Help me to understand something about the U.S. football national anthem kneeling protests....

[Cormac135]

Well if this thread was good for nothing else at least it brought MakeDigitalLove back to us.

 

[buckeyrex]

It's been a long time ago, but in the early 1950's while stationed with an RAF unit in Bedfordshire, I occasionally treated myself to a movie in London . I regularly took a cushy balcony seat...smoking was allowed. One time, as the movie ended and I got up to leave, a gentleman sitting directly behind me said, rather sternly, "Not yet Yank...you must first pay your respects to the Queen," whereupon the curtain opened and the Queen herself, in full dress uniform, sitting astride a fine looking horse paraded briefly amidst the gloriously rendered God Save the Queen. I was most impressed..moved, if you will...at such a grand display of British Unity. Does such a ceremonial still occur in British theaters?

 

[Cormac135]

It's been a long time ago, but in the early 1950's while stationed with an RAF unit in Bedfordshire, I occasionally treated myself to a movie in London . I regularly took a cushy balcony seat...smoking was allowed. One time, as the movie ended and I got up to leave, a gentleman sitting directly behind me said, rather sternly, "Not yet Yank...you must first pay your respects to the Queen," whereupon the curtain opened and the Queen herself, in full dress uniform, sitting astride a fine looking horse paraded briefly amidst the gloriously rendered God Save the Queen. I was most impressed..moved, if you will...at such a grand display of British Unity. Does such a ceremonial still occur in British theaters?

Thank fuck no, was this in the 50's ?

 

[buckeyrex]

However one shapes it, any act that divides one from another....friend from friend, neighbor from neighbor...is unhealthy. Yes, there is much wrong today but such wrong is best addressed through intelligent, thoughtful discourse not by separating oneself from the whole through the use of some symbolic gesture. A unified group, determined to make a right from a definite wrong is far more likely to break separating barriers, to build bridges of understanding...if you will....than a righteously motivated kneeling display that serves only to further illustrate how exclusive our society remains. We all....including politicians both great and small....are responsible to help turn our current exclusive program into a peaceful all inclusive one.

 

[gsdx]

^ There have been many, many protests over the years. They haven't been making much of a difference. There are millions of football fans in the United States. It's a whole new audience.

They point is, they have the right to protest, and they have a very good reason to do it. Trump does not have the right to take that right away from them.

 

[mikey3000]

I saw a reporter ask Donald Trump coming off an aeroplane a loaded accusatory question to the effect of, "Are you saying this is about race?" to which Trump backtracked and denied that it was anything to do with it....

Excuse me?

OF COURSE this controversy is about race! All of the protesters are black! And they've openly said that their protest is about their self-described ideas about racial injustice!

The NFL players claim it is about supporting diversity. BULL SHIT! How many women are in the NFL? Any loud and proud gay members? How about Asians? The NFL is probably the most exclusive millionaires club in America. It has to be chopped down to size.

 

[peeonme]

The NFL players claim it is about supporting diversity. BULL SHIT! How many women are in the NFL? Any loud and proud gay members? How about Asians? The NFL is probably the most exclusive millionaires club in America. It has to be chopped down to size.

When did they claim that? They stood or knelt in response to Trumps remarks.

 

[gsdx]

The NFL players claim it is about supporting diversity. BULL SHIT!

They are not supporting diversity. They are protesting the dead black bodies piling up with police bullets in them.

 

[gsdx]

Well, Trump has completely violated the players' free speech.

Spoke to Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys yesterday. Jerry is a winner who knows how to get things done. Players will stand for Country!
7:09 AM - Sep 27, 2017

https://sports.yahoo.com/trump-contacts-jerry-jones-protests-players-will-stand-124751952.html

The man seriously needs to sort out his priorities and start concentrating on putting the United States back together instead of preventing a peaceful and CONSTITUTIONAL protest.

 

[gsdx]

By the way, as I posted in another thread in a different forum, the 'custom' of players standing for the anthem started only 8 years ago. Before then, they spent their time sitting on their asses in the locker rooms waiting to be called to the field.

How much do you want to bet that Trump doesn't even know that?

 

[vulgar_newcomer]

Its a fucking for profit corporate sponsored entertainment sporting event. Your tickets cost $200 or more.You pay $40 to park, tail gate party and get drunk, then inside you pay $12 bills for a plastic cup of warm beer and $8.75 for a hot dog. Some assholes paint their faces and act extra stupid thinking they are clever. You are bombarded with all sorts of BS posters and billboards pushing the latest have to have junk. Then it takes 3 hrs to play a 1hr game watching dudes in tights grab ass.

Sounds almost like a metallica or iron maiden concert that plays the same arena and none of this patriotic bullshit is expected or would ever happen.

This is not memorial day at the national cemetery honoring the tomb of the unknown, or a 4th of July concert on the mall.

This is red meat for tRumps dumb asshole redneck base, they even do more at one of their WWE fake side show wrestling matches or a monster truck smash up.

 

[Benvolio]

Nevertheless, the refusal to stand is intended as an insult and rebuff to the country. We are entirely correct in taking it as an insult and slap in the face.

 

[Alistair]

Republicans have both house but cannot do much because of a few mavericks who ran as Republicans but are only interested in capturing the spot light for themselves. His voters will give him the much deserved boot it he lives long enough to run again.

But y'all just loved the Maverick 10 years ago

 

[Willie Boy]

Well my friend, it is easy to deduce that you are not an African-American. Nuff said.

Easy to deduce he isn't even a US citizen. We don't use the term aero, we use air...... airplane. Aeroplane is a European thing.

 

[peeonme]

Nevertheless, the refusal to stand is intended as an insult and rebuff to the country. We are entirely correct in taking it as an insult and slap in the face.

Better a slap in the face than a shot in the back...

 

[gsdx]

Better a slap in the face than a shot in the back...

Indeed, and this from a person who is all about 'Free Speech' when it comes to those who use the Nazi salute. But that's different. They're WHITE!!!

 

[gsdx]

This is a double slap-in-the-face. Not only has this wannabe Senator mutilated the flag by cutting a hole in the middle of it big enough to stick his head through, but he's wearing it inside-out, something the US Code explicitly says he can't do without penalty.

Anyone making this about the flag or the anthem are doing nothing but trying to distract us from the REAL problem of people dying needlessly, and THAT is the real slap in the face.

 

[medic1]

Better a slap in the face than a shot in the back...

Indeed, and this from a person who is all about 'Free Speech' when it comes to those who use the Nazi salute. But that's different. They're WHITE!!!

Well said both of you, the sad thing is that so many Americans do not see this for what it is.

Edit: Many Americans refuse to see this for what it is. America, dear god, what has happened to so many of you?

 

[Benvolio]

It is you who do not understand. In 2015 a police officer was more likely to be killed by a black male than an unarmed black male is to be killed by a black officer. Black males are 6% of the population, but 42% of cop killers. http://nypost.com/2017/09/26/all-that-kneeling-ignores-the-real-cause-of-soaring-black-homicides/
It is the police who are under attack and they are entitled to defend themselves. The attitude of people on this forum demonstrates how wide spread the hostility toward the police is, and you, I assume, are law abiding. In such an atmosphere, a few mistakes will be made

 

[luckynumbah7]

Easy to deduce he isn't even a US citizen. We don't use the term aero, we use air...... airplane. Aeroplane is a European thing.

Eh, I occasionally use aeroplane. Perhaps he has a reader's vocabulary?

-Of course, if it is due to having a reader's vocabulary I'd like to hear how he managed to mangle the meaning of so many common words to create such a self-serving view of events.