Protests To Trump's Anthem Slurs Grow To Nationwide Rebuke

[E B]

I understand the cause that originally led to players taking a knee & protesting.
I have also personally spoken to many Veterans & fellow football fans regarding the issue.
Most, not all, that I have spoken with see it as disrespectful. You CAN bring attention to your cause without appearing disrespectful to another group.

But...it isn't about them. And if they 'understand the cause' that led to the kneeling, they shouldn't see it as disrespectful. What's perpetuating this outrage is ignorance, willful or not. See: the Dallas Cowboys.

 

[E B]

The reality is that it was never about it 'disrespecting the flag,' it was about it being done in public. Just like DF (and you) said, why can't they do it after the game, on their own time? Where, essentially, no one has to see it?

You may be penalized for your speech on at your place of employment, but the NFL is backing their players' decision.

The entire thing is disgusting to me. Why not spend the millions you are overpaid to help your cause instead of basically giving a big F U to 1/2 your fans?

I'm really not trying to be combative here, but....have you actually looked into the charitable actions many of these players have taken in their communities, for this exact cause and others?

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/09/15/colin-kaepernick-nflpa-charity-community-mvp

 

[E B]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/opinion/colin-kaepernick-football-protests.html

Bumping for those who surely passed it by.

 

[Kbell]

The reality is that it was never about it 'disrespecting the flag,' it was about it being done in public. Just like DF (and you) said, why can't they do it after the game, on their own time? Where, essentially, no one has to see it?

You may be penalized for your speech on at your place of employment, but the NFL is backing their players' decision.


I'm really not trying to be combative here, but....have you actually looked into the charitable actions many of these players have taken in their communities, for this exact cause and others?

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/09/15/colin-kaepernick-nflpa-charity-community-mvp

I don't think you're trying to be combative & I have looked at Colin's history.

I also know "they" don't see it as "disrespecting the flag"; however, if others see it as disrespectful, and that's many many others like maybe 1/2 your fan base, why not do it a different way? Why continue to insist your way is the only & best way? And the NFL as you say is allowing it & that is whom my criticism is against: Them as an organization for promoting division instead of unity.

For example: The Patriots - some took a knee while the rest stood arm & arm.
Why couldn't they all stand arm & arm? A true sign of "unity"? No one would begrudge them that.
Instead what it displayed to me & others was the direct opposite of a unified team.

This is a wonderful opportunity for teams to unite. Instead it seems the opposite is happening.

The Steelers player Alejandro said of his teammates:
"They all would have ... actually the entire team would have been out there with me, even the ones who wanted to take a knee would have been with me had they known these extreme circumstances that at Soldier Field, in the heat of the moment, when I've got soldiers, wounded veterans texting me that I have to be out there, I think everything would have been put aside, from every single one of my teammates, no doubt."

If that's true, why is so hard for them to actually do it? Just stand up - link arms, whatever you want to do to show solidarity. There are other ways besides kneeling to do it. There are ways which people would not interpret as disrespectful. It's the my way or the highway mentality. I'm going to kneel and that's that. I'm not going to consider other ways of protest - cause I'm so righteous - the rest of minions opinions don't matter...

 

[Rhea]

Standing arm and arm wouldn't have been any different to normal. Stupidly this has become a war. It's not about winning, it's about making a stand, a peaceful protest. The original act shouldn't have created any division at all. There was no reason for it to. Now the anthem has to mean the same thing to us all? Says who?

This unity could have been all kneeling together then, right? They would be united in protest that not all Americans are treated equally.

 

[Tekate]

It is righteous to them.

Let me ask you why your friends find it disrespectful?

Are they white vets?

http://www.americanwarlibrary.com/vietnam/vwc10.htm

Blacks died in Viet Nam.. blacks fought. So I wonder why we aren't hearing from black veterans. Or maybe you have. I've not seen but a few.

I don't think you're trying to be combative & I have looked at Colin's history.

I also know "they" don't see it as "disrespecting the flag"; however, if others see it as disrespectful, and that's many many others like maybe 1/2 your fan base, why not do it a different way? Why continue to insist your way is the only & best way? And the NFL as you say is allowing it & that is whom my criticism is against: Them as an organization for promoting division instead of unity.

For example: The Patriots - some took a knee while the rest stood arm & arm.
Why couldn't they all stand arm & arm? A true sign of "unity"? No one would begrudge them that.
Instead what it displayed to me & others was the direct opposite of a unified team.

This is a wonderful opportunity for teams to unite. Instead it seems the opposite is happening.

The Steelers player Alejandro said of his teammates:
"They all would have ... actually the entire team would have been out there with me, even the ones who wanted to take a knee would have been with me had they known these extreme circumstances that at Soldier Field, in the heat of the moment, when I've got soldiers, wounded veterans texting me that I have to be out there, I think everything would have been put aside, from every single one of my teammates, no doubt."

