STAND
Oct 10, 2017 10:03:09 #
There has been and in all probability, will continue to be a lot of hullabaloo about the NFL players Anthem protests. I came across this in a LinkedIn feed and thought it was appropriate to post on this topic.
By Patrick J. Hill
For the last 23 and a half years, I have sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. This means that I also support the freedoms that it provides, including the freedom to peacefully protest issues about which we are passionate. For the NFL players that are taking a knee during our National Anthem as a protest of police brutality, r****m, and injustice, I respect your right to do that, and I will give my life for you to continue to do so.
However, I choose to stand; not because I am a brainwashed patriot who believes our country can do no wrong; certainly not because I support the issues that these athletes kneel against. I stand because to me, our f**g represents something else. Let me explain.
A little over 200 years ago, the young United States was in the midst of the War of 1812. During the summer of 1814, the British burned the Capitol and the White House to the ground and were making their way up the Chesapeake Bay to Baltimore. A young lawyer and an American colonel sailed out to the British f**gship under a f**g of truce to negotiate the release of a prisoner taken during the raid on Washington. The negotiations were successful, but since the three men had learned of the British plans to take Baltimore, they were not allowed to leave the ship until after the battle.
The only thing that stood between the British fleet and the port of Baltimore was a small Army outpost called Fort McHenry. The British intended on making quick work of the fort before moving on to Baltimore.
As the battle started, the three Americans stood on the deck of the enemy ship and watched their homeland attacked by the enemy. Imagine that. Picture yourselves in their shoes. Feel the rocking of the ship and the creaking of the wood. Feel the sea breeze and the smell of the salt water. Hear the shouts of war; the blasts of the cannons and the smell of the spent gun powder. See the puffs of smoke in the distance as the cannon balls find their targets on your homeland…on your countrymen. You’ve been trained to defend your country and swore an oath to protect it to the death and the only thing you can do is stand there…and watch. What are you feeling? Anger? Rage? Vengeance? That is probably what those three men were feeling too.
Through the night, the attack continued; hour after hour; volley after volley. And still, you can only watch. At some point during the night, the cannon fire stopped, but you don’t know why. Had the Americans surrendered? In the dark, silence of the night, your imagination takes over. You begin to wonder if this young country had met its end. All that had been fought for, bled for; all that had died for American independence… What do we do now? Your anger gives way to fear and despair.
As the dawn breaks, there is a dense layer of fog and smoke covering the American fort. You can tell that there is a f**g flying, but you can’t make out whose it is. The morning progresses and the sun begins to burn off the fog. You can see that the soldiers of Fort McHenry have raised an American f**g that is so huge, so massive, that it can be seen for miles. Each one of its 15 stars measures two feet across! Your countrymen had not surrendered! They STOOD in defiance of the odds and erected a symbol of their determination!
Now what are you feeling? P***e? Resolve? Hope? Yes, that young lawyer felt those same emotions and prompted him to pen the words to the poem “The Defense of Fort McHenry” that would later become the lyrics to our National Anthem. Those same feelings of p***e, resolve, and hope were felt by our Greatest Generation in February 1945 when they saw our f**g raised on Mt. Suribachi; and again by the following generation in July 1969 when they sat in their living rooms and watched our f**g planted on the surface of the moon; and again in our time when our hero firemen raised our f**g over the rubble of the World Trade Center and draped it over the wounded Pentagon.
The feelings that we all felt in those moments were the same emotions that Mr. Key had on that September day in 1814; p***e, resolve, and hope. That is what our f**g represents. In each of the above events, our country faced insurmountable challenges, both internally and externally. During WWII, we were fighting on two fronts and our Marines saw some of the fiercest fighting on Iwo Jima. The worst of the fighting continued for weeks after the f**g was planted, but the sight of the f**g on the highest point on the island inspired the Marines to press on against a determined enemy. In 1969, we were in the midst of the Vietnam war and were not only facing intense war protests, but civil rights protests were still highlighting the deep divisions and generations of injustice and oppression in our country. But for that one brief moment on July 20, 1969, we were united in our p***e as we saw the Stars and Stripes break the bonds of Earth and stand planted on the moon. And on September 11, 2001, we were wounded, scared, and in deep mourning. When we saw those hero firemen raise the f**g over the rubble and unfurled over the Pentagon, we were presented with a symbol of hope and resolve.
