I'm not sure if anyone has answered southsidejets original query (and one that I would like to know the answer to) - why even play the national anthem at a regular season sports event in the US? It's never made any sense to me.
if you start protesting something (anything at all including lack of puppy shelters or not enough beer selection at the corner store) while working for me, you need to find a new job. When you're on the payroll you will follow the house rules, you can exercise your free speech on your own free time it does not and has never applied at your place of employment
Because the unity of the country transcends everything. Some people celebrate Christmas, some Ramadah, some Hannukah, but everybody celebrates Thanksgiving. United we Stand / Divided We Fall, it's what binds us all and the foundation of everything we hold dear. The flag and nation is something you stand for and respect, when you start to spit and step on the flag you are pissing on the country that gives you every opportunity you ever had or ever will
Did you hear his press conference? At the end of the day, none of these actions are wrong. Good for Alejandro Villanueva, let him do what he feels. Not once did I say don't stand for the national anthem. I understand the protest and I support them plain and simple. But you aren't seeing my point here, you have the right to complain about whomever doing what in terms of the National Anthem, that is in your right, but don't tell X people that they cannot do something, that is what the armed forces fought for. You talk race, but not once did I bring that up in this discussion. Social injustices affect many people of this Country. Trump's actions affect many people of this country.
None of these things have anything to do with the Dallas Shooting. Again, the last sentence is purely opinionated and 0 fact. Killing people in churches, that's pretty symbolic of something, read on your history.
We aren't saying it's a common event. We are saying it's the most extreme version of the bias non-white people have to deal with. I get pulled over for making a turn on red where it's not allowed, I'll probably get a friendly attitude and a slap on the wrist. A black person does it, they have to worry about cuffs or getting shot. Black people get followed around by security and cops because they simply believe they are up to no good purely because they are black. But even in the case of police shootings, it's because police are NEVER held responsible even in cases where it's blatantly obvious it was the cop's mistakes that led to the event. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
It started after WW I as a show of unity and continued on to become the tradition it is today. At times it was played at sporting event prior to WW I but it was sporadic. Keep in mind it is also somewhat of a fight song, which have always been associated with sporting events. But the first reason I mentioned is the main one.
All of the above and sporting events happen to be where we have large gatherings of people and the anthem is supposed to unite us. That's why this shit for brains Kaepernick did so much damage to this country. He sliced a giant wedge right through the middle, someway somehow he managed to make the flag and anthem unimportant to half the country and turned the NFL into a political shitfest. If his goal was to further his cause he did the complete opposite, he picked the worst thing anybody could have. Nobody he's pissed at is going to care what his cause or message is when he does what he did
Thanks for the explanation. It still seems crazy to me that one of the most (already) patriotic nations on Earth needs to play the national anthem before every game, no matter how unimportant - by all means rub other nations noses in it (international series, medal ceremonies, major finals).
Actions at all fourteen NFL games yesterday prove you're wrong and his actions were anything but counter productive. Even Mr. Trump says that his inspiring of yesterday's demonstrations has brought people together although I suspect not the way he envisioned it.
I just don't see why Trump felt the need to insert himself into this discussion, and of course the way he did it was so obviously ignorant. There are so many more pressing issues, including North Korea viewing his words as a declaration of war, yet this idiot needed to try to divide the nation on this particular issue. I also don't like the way certain players went about it. I don't agree with kneeling or sitting during the anthem, but it's players rights as Americans to do so. That doesn't mean that a player like Lesean McCoy (who actually gave a great explanation on why Kaepernick is unemployed) needs to blatantly disrespect the flag by stretching during it, as if he doesn't even give a shit. Or Marshawn Lynch needed to eat a banana during the anthem. You can show your discontent with the country in other ways, but there's no reason to completely disrespect the flag, anthem and country. I just think there are different ways that players could have attacked the social injustice issues that this nation faces, rather than teeter the line of disrespecting the veterans who died for their rights by sitting during the anthem, which is the song and symbol that most veterans feels represents them. That's why I feel as though Drew Brees said it correctly in feeling as though everyone should stand for the anthem. Either way, Trump should've and could've stayed out of it. Even for his own benefit, as he's now pretty much unanimously hated by nearly every member of one of the most powerful companies in the country. What did he gain by his comments? He lost a lot more than he gained. The Chief Media Strategist for the NFL (his name escape some me) said something to the tune of 'you have our number, contact us if you want to do something productive to bring about change.' Let's see if Trump meets with them and the leading players of the NFLPA to do so.
Lol did damage? He forced America to acknowledge that there IS an issue and that we can't keep burying our heads in the sand. People are just pissed because they can't just look the other way. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
I'll agree that there are some cases where a cop got off when he shouldn't . M slagel comes to mind. I'm also curious to see how the most recent Huntington Beach shooting plays out because despite the fact that the guy fought the cop, when he was shot he didn't look like a threat to me anymore. But then again it is pretty easy to arm chair these cases from video, than it is to be full of adrenaline at the incident. As a cop I would have to think that if some one is brazen enough to fight me and reach for things on my belt, in ten seconds time I have to make a decision on just what this persons capabilities are. I'm going home to my family come hell or high water. It also is never taken into account that cops kill many more whites people each year than anyone else. Yes; I know there are many more white people. But, whites do not account for over half the violent crime statistics. So that changes the type of policing done in certain areas. Yes, itchier trigger fingers . But it's hard to not take that into account if you think rationally. If cops kill significantly more white people, then you would have to think that a good number of those could also be "unjustified"? Where's the news coverage? Where is the riot for Justine Damond? Why is the media preying on the minds of only some people?
The single worst part about this whole debacle is that Kaepernick and the whole kneeling issue was slowly going away. People wouldn't have continued to talk about Kaepernick not being on a roster into next season. That doesn't mean the issues will go away of course. But it would've been nice to watch a pregame show without any of this being a discussion and it purely being about football and an escape from all this nonsense on Sundays. Now this will not go away. Thanks Trump.
The reality is, that the cops that shoot people are such a small percentage compared to the good police officers out there. It gives them a bad name and sometimes sends unwarranted violence towards the ones whom are doing the right thing. That's the shame in it all. The last thing you want a police officer to be is hesitant in a life or death situation. That can ultimately lead to their death and that's sad when they're just trying to do their jobs and arrive safely home to their family every night just like everyone else. There are a few bad seeds in there that are literally out there to kill, and some of which have military backgrounds where they are literally trained to kill. What needs to happen is a collective effort to 1) train these police officers better and vet them a lot more closely and 2) have police officers meet with community leaders in high crime areas to try to clear the air and let the people know they simply want to do their job to the best of their ability and have everyone go home to their families.
I agree. It's also important for people to hold responsibility. They will nit pick police work as cops are humans, but also expect them to be super human. It's hard to police areas where there are no snitch rules. It's hard to police areas where outrage will come after a police shooting, but not at the drugs that person was selling , who they have murdered , robbed etc. and again, some police shootings are unjustified . But the idea that a cop does it on purpose... is ridiculous. You can be better policed if you do what you need to do to make your self better policable.