If that's true, why is so hard for them to actually do it? Just stand up - link arms, whatever you want to do to show solidarity. There are other ways besides kneeling to do it. There are ways which people would not interpret as disrespectful. It's the my way or the highway mentality. I'm going to kneel and that's that. I'm not going to consider other ways of protest - cause I'm so righteous - the rest of minions opinions don't matter...

 

[ksinger]

Bumping for those who surely passed it by.

No doubt I should have said what it was. Not that I think it will matter one jot to the I'm-set-on-being-offended-by-what-was-explicitly-not-intended crowd.

Just for the record, I pretty much loathe football. I'd probably be run out of town on a rail if I let it often be known just how stupid I really think it is. It has always left me cold. Oh, I've watched it, gone to games (high school and college games) - it's Oklahoma after all - you are almost obliged to be for or against a football team. I have friends who never even went to the school they ardently support, and let the fortunes of "their" team, dictate their mood for the following week. We're talking true despondency here, or anger. And these are people with ZERO connection to either the school or the sport. I will never get it. I don't group identify easily, maybe my brain is just not wired for the warm fuzzy of belonging to groups. The requirements of "fanhood" are odious, especially without any deep connection - I never played football and the idea that there should be some sort of loyalty to a school I went to is just...weird IMO. I've also never cared for the overabundance of testosterone and the conflation of a type of formalized war game (with which I have no truck) with demands for social and not-quite-so-quasi-religious conformity.

And why IS the national anthem played at a freaking football game anyway? What's up with that?
There's the solution to this kerfuffle - stop making football a venue for enforced allegiance to country by dropping the anthem. Of course that would massively offend the same crowd, because how could we possibly do football without the demand for public displays of love of country before each game?

 

[partgypsy]

I see this as a "test" of our democracy. Having professional athletes kneel during the national anthem, in protest of racial discrimination, is a pretty "soft" test of our democracy. They are not "scary" or yelling or making threats, anything, and what they are protested is pretty well documented and disturbing problem in our society. So having a president act like a dictator in this case, is a very troubling wake up call for us as a democracy.
I personally do not believe it is done in an offensive manner. I really cannot think of a less offensive way to protest. This has nothing to do with veterans or "respecting the flag". In fact I am offended that Trump is speaking on behalf of all veterans, including my grandfather who served in WWII who certainly would not have agreed with Trump. My grandfather believed you are not patriotic because you salute or stand for the US Flag. The US Flag is a symbol. You are patriotic, when your actions reflect our patriotic ideals of free speech, tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion. If you stand for the flag but don't put in action what the ideals the flag actually stands for, that is a false and hollow patriotism.
(From Facebook)

"So with all of this drama with the NFL and the players kneeling for the national anthem let’s put this into perspective. Why do people kneel for anything?

A man kneels before the woman he wants to marry to show respect and be at her mercy for the question he is about to ask.
Christians kneel when praying to show respect and be at the mercy of God.
In many cultures civilians kneel before a their leader to show respect and to be at the mercy of their ruler.
So maybe take a step back and see what these men are doing. They are kneeling respectfully and are at the mercy of our nation to make changes for a cause that needs to be addressed. They have the opportunity to draw attention to a cause that many people are affected by and they are doing so respectfully!!!

If they turned their back or sat on the bench during the anthem now that would be disrespectful. Instead they are kneeling to the mercy of our nation begging for something to change!"
Ashi Baldwin

 

[Tekate]

NYTimes piece:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/...region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region&_r=0

Eric Reid: Why Colin Kaepernick and I Decided to Take a Knee

In early 2016, I began paying attention to reports about the incredible number of unarmed black people being killed by the police. The posts on social media deeply disturbed me, but one in particular brought me to tears: the killing of Alton Sterling in my hometown Baton Rouge, La. This could have happened to any of my family members who still live in the area. I felt furious, hurt and hopeless. I wanted to do something, but didn’t know what or how to do it. All I knew for sure is that I wanted it to be as respectful as possible.

A few weeks later, during preseason, my teammate Colin Kaepernick chose to sit on the bench during the national anthem to protest police brutality. To be honest, I didn’t notice at the time, and neither did the news media. It wasn’t until after our third preseason game on Aug. 26, 2016, that his protest gained national attention, and the backlash against him began.

That’s when my faith moved me to take action. I looked to James 2:17, which states, “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” I knew I needed to stand up for what is right.

I approached Colin the Saturday before our next game to discuss how I could get involved with the cause but also how we could make a more powerful and positive impact on the social justice movement. We spoke at length about many of the issues that face our community, including systemic oppression against people of color, police brutality and the criminal justice system. We also discussed how we could use our
platform, provided to us by being professional athletes in the N.F.L., to speak for those who are voiceless.