Our country has some very deep flaws that need direct attention and intervention. My plea to you is to not kneel in submission to injustice, but to STAND against it! Remember that the sight of our f**g can bring HOPE. STAND and use your fame and wealth to bring HOPE to our communities. Be the change that you want to see in our country. Take P***E in the fact that you CAN change our culture and are not a helpless victim of someone else’s agenda. Kneel only in prayer for strength and guidance but STAND, GO, and RESOLVE to bring HOPE to those who have none. Be an advocate for justice for those who have been oppressed. Be an example to our youth of what it takes to overcome adversity. STAND.
By Patrick J. Hill
For the last 23 and a half years, I have sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. This means that I also support the freedoms that it provides, including the freedom to peacefully protest issues about which we are passionate. For the NFL players that are taking a knee during our National Anthem as a protest of police brutality, r****m, and injustice, I respect your right to do that, and I will give my life for you to continue to do so.
However, I choose to stand; not because I am a brainwashed patriot who believes our country can do no wrong; certainly not because I support the issues that these athletes kneel against. I stand because to me, our f**g represents something else. Let me explain.
A little over 200 years ago, the young United States was in the midst of the War of 1812. During the summer of 1814, the British burned the Capitol and the White House to the ground and were making their way up the Chesapeake Bay to Baltimore. A young lawyer and an American colonel sailed out to the British f**gship under a f**g of truce to negotiate the release of a prisoner taken during the raid on Washington. The negotiations were successful, but since the three men had learned of the British plans to take Baltimore, they were not allowed to leave the ship until after the battle.
The only thing that stood between the British fleet and the port of Baltimore was a small Army outpost called Fort McHenry. The British intended on making quick work of the fort before moving on to Baltimore.
As the battle started, the three Americans stood on the deck of the enemy ship and watched their homeland attacked by the enemy. Imagine that. Picture yourselves in their shoes. Feel the rocking of the ship and the creaking of the wood. Feel the sea breeze and the smell of the salt water. Hear the shouts of war; the blasts of the cannons and the smell of the spent gun powder. See the puffs of smoke in the distance as the cannon balls find their targets on your homeland…on your countrymen. You’ve been trained to defend your country and swore an oath to protect it to the death and the only thing you can do is stand there…and watch. What are you feeling? Anger? Rage? Vengeance? That is probably what those three men were feeling too.
Through the night, the attack continued; hour after hour; volley after volley. And still, you can only watch. At some point during the night, the cannon fire stopped, but you don’t know why. Had the Americans surrendered? In the dark, silence of the night, your imagination takes over. You begin to wonder if this young country had met its end. All that had been fought for, bled for; all that had died for American independence… What do we do now? Your anger gives way to fear and despair.
As the dawn breaks, there is a dense layer of fog and smoke covering the American fort. You can tell that there is a f**g flying, but you can’t make out whose it is. The morning progresses and the sun begins to burn off the fog. You can see that the soldiers of Fort McHenry have raised an American f**g that is so huge, so massive, that it can be seen for miles. Each one of its 15 stars measures two feet across! Your countrymen had not surrendered! They STOOD in defiance of the odds and erected a symbol of their determination!
Now what are you feeling? P***e? Resolve? Hope? Yes, that young lawyer felt those same emotions and prompted him to pen the words to the poem “The Defense of Fort McHenry” that would later become the lyrics to our National Anthem. Those same feelings of p***e, resolve, and hope were felt by our Greatest Generation in February 1945 when they saw our f**g raised on Mt. Suribachi; and again by the following generation in July 1969 when they sat in their living rooms and watched our f**g planted on the surface of the moon; and again in our time when our hero firemen raised our f**g over the rubble of the World Trade Center and draped it over the wounded Pentagon.
The feelings that we all felt in those moments were the same emotions that Mr. Key had on that September day in 1814; p***e, resolve, and hope. That is what our f**g represents. In each of the above events, our country faced insurmountable challenges, both internally and externally. During WWII, we were fighting on two fronts and our Marines saw some of the fiercest fighting on Iwo Jima. The worst of the fighting continued for weeks after the f**g was planted, but the sight of the f**g on the highest point on the island inspired the Marines to press on against a determined enemy. In 1969, we were in the midst of the Vietnam war and were not only facing intense war protests, but civil rights protests were still highlighting the deep divisions and generations of injustice and oppression in our country. But for that one brief moment on July 20, 1969, we were united in our p***e as we saw the Stars and Stripes break the bonds of Earth and stand planted on the moon. And on September 11, 2001, we were wounded, scared, and in deep mourning. When we saw those hero firemen raise the f**g over the rubble and unfurled over the Pentagon, we were presented with a symbol of hope and resolve.
