OT: Anthem demonstrations
- Thread starter Willcampbell
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This thread will stay up as long as people are being respectful of other people's opinions. The second we get into name calling each other, it'll suffer the same fate as the other threads.
Have at it...
Have at it...
I’m a firm believer that everyone has the rights to their opinions and freedom of speech. It’s what I love about my Country and to me this situation doesn’t seem any different. If they are not happy with a certain issue in our Country, then they have the right to express as such. I don’t believe in boycotting the NFL over players addressing a certain issue. I’m gonna go as normal and watch my Cowboys play tonight and hope they win!
I believe you respect this country and veterans who died defending this country by standing for the anthem.
Everyone has the right to think differently and not stand but I would like to know what they are protesting.
Everyone has the right to think differently and not stand but I would like to know what they are protesting.
I agree with this. It is a peaceful protest which helps bring attention to a serious concern of many. As long as it continues to be peaceful, I will have no problem with it.
I'm done with the overpaid babies of the NFL and every real American will be too. If you live here in a free country and can't respect that and stand and be proud please leave and I don't care who you are. And if it creeps into college sports I'll turn it off too #AmericanPride all this stunt does is make people angry. If they truly care about what they say get off your millionaire butt and go help people that need it or start an organization to combat what you think needs fixing. Have a news conference and let people know how you feel but DO NOT disrespect my country.
Me too. If more are kneeling now because Trump said he doesn't like it or whatever, then those players just got baited and played hard.
Also I can only hope that kneeling becomes some symbol of "resistance" to Trump, and his haters literally 'bend the knee' to him, hilarious.
The players have the right to kneel or protest as they wish as long as they don't hurt anyone. That right has been paid for over and over again by those troops that protect our country even to the point they become disabled or give their lives. I also feel the owners of these teams have the same right to not have these players on their teams. Rights are not one sided. I'll still watch sports and let them figure it out. In the mean time I will stand during our anthem , take off my hat, put my right hand across my heart and be thankful that I'm free and have the right to do that. OFC
That's the way it should be. Maybe just delete the ones who are being disrespectful and name calling. OFC
Oh no...Pisgah has warned us. So your saying we aren't real Americans if we tolerate or even more shockingly, agree with the reason for the protest? Got it. Those guys should just shut their mouth and be happy the man still let's them have a job...right?
I didn't say that so don't turn it. I'm saying put the money where your mouth is and quit acting like an entitled brat. Also yes you aren't a real American if you don't salute our flag.
Agree with everything you said Sky!! A million likes if I could.
I really don't care what pro athletes on the whole do or think. I care what a Bill Russell or Coach K has to say about things, but a general movement by a whole group of men who are only trained to hit each other and run fast? It means very little to me. I'd rather hear what policy experts or community groups have to say.
That is cool bro, I have never felt "American" anyway lol. Plenty of family and friends that feel the same way, more than likely some on the current Duke roster. Should not take a rocket scientist to figure out why the descendants of slaves do not feel as "American", regardless if they worship a flag or not.
It's pretty simple. The players have a First Amendment right to freedom of speech and they're exercising it here. The flag symbolizes many things to many people and equal rights and privileges for all citizens is certainly one of those things. If some people believe those rights are not being adequately protected it is unequivocally their right to peacefully protest the perceived injustice.
It's not very generous to discredit one's interest in protesting by assuming that they are not doing anything else beyond that, whether potentially more active or productive, in response to the complaints they have. The protests are about raising more awareness regarding the issues and it seems to be working quite well given how many teammates, owners, etc. are showing support. It's certainly not open-minded to flatly discredit the stances or the platform chosen to display them.
Defining and understanding America is about recognizing how pluralistic our country is and embracing it. It's not imposing one's own view of the country on to every situation and then demanding others comply or else. The flag isn't merely emblematic of the sacrifices made by our troops. If you don't understand the "why" of a particular movement the least you can do is research the facts with an open mind and open heart and then decide where you fall. Hasty negativity only exacerbates the problems.
It's not very generous to discredit one's interest in protesting by assuming that they are not doing anything else beyond that, whether potentially more active or productive, in response to the complaints they have. The protests are about raising more awareness regarding the issues and it seems to be working quite well given how many teammates, owners, etc. are showing support. It's certainly not open-minded to flatly discredit the stances or the platform chosen to display them.
Defining and understanding America is about recognizing how pluralistic our country is and embracing it. It's not imposing one's own view of the country on to every situation and then demanding others comply or else. The flag isn't merely emblematic of the sacrifices made by our troops. If you don't understand the "why" of a particular movement the least you can do is research the facts with an open mind and open heart and then decide where you fall. Hasty negativity only exacerbates the problems.