After hours of careful consideration, and even a visit from Nate Boyer, a retired Green Beret and former N.F.L. player, we came to the conclusion that we should kneel, rather than sit, the next day during the anthem as a peaceful protest. We chose to kneel because it’s a respectful gesture. I remember thinking our posture was like a flag flown at half-mast to mark a tragedy.

It baffles me that our protest is still being misconstrued as disrespectful to the country, flag and military personnel. We chose it because it’s exactly the opposite. It has always been my understanding that the brave men and women who fought and died for our country did so to ensure that we could live in a fair and free society, which includes the right to speak out in protest.

It should go without saying that I love my country and I’m proud to be an American. But, to quote James Baldwin, “exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”

I can’t find words that appropriately express how heartbroken I am to see the constant smears against Colin, a person who helped start the movement with only the very best of intentions. We are talking about a man who helped to orchestrate a commercial planeful of food and supplies for famine-stricken Somalia. A man who has invested his time and money into needy communities here at home. A man I am proud to call my brother, who should be celebrated for his courage to seek change on important issues. Instead, to this day, he is unemployed and portrayed as a radical un-American who wants to divide our country.

Anybody who has a basic knowledge of football knows that his unemployment has nothing to do with his performance on the field. It’s a shame that the league has turned its back on a man who has done only good. I am aware that my involvement in this movement means that my career may face the same outcome as Colin’s. But to quote the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “A time comes when silence is betrayal.” And I choose not to betray those who are being oppressed.

I have too often seen our efforts belittled with statements like “He should have listened to the officer,” after watching an unarmed black person get shot, or “There is no such thing as white privilege” and “Racism ended years ago.” We know that racism and white privilege are both very much alive today.

And it’s disheartening and infuriating that President Trump has referred to us with slurs but the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Va., as “very fine people.” His remarks are a clear attempt to deepen the rift that we’ve tried so hard to mend.

I am nevertheless encouraged to see my colleagues and other public figures respond to the president’s remarks with solidarity with us. It is paramount that we take control of the story behind our movement, which is that we seek equality for all Americans, no matter their race or gender.

What we need now is numbers. Some people acknowledge the issues we face yet remain silent bystanders. Not only do we need more of our fellow black and brown Americans to stand with us, but also people of other races.

I refuse to be one of those people who watches injustices yet does nothing. I want to be a man my children and children’s children can be proud of, someone who faced adversity and tried to make a positive impact on the world, a person who, 50 years from now, is remembered for standing for what was right, even though it was not the popular or easy choice.

 

[E B]

Well said by everyone above. (And @ksinger just to clarify, I didn't mean to highlight it because you didn't advertise it well enough, I meant that people who needed to read it the most probably hadn't. I'm glad you posted it!)

What was it about the kneeling that angered everyone? Because I thought it was the timing-- but then, the Cowboys did it before the anthem and were still booed. And as part gypsy noted, kneeling is a sign of reverence in many cultures. How do they make everyone with a different reason to be offended happy? (They shouldn't.) I think the real issue is (as I've said before) that they were doing it at all. The offended don't want to see that, they want to see them get their butts out on the field and throw a football. Right? They've already EXPLAINED why they do it, and how it wasn't meant to be offensive, and still, people plug their ears and say HOW DARE THEY. They don't care about the real why.

Protests are meant to bring an overlooked/ignored subject to the surface in an uncomfortable way. And silently kneeling on a field is about the least uncomfortable (for others) thing they could have chosen to do, but people still roar.

 

[E B]

 

[Matata]

https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/colin-kaepernick-and-a-landmark-supreme-court-case

The phrase “compulsory routine” aptly describes the current tradition of athletes standing for the national anthem. As Jackson reminds us, the ritual will actually mean more—it will reflect the players’ affirmative belief in the United States—if athletes have the choice of whether to stand or not.

The peroration that closes the opinion in Barnette speaks only of the power of government, but the same idea applies to the N.F.L. Americans cannot—and should not—be told what to think or say or express. “If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. If there are any circumstances which permit an exception, they do not now occur to us.”

Where Was Your Outrage When

 

[redwood66]

Personally, I could not care less that they kneel. However, one should recognize kneeling in and of itself does nothing to further or change anything. It's a pretty easy protest actually, especially in this political climate. Good works, as Reid put it, are not for show, they are selfless acts to help your fellow man without the expectation of praise or profit. Should the President be stepping into this issue? For me - absolutely not. But I recognize there are plenty of people who are happy that he did. FWIW there are many things I think present and past Presidents should keep their mouth shut about.

The response to the national anthem and our flag is different for many and everyone should accept the various reactions to this issue. I am a person who has a physical reaction to the singing of the anthem or the reciting of the pledge, goosebumps and an adrenaline rush in my stomach and tightness in my chest. I won't tell anyone else how to react to it and neither should they tell me or judge me on how I do. The anthem and the flag are unifying symbols of this country that has given me so much and it is the least I can do to show respect for them.