Our country has some very deep flaws that need direct attention and intervention. My plea to you is to not kneel in submission to injustice, but to STAND against it! Remember that the sight of our f**g can bring HOPE. STAND and use your fame and wealth to bring HOPE to our communities. Be the change that you want to see in our country. Take P***E in the fact that you CAN change our culture and are not a helpless victim of someone else’s agenda. Kneel only in prayer for strength and guidance but STAND, GO, and RESOLVE to bring HOPE to those who have none. Be an advocate for justice for those who have been oppressed. Be an example to our youth of what it takes to overcome adversity. STAND.
Oct 10, 2017 10:48:32 #
hondo812 wrote:
There has been and in all probability, will contin... (show quote)
Thank you for posting a well written piece. While America does indeed have its flaws it has also tried for centuries to right those wrongs. I am sure we will continue to make mistakes but the mistakes we make and have made should be tempered with what the times were like at that point in history. Let us remember that good men and women make mistakes all the time. Good people look at those mistakes, realize what they are and move on in the hope of not making the same mistake again. Who are we today to judge people and their actions 300 years ago. Were mistakes made? Of course. But that is history. Some of our greatest men and women made those mistakes while also doing great things for America. Is it too hard for some of us to celebrate the great things those people did while still acknowledging the mistakes?
Dennis
Oct 10, 2017 11:32:27 #
dennis2146 wrote:
Thank you for posting a well written piece. While... (show quote)
Dennis - At the end of the day it's very difficult to make a link between NFL player protesting against police shootings/violence and kneeling during the national anthem. It would sort of be like me protesting the Easter Bunny because I didn't support the Catholic tradition of fish on Fridays.
The players can protest all they want. They should take their protest to the police stations or City Hall. They also should be sure that they are not themselves guilty of shootings/violence. There is really no need for the wife beaters among them to be protesting "violence". Lastly, I firmly believe that they (the protesters) should do this during non-working hours just like everybody else.
Oct 10, 2017 12:53:25 #
hondo812 wrote:
Dennis - At the end of the day it's very difficult... (show quote)
I could not agree with you more. If my post gave a different opinion than yours than I messed up. I am against the NFL players or citizen in America who will not salute our f**g or show respect for the national anthem. While these players have the Right to do what they want we as citizens also have the Right to not support what they are doing. I don't generally watch sports and seldom go to live games of any sport. I simply don't have time or money. But I support anyone who refuses to support the NFL teams where they allow the players to disrespect the very f**g representing the country they are against.
As for past American history, yes we have made mistakes. But we have learned from those mistakes. I look specifically upon s***ery and the way we treated the Indians. S***ery was/is wrong and treating the Indians the way we did, breaking treaties was wrong too. But looking at it from another point of view, our federal government has millions of black people on welfare, people who seemingly are still on the government plantation. Is this not wrong too. After over 150 years of being free and Trillions upon Trillions dollars spent of taxpayer money what will it take for black people to lift themselves up out of their own bonds. How long must we keep paying for them to free themselves. The Indians in America are paid government money every year. They have been given land of their own. Many of those reservations are doing quite well with either oil or gaming casinos yet the people themselves tend to live in shacks. There are jobs for them as there are jobs for the rest of us provided they want to work. Many do not.
Yes I know I am supposedly a r****t for not going whole hog to support these poor people but I am OK with that. Facts are facts.
At any rate, my apologies if you thought I was in any way supporting these NFL players.
Dennis
Oct 10, 2017 13:12:20 #
You know, Kaepernick really shot himself and his cause in both feet when he continued his protest. The first time he did it, he got the attention he wanted and he had the stage all to himself to make his point and possibly make a difference. If he had left it to that one time, I believe most would have accepted his protest, and maybe even though more about his point. I also believe he would still have a job.
By continuing to do it, he made it all about him and not his cause, and he became a distraction, not only to his team and the game, but also his cause. Now the whole thing has turned into a big pissing match and most don't even know what the original act was about. Meanwhile, he is left taking his knee watching the game on TV and wondering where his next paycheck will come from.
The NFL was also dumb in this whole thing, they should have nipped it in the bud. They regularly penalize and fine both players and teams for displays and such outside of NFL norms and SOP's. Now they own the mess as well.
By continuing to do it, he made it all about him and not his cause, and he became a distraction, not only to his team and the game, but also his cause. Now the whole thing has turned into a big pissing match and most don't even know what the original act was about. Meanwhile, he is left taking his knee watching the game on TV and wondering where his next paycheck will come from.
The NFL was also dumb in this whole thing, they should have nipped it in the bud. They regularly penalize and fine both players and teams for displays and such outside of NFL norms and SOP's. Now they own the mess as well.
