL.
Chris Simpson, a professor of communication at American University, watched the Steelers controversy from afar. He saw the photos of Villanueva. He knew they would be viral. Why? In broadcast parlance, he explained, what makes a moment extraordinary is an "image" or "emotion." When a shot has both image and emotion, Simpson said, "that's golden."
There remains a responsibility for media to deliver those moments honestly, he said. If they pick an emotional story, cover it quickly and move on to the next spectacle, the consumer has only part of the story. What occurred Sunday, in some instances, was consumers saw an image of Villanueva, whose side wasn't known for some time, and were left to decide his intent.
"There are very few news sources that care a fig about that," Simpson said. "That is changing society more deeply than most people recognize."
