Why the National Anthem at Sporting Events?
Sep 26, 2017 02:12:40 #
Sep 26, 2017 02:14:47 #
wilsondl2 wrote:
Just think my ancestors gave their ancestors a free boat ride to our country. And from then on they were treated badly. How can they be be so disrespectful. We should take a page from Hitler's book and put them in camps if someone didn't Heil Hitler. That would fix the problem. Dave
That's a hateful, terrible thing to say about anyone.Sep 26, 2017 02:15:47 #
Sep 26, 2017 02:51:54 #
RatGMAN wrote:
Your comments highlight your ignorance of the spirit of this country, the meaning of Constitution, and the mere idea of America. You certainly have a right to express them, just as every other citizen does. What's causing all this is a president who cannot get his way and, as a result, he reverts to sowing civil discord, showing very vividly that he is a divider and will not MAGA as long as he continues this behavior.
Players started kneeling long before Trump weighed in with his opinion, so can your hatred of him and use some common sense. Trump has the same right to free speech as every prima donna football player!
Firing the players might be a little extreme. If they played for me, they would not step on the field until they learned the proper time and place to exercise their rights.
Sep 26, 2017 05:43:33 #
This topic was posted about 36 hours ago and has just under 4000 views. I conducted a bit of an experiment, choosing to post it in General Chit-Chat but expecting it to end up in The Attic. I was unaware that a similar topic ("NFL") had been posted in The Attic.
Interestingly, this has remained in General Chit-Chat (so far) because the general tone of conversation has remained respectful...partly because the usual Attic dwellers have either not discovered it or have chosen to vent in the other topic.
One thing I have learned is that there is a range of ideas about what the controversy is about. I believe "take a knee" is about perceived racism/anti-police brutality, but others choose to see it as an anti-Trump statement (which some of our fellow citizens have chosen to conflate.) I suspect it would be fair to say the controversy is whatever you want it to be. We cannot agree on terms.
Still, I want to thank almost everyone here (with a few ad hominen exceptions) for "keeping it civil". That's the only avenue to closing the gap.
Interestingly, this has remained in General Chit-Chat (so far) because the general tone of conversation has remained respectful...partly because the usual Attic dwellers have either not discovered it or have chosen to vent in the other topic.
One thing I have learned is that there is a range of ideas about what the controversy is about. I believe "take a knee" is about perceived racism/anti-police brutality, but others choose to see it as an anti-Trump statement (which some of our fellow citizens have chosen to conflate.) I suspect it would be fair to say the controversy is whatever you want it to be. We cannot agree on terms.
Still, I want to thank almost everyone here (with a few ad hominen exceptions) for "keeping it civil". That's the only avenue to closing the gap.
Sep 26, 2017 07:18:29 #
Sep 26, 2017 07:34:44 #
Sep 26, 2017 07:37:26 #
chwillbill68
Loc: PA
It breaks my heart to see them doing this. I retired from the Army after 20 years, lost many brothers in that time. I know I served so they can be free and act that way, but I feel almost as though they are attacking me and all who serve and served personally. And that it is somehow our fault for the issue! That flag and anthem represents all they want and deserve here in this great country. Why can't they protest another way, with all their fame and money.
Sep 26, 2017 07:47:32 #
RatGMAN wrote:
How many of those on this blog, who are castigating the players for protesting, actually wore the uniform and gave time from their lives to support and defend the Constitution?
I did and paid a heavy price.
Also over 300 people in my unit over time paid the ultimate price from the dead battalion commander on down.
Sep 26, 2017 09:29:49 #
Sep 26, 2017 10:45:14 #
Sep 26, 2017 10:57:53 #
Architect1776 wrote:
I did and paid a heavy price.
Also over 300 people in my unit over time paid the ultimate price from the dead battalion commander on down.
Also over 300 people in my unit over time paid the ultimate price from the dead battalion commander on down.
I'm sorry to say that a reasonable person can't seriously debate with closed minds and politically-driven agenda activists who want to foist their will on the rest of the country. In their minds, the Kaepernicks and wanna-be's have all the rights to behave as they see fit, but those who disagree may not. As long as we, -those of us who served and suffered losses of our comrades in arms - don't forget the sacrifices made, or loved ones who bear the scars, - we can hold our head up high and proud, stand up for our flag and anthem; and the heck with snowflakes. No more NFL in my house, and no more wasting time rebutting unreasonable posts.
Sep 26, 2017 11:03:14 #
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.
Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) is a safety for the San Francisco 49ers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/opinion/colin-kaepernick-football-protests.html?action=click&contentCollection=Science&module=Trending&version=Full®ion=Marginalia&pgtype=article
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.
Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) is a safety for the San Francisco 49ers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/opinion/colin-kaepernick-football-protests.html?action=click&contentCollection=Science&module=Trending&version=Full®ion=Marginalia&pgtype=article
Sep 26, 2017 11:10:49 #
omar wrote:
There is always more than one side to any argument- try,
honestly, to look at this from the point of view of a black person, and again, honestly,
how many white unarmed people were killed by police for a busted taillight?
honestly, to look at this from the point of view of a black person, and again, honestly,
how many white unarmed people were killed by police for a busted taillight?
What angers me when when I am told that "I" enslaved "them" for the past several hundred years. "I" was not alive before the Civil War. "I" enslaved no one. Can't tell you how many times when I was in college, black students repeatedly skipped classes, then complained that the professor failed them because they were "black". When at work, a black colleague would repeatedly show up for work late, not complete assignments then complain they were passed over for promotion because they were "black".
Yes, there were atrocities in the past. There are still incidents which should not happen. But there are also incidents which occur to whites too.
Just last week, the news ran a report in which two police officers were suspended because they beat 2 white men by smashing their faces on the pavement.
I have been discriminated against more than once because I am a woman. It is a fact of life. It will be a long time in the future until there is complete equality between all sexes and races.
Sep 26, 2017 11:18:18 #
Colin and Eric should spend their off season in Chicago and get that straightened up, then we could believe they are sincere!
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