And that's OK to feel like that. But I find it interesting you can't see past that to see the whole point of the protest is to bring attention to social issues. Again you might not choose to protest that way but to disregard it under one's own viewpoint without taking that extra step to see the reason behind it, well that's interesting you can't make that leap.
No Kneeling for you! With a poll.
- Thread starter FirewithFire
- Start date
Bingo. This is still a great and wonderful country. But no where and I mean NOWHERE is perfect, including us.
We live in a land where education is abundant, internet is mostly unrestricted, we have public libraries with free access to free speech and myriad works of art, literature, etc.
We also have our problems. Our healthcare system is a mess. Housing is teetering on a crisis and becoming increasingly unaffordable to nearly everyone. Our infrastructure is crumbling. Our taxes increase and we see little benefit.
That being said, I'm an American and I love my country. And part of that love is speaking out when I think its wrong. And when I think it needs change.
Politicians everywhere licking their lips over threads and back and forths online like this lol.
I do get annoyed that it feels as though one side shits on the country while the other side pretends the American flag is just for them and Jesus walked from the Middle East to America (he can walk on water, duh) to bless our soil. At the end of the day, aren't we all sheepish for buying into this stuff? Maybe people just want to be entertained and not think about politics, wars, and race relations constantly. I see no reason to stand and think about America before watching a sporting event and I see no reason why general, common sense statements like "End Racism" really need to be plastered on a court.
I do get annoyed that it feels as though one side shits on the country while the other side pretends the American flag is just for them and Jesus walked from the Middle East to America (he can walk on water, duh) to bless our soil. At the end of the day, aren't we all sheepish for buying into this stuff? Maybe people just want to be entertained and not think about politics, wars, and race relations constantly. I see no reason to stand and think about America before watching a sporting event and I see no reason why general, common sense statements like "End Racism" really need to be plastered on a court.
Wasn't just the tories, it was some of the revolutionaries too. But yes, to play Devil's Advocate, they didn't know any other form of government so.....
But you know the thought that had to go through Washington's head "Seriously? What did we JUST get rid of?"
Here's my argument to that. When the government starts punishing people for not standing for the flag, I'm much more worried. Any kind of totalitarianism is bad. Period. Communism included.
Not standing for the anthem is a protected form of speech, whether one likes it or not. And I would gladly defend it, even if I don't like it. That's part of freedom.
I actually think its been pretty respectful for the most part. Pleasantly surprised.
The irony of saying the 1st Amendment is being destroyed while implying that people should be forced to stand for the anthem.
There’s a lot of art in the Smithsonian and capitol building that portray the founding fathers and Washington in particular as God like or ‘looking down from on high’ that Washington supposedly detested
That was Sophomore year, buddy…of High School. Not hard to tell that’s the last book you read.
Compulsory patriotism is unAmerican.
Forcing it is more akin to China and North Korea than the ideals of the United States.
Forcing it is more akin to China and North Korea than the ideals of the United States.
Read or listen to chapter 6 of Sapiens. It’s really interesting. It proposes that social order as it presently is can be seen as biologically unnecessary but was formed through evolution for a need, or maybe more so a desire, to have order.
Whether that was from God, humans or a desire for power or greed can still be argued but it most certainly seems to have evolved by design, even if that was over 1000s of years.
To further your point, it discusses the order of things and how it’s bred into us for birth through religion, nationalism, tribalism, geography, ancestry, etc and isn’t really a “thing” that exists. It only exists because we believe it does.
There is no actual binding tie of countrymen or religious brotherhood or manhood unless the people participating believe in it. You may FEEL you have a tie but that’s because you’ve been told your whole life you do or have chosen to.
But I’m no more biologically bound to a bartender in DC than I am a radio host in China. In my head though because we speak the same language and live in the same country I FEEL like he’s more kin to me.
Just like the value of a currency can deflate to extinction if everyone stops believing in it.
Anyway, sorry for the rant but that book is awesome for what you’re talking about.
Ancestry? Nah, that’s still my blood lol. Agree with the rest.
It really is this simple. This is a free country. We are free to make our own choices as long as those choices fall on the right side of the law. There is no law requiring particiaption in the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.
I stand for the anthem. Always have, always will. But, if the guy next to me doesn't, I won't care, I won't hate that person and won't make a scene about it as if I were the American patriotism police. It's just not that big of a deal.
WildcatfaninOhio
All-American
Somebody help me understand the poll. The wording seems awkward.
No kneeling for me, good idea or bad? If I vote good, means kneeling is good for me? If I vote bad, kneeling is a bad idea?
As for my opinion. I don't care if others stand or not. I choose to stand. And the thought of our "land of the free, home of the brave" turning into a North Korea, where nationalism is mandatory, frightens the hell outta me. Should you, too!
