I don’t feel the need to defend myself or my thoughts to some random dstranger on the internet considering all you’ve done so far is completely reject every idea that isn’t aligned with your own (not that you have any clue as to my personal feelings of the flag/anthem). At this point, you’re just another boring snowflake. I’ll bow out.
What do they represent to you, so I won"t have to carefully read this whole thread, as opposed to the skimming I did?
I agree that private employers have the right to abridge free speech, but the NFL should have done that the day Kaepernick decided not to stand. Here is the statement from the NFL:
“Players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the National Anthem.”
The 49ers said this:
“recognize the right of an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”
It seems to me that the NFL has taken ownership of this protest. My comments were mostly geared towards other citizens that decide to sit or take a knee during the anthem. In my mind, many fans who support this will do just that, but I may be wrong.
To me, the flag/anthem stand for America. Because I get that’s a copout, further down the line it means safety, freedom, and equality (in that exact order of importance).
All this shit about “here’s what the flag means hurdurhurdur” where people are CONVINCED they have the answer. So convinced, the simple idea of entertaining a new thought is blasphemy. It’s like you told them 2+2=5. You (not directing this at treco) think a guy escapes NK and comes to America and the MEANING of America HAS to be the same between him and a 7th generation American with a mansion? You think the priority level for EVERY American is the exact same regardless of their lives?
America is ultimately a country, but to me, what that country MEANS, is safety, freedom, and equality (in that order).
I don’t particularly like the term systemic racism either, but as it is a term now commonly used and there are are a lot of people on either side of that topic, I think “arguably” is ok. There are many people who fundamentally believe that it is a pervasive force and there are many that believe such as yourself.
The only idea I’m rejecting is that drawing attention to one’s self during the National Anthem is somehow admirable, noble, or a behavior that should be emulated, no matter how good the intentions behind it are. I don’t care if you want to kneel, wave a confederate flag, streak the field or Rick-Roll the place, it is a dick move, sure to piss people off for reasons covered extensively in this thread, beginning with the original post.
I apologize if I’m doing a bad job of communicating this idea. I am trying, however.
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If this is still difficult to understand, please scroll to the top and look at the images one more time.
The shooter may have been black but he wasn’t African-American.
I believe there are lingering effects of systemic racism. Then again, NYC has stop and frisk, a policy that violates the 4th Amendment and disproportionately targets minorities unless de Blasio has gotten rid of it.
I think dude nailed it…
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Why do so many people who object to a player taking a knee bring up how they are personally offended because of what the flag means to them? I don’t think any players are targeting any individuals personally. This is about what the flag means, or rather is supposed to mean, to the players and people of color. Maybe if we had a president who seriously addressed the issues that black Americans are concerned about instead of calling them SOBs no one would be kneeling anymore. We need leadership and we get a guy who thinks in terms of ratings.
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I don’t see the connection. A player protesting because he believes that the values and freedoms that the flag stands for are not the same for blacks as for whites is not the same as someone protesting the removal of statues or other symbols of Southern heritage. The flag’s values are supposed to protect blacks as much as whites or any other American but they are not supposed to protect the symbols of Southern heritage or values, at least those symbols that represent slavery, oppression and the side that lost the war. The government can remove a statue off of public land and it doesn’t violate anyone’s rights or the values of the nation that the flag stands for. If a cop unjustly kills a citizen then that is a violation of his rights but removing a statue is not violating anyone’s rights.
What if you don’t stand for religious reasons?
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I live in the dfw area and have watched dale for 40 years(3stations) and I can tell that he has grown as a person over time. Way back when he was a stuffy shirt conservative. He also has a great YouTube on the Michael sams controversy a few years ago. I have not always agreed with dale but this was dead on.
If you’re talking about Neo-Nazis/KKK (I’m getting a little confused in this thread) then there are quite a lot. More than the antifa that too many people worry unnecessarily about
He did, hero.
Thank you for posting it again.
Not only was it from an “Old White Guy…” and a Vet…it was powerful…
Yes, I know he was a legal resident from the Sudan iirc.
Things absolutely worth discussing.
It’s just a counter-example to illustrate how “free speech” is hypocritically applied on both the left and the right.
Aside from that, I don’t really disagree with anything else you wrote here.