 

[Matata]

What started as a symbolic gesture about social injustice morphed into something else when dotard trump opened his mouth. I knew it became all about the money when the NFL owners pulled their testicles out of their a$$es and expressed feigned outrage. Shannon Sharpe nailed it.
http://awfulannouncing.com/fox/shannon-sharpe-goes-nfl-owners-hypocrisy-unity.html

 

[Dancing Fire]

Blacks died in Viet Nam.. blacks fought. So I wonder why we aren't hearing from black veterans. Or maybe you have. I've not seen but a few.

Same reason you don't see many conservative black politicians b/c you will be known as "Uncle Tom" thus the reason why we'll never see a black conservative Prez. in office.

 

[Matata]

 

[redwood66]

Thank goodness for the USA that she can say such things without being tossed in jail or worse! Yay USA! This video probably would land her in trouble in North Korea.


Number 4 is interesting.

 

[Tekate]

you have got to be joking! hahaha.. man the things you say.

Same reason you don't see many conservative black politicians b/c you will be known as "Uncle Tom" thus the reason why we'll never see a black conservative Prez. in office.

 

[Dancing Fire]

you have got to be joking! hahaha.. man the things you say.

So, do you think we'll ever witness a black conservative Prez in office?. IMO, AA like Herman Cain is wasting his time running for office as a conservative. His chances of winning are slim and none.

 

[OreoRosies86]

Same reason you don't see many conservative black politicians b/c you will be known as "Uncle Tom" thus the reason why we'll never see a black conservative Prez. in office.

Thats definitely not racist as ****

 

[Tekate]

I have no clue to be honest. Not sure.

So, do you think we'll ever witness a black conservative Prez in office?. IMO, AA like Herman Cain is wasting his time running for office as a conservative. His chances of winning are slim and none.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I have no clue to be honest. Not sure.

You know I'm right but you just don't wanna admit it...

 

[Dancing Fire]

The reality is that it was never about it 'disrespecting the flag,' it was about it being done in public. Just like DF (and you) said, why can't they do it after the game, on their own time? Where, essentially, no one has to see it?

He should march to the WH like MLK did in 1965 I'm sure he'll get a lot more attention.

 

[Arkteia]

I can say only one thing, being born in the country that lost about 41 million in the most devastating of all wars.

The response to neither the national anthem nor to the flag is indicative of the person's patriotism, love of motherland or the willingness to protect it in the time of real danger.

 

[lovedogs]

Thats definitely not racist as ****

AHHHHHH there are no words.

 

[redwood66]

I can say only one thing, being born in the country that lost about 41 million in the most devastating of all wars.

The response to neither the national anthem nor to the flag is indicative of the person's patriotism, love of motherland or the willingness to protect it in the time of real danger.

No it certainly isn't. Frankly the entire issue is ridiculous especially when there are many other things that are much more important.

 

[Dancing Fire]

you have got to be joking! hahaha.. man the things you say.

I do not need to speak in PC since I am a minority in this country.

 

[Matata]

I do not need to speak in PC since I am a minority in this country.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Mat
Don't you feel sorry for me b/c I am not qualify to run for POTUS?

 

[MollyMalone]

Personally, I could not care less that they kneel. However, one should recognize kneeling in and of itself does nothing to further or change anything. It's a pretty easy protest actually, especially in this political climate. Good works, as Reid put it, are not for show, they are selfless acts to help your fellow man without the expectation of praise or profit. Should the President be stepping into this issue? For me - absolutely not. But I recognize there are plenty of people who are happy that he did. FWIW there are many things I think present and past Presidents should keep their mouth shut about.
* * *

Hmmm... I don't expect any symbolic gesture of protest (especially one as low-key as kneeling on the sidelines of a field before the game begins) to promptly effectuate change. Nor I do consider a protest synonymous with "good works."

In any event, between October 2016 and June 2017, Colin Kaepernick gave $900,000 to, e.g., Meals on Wheels America; famine relief in Turkey; Mothers Against Police Brutality for headstones and family support programs; crime victims' & youth groups; a fledgling health clinic on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation; urban farming & better nutrition education plus cooking classes in Minneapolis; a nonprofit in Brooklyn that assists black military veterans with housing and employment; 100 Suits for 100 Men (like Dress for Success, but serving recently released inmates); NYC's Coalition for the Homeless.

A sum 90x greater that Trump's lone gift of $5000 - 9,999 (to the NYC Police Athletic League) over the course of the 7+ years between January 1, 2009, when Trump stopped paying money into his private foundation & late May 2016, when he finally made good on his declaration in January that he was giving $1 million of his own money to veterans groups.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...b0774c1eaa5_story.html?utm_term=.4115abf69175
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...erans-group/?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.ebce5a1d54a9