No kneeling for me, good idea or bad? If I vote good, means kneeling is good for me? If I vote bad, kneeling is a bad idea?
As for my opinion. I don't care if others stand or not. I choose to stand. And the thought of our "land of the free, home of the brave" turning into a North Korea, where nationalism is mandatory, frightens the hell outta me. Should you, too!
So on the same night, the next game, neither USC not UConn came out for the Anthem. Part of thier pregame routines.What do you think about the response by the Governor of Louisiana?
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry threatens scholarships after LSU players miss national anthem before Iowa loss
Neither the LSU men's nor women's basketball team has been on the court for the anthem for the past several years.sports.yahoo.com
I’m saying more your ethnicity not like your family line, yes your family is your family, that’s different.
I agree with this post, but will add, when you represent an organization and you are the face for that organization, you also must accept the ramifications of your actions should that organization feel you have created negative publicity. Kap had a right to kneel and say what he did. Every team had the right to say they didn’t want that grandstanding in their locker room. Exercising your freedoms may lead to ramifications. That said, if Kap was a stud QB, some team would have taken the risk.
Bad idea. You'd think that the governor of a polluted, poverty stricken state like Louisiana would have bigger concerns at hand, but I'm guessing that he's trying to score some political theater points with his constituents.What do you think about the response by the Governor of Louisiana?
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry threatens scholarships after LSU players miss national anthem before Iowa loss
Neither the LSU men's nor women's basketball team has been on the court for the anthem for the past several years.
For me personally, I'd never consider not standing for the anthem at a game, but I'm also not a fan of forced patriotism. When Tommie Smith and John Carlos protested during the anthem in the 68 Olympics at Mexico City, it pissed my WWII Marine Corp vet dad off, but he also told me why they protested and how it was their right to do that without being tossed in jail.
Does it bother me when athletes take a knee or stay in the locker room while it's being played? No. It's a choice they made, and it harms no one.
Did it bother me when the 45th POTUS was filmed acting like a sugared up 6 year old brat at his Super Bowl party while everyone else was at attention? No, but I did find it funny because he was railing against athletes taking a knee.
Did it bother me that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones couldn't bother to shut his trap or even take his hat off as the anthem (at his insistence) was being played before every Cowboys scrimmage practice? No, but it was very hypocritical of him.
On the opening week of high school football in East TN in 2017, we went to a game on a Thursday. It was the only game that night and there was a big crowd. We were running late, and as we approached the ticket gate, the Sullivan North PA guy asked everyone to please rise as the band played the national anthem. The flag was visible from where we were, so we stopped and I took my hat off. A lady behind us stopped as well, and the deputy who was working the gate area took his hat off and faced the flag. While it was being played, people of all ages walked around us to get their tickets, and the concession area was business as usual with people milling about. Did it bother me? No, but I thought it was a little sad, especially when I'd wager that a good chunk of those people would be furious over athletes taking a knee.
While I'm at it, does anyone here stand for the anthem if you're watching on TV? Yeah, me neither, and neither did my dad who survived Iwo Jima or our Korean War vet neighbor who would come over and watch the big NFL games with us on Sunday because our antenna was further up on the ridge and got a better reception. I never once questioned the patriotism of either of them.
I kind of liked the rally in Mich the other day where 100's of people were shouting "death to America"... That is how you know you have truly free democracy. I don't see the big problem with bringing in people who hate us and our way of life... It's what makes us a great country.
Yea. The players would have knelt so it's better just to not be on the court. I wonder how long we can go on with half the country hating everything about this country that made us great though?
Growing up in the 90's I thought we'd beat racism and it felt like we were until around 2012/2014 ish... then it just went downhill fast.
Wouldn't it be nice to just watch sports? Nothing else but sports. No distractions. Just the love of competition.
Racism has been around since we were Sapiens and there were others like erectus, it’s never going away until we’re all 5’8” and yellow but even then you have different areas to grow up in, economics etc, racism is a human condition imo unfortunately.
We grew up different. I saw racism and most of us were willingly rejecting it.
Probably not. I never said I grew up around it, quite the opposite thankfully. My point is the human condition. There will always be racism, famine and war. It’s people, it’s what we do unfortunately.
I watched my 97 year old GMA go from not liking Jordan or Tiger nor gays, to almost crying when tiger won his last Masters and being okay with gay marriage. People change for sure but not all of us.
Only ways you’d unite Earth is an outsider/aliens showing up and even the it would be temporary.
Surely you don’t believe there will be a utopia of some sort?
I watched my 97 year old GMA go from not liking Jordan or Tiger nor gays, to almost crying when tiger won his last Masters and being okay with gay marriage. People change for sure but not all of us.
Only ways you’d unite Earth is an outsider/aliens showing up and even the it would be temporary.
Surely you don’t believe there will be a utopia of some sort?