Oct 10, 2017 16:46:23 #
dennis2146 wrote:
I could not agree with you more. If my post gave ... (show quote)
Relax Dennis. I find you to be one of the calmer voices that I regularly agree with. Now watch one of the spelling police go of the rails about me ending a sentence with a preposition!
Let's put it this way....I skim through a number of these threads. If I come across a post of yours I read every bit of it, usually nodding my head in agreement.
Oct 10, 2017 16:47:09 #
They chose a very ineffective manner to execute their protest.
Most people have focused on the action being used to stage the protest and the disrespect to the f**g shown by that action, and very few people focus on what the protest is actually all about.
Not very well thought through on the players parts...it has not communicated their message.
Most people have focused on the action being used to stage the protest and the disrespect to the f**g shown by that action, and very few people focus on what the protest is actually all about.
Not very well thought through on the players parts...it has not communicated their message.
Oct 10, 2017 16:50:46 #
WNYShooter wrote:
You know, Kaepernick really shot himself and his c... (show quote)
You'd like to think these Billionaires were a little bit brighter but I guess their not as smart as we give them credit for. Goddell should have put a stop to it as the Commissioner. That's part of his job. Failed again.
It's well past time for all of these sports franchises to lose their tax exempt status. That should be part of the Tax reform that Washington will take on. Be sure to write your elected officials.
Oct 10, 2017 18:36:03 #
hondo812 wrote:
Relax Dennis. I find you to be one of the calmer voices that I regularly agree with. Now watch one of the spelling police go of the rails about me ending a sentence with a preposition!
Let's put it this way....I skim through a number of these threads. If I come across a post of yours I read every bit of it, usually nodding my head in agreement.
Let's put it this way....I skim through a number of these threads. If I come across a post of yours I read every bit of it, usually nodding my head in agreement.
Trust me I am relaxed. I only wanted to clarify if there was a problem of me getting my opinion out clearly. I appreciate you reading and liking many of my posts.
Dennis
Oct 10, 2017 20:18:56 #
dennis2146 wrote:
Trust me I am relaxed. I only wanted to clarify if there was a problem of me getting my opinion out clearly. I appreciate you reading and liking many of my posts.
Dennis
Dennis
According to ABC World News Tonight, Roger Goodell has reversed himself and told players they must stand for the Anthem. The owners are meeting next week to discuss this. All it took was hitting them in the pocketbook to change their minds. Twat will go nuts over this. LOL
Oct 10, 2017 22:53:08 #
cwp3420 wrote:
According to ABC World News Tonight, Roger Goodell has reversed himself and told players they must stand for the Anthem. The owners are meeting next week to discuss this. All it took was hitting them in the pocketbook to change their minds. Twat will go nuts over this. LOL
And you are telling me this because???????
Who is Twat? Should any respectable person know someone by that d********g name?
Dennis
Oct 10, 2017 23:15:59 #
dennis2146 wrote:
And you are telling me this because???????
Who is Twat? Should any respectable person know someone by that d********g name?
Dennis
Who is Twat? Should any respectable person know someone by that d********g name?
Dennis
Twardlow. The bigot. I thought you would find that interesting is all. Never mind.
Oct 10, 2017 23:38:37 #
hondo812 wrote:
You'd like to think these Billionaires were a little bit brighter but I guess their not as smart as we give them credit for. Goddell should have put a stop to it as the Commissioner. That's part of his job. Failed again.
It's well past time for all of these sports franchises to lose their tax exempt status. That should be part of the Tax reform that Washington will take on. Be sure to write your elected officials.
It's well past time for all of these sports franchises to lose their tax exempt status. That should be part of the Tax reform that Washington will take on. Be sure to write your elected officials.
Sounds like they finally got the dreaded "Major Sponsor is Pissed and ready to walk" call, LOL.
Agree 100,000% that their exempt status should go away.
Oct 10, 2017 23:46:22 #
cwp3420 wrote:
Twardlow. The bigot. I thought you would find that interesting is all. Never mind.
For reasons that will remain mine I do not like that word. I have never heard Twardlow called by that name before. Now I know what you mean.
Dennis
Oct 11, 2017 00:00:21 #
hondo812 wrote:
There has been and in all probability, will contin... (show quote)
Fact is that the players are employees and they signed acontract that thEy will not bring dishonor to their team as well as the NFL. Furthermore they do not own the field. They are hiured by the owner of the team. and works at his pleasure. As an employee they are not awarded the same right to free speech as they are when off the field. As a private citizen they can tell the president to go F himself and not suffer any consequense. But were to to tell the owner the same thing he could be fired on the spot. So if a player refuses to stand the owner can ,if he decides, can remove him from the field. A player has free speech according to the federal government but not according to the owner or the NFL
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