I like some of what you're saying as I do think expertise needs much more of a platform in our current climate. With that said, there seems to be a slight assumption here that very few (or none) of these athletes are taking an informed stance, but when you listen to them articulate their concerns it says otherwise from most of what I've read and heard.
For many, the concerns are not based on theoretical stances towards injustice but (even if they're extremely wealthy at this point) experienced, lived inequality from childhood forward, and I do think that carries a lot of significance in informing one's worldview and how they share that with others.
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If you don't feel American you don't deserve her. America has given you every right you could have and you spit in her face because of something that happened almost 200 years ago. I'll gladly buy you a one way ticket to wherever you feel at home then. Maybe back to Africa where they sold your ancestors to Europeans suits you better?
That is just what I would expect from you...."go back to Africa (long pause)....i'm outta here"
Lol take it out of context. And I did say what I and millions upon millions of others believe. And that's why I'm finished because I want y'all to get to go on discussing
Not sure there was a ton of context to wade through. It was a blatantly extreme and insensitive thing to say, to add nothing about its inaccuracy.
Kinda related, I hope if Duke wins the national championship in the next couple of years that they visit the white house.
I’ll protest non violently and dare anyone to stop me!
I understand that everyone has the right to protest, but I just feel there are better ways. Taking a knee during the National Anthem only pisses people off that have lost loved ones or friends who have fought for others' rights. What the players are doing now is protesting President Trump by uniting. I don't think it has anything to do with what Kapernic thought he was protesting. My problem is that they are protesting on their job, if the rest of us did that at work we would be fired.
I'd disagree. Let's not tread on one party's free speech rights for the sake of not bothering others. I think it's safe to say all but a very small few are bothered by white supremacists protesting/gathering in any form, but that doesn't deny them the right to do so peaceably. It's up to the owners to take action if they have a problem with the players stances; this weekend, you saw much solidarity from them and several responses from coaches and owners directly opposed to the comments made by the president.
He definitely enflamed the issue but guys were protesting regardless of any tweets from Mr. Strump.
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I'm not watching at the moment but I do believe that was the plan.
Pisgah,what branch of service did you serve in? I'm not sure anybody who is kneeling are acting like an entitled brat. I spent 20 years serving and fighting for this country and my wife spent 21 years doing the same thing. I have seen and tangled with people disrespecting the flag by burning it, throwing it on the ground, stomping on it etc.
Yes, those acts pissed me off, but at the end of the day, its their right which soldiers before me, and some of my closest friends have died for. The thing that pisses me off more, is some of the public doing the crying about how they are disrespecting our flag, or disrespecting our service members who died for that flag.
Well as a retired veteran, people who never served one day in the military for the same country and flag they claim is being disrespected, and doing all this complaining, in my view can be just as disrespectful. You don't have to be a service member to have patriotism, but that's what I see a lot of. These protest are peaceful, but mainly they are exercising their rights as Americans.What if all service members and family's of service members used the same American qualification criteria you just used for not saluting the flag?What is a real American?
They did, but like I said in my earlier post they have a right to express themselves freely as long as they are doing it peacefully. Would I do it? No, I wouldn’t. I’m like u Sky, I stand up and put my heart over my chest when the National Anthem is being played and thank God that I’m an American, BUT i do understand the opinions and beliefs of others that may not necessarily feel the same way as I do and that’s ok. That’s their right also to believe differently. Like I said earlier, the right to freedom of speech and expressing different opinions is something that I hold dear and close to me.
Looking at your post, the key words I'm getting out of it is (America has given you every right you could have and you spit in her face). You say because of something that happen almost 200 hundred years ago. Not going to get into a race debate, but maybe there's a feeling equality is not the same. Regardless of the fact, your opinion seems to be directed at black Americans. I could be wrong, but then again, this is America, and I fought for you to have the right to say what you want, but it goes both ways.
What protest would you approve of? We fight back and get accused of being militant. We protest peacefully and get accused of being spoiled and anti military. Please tell me what in what form we can say "We are not ok with being treated like this by our police and courts" that allow you to see that this is a real problem. Or do you just not agree with the message? It is a protest...it is supposed to be uncomfortable
Well said Sir!!!! Everyday there are things we see that we may not like, don't make it wrong, just different from our views on what we would or wouldn't do. Great to be an American. I've been in places where you would be killed for voicing your opinion.
i never understood the claim that the flag and the anthem is solely representative of the military...each branch of military has its own flag...i take the anthem and the flag to represent pride in ones country.....when olympic athletes win a gold medal they play the anthem and raise the flag.....what does this have to do with the military in this athletes moment of triumph????.......peaceful protest to spotlight being fed up w/ social injustices and inequalities
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