NFL: "We're not protesting the anthem, we're protesting racism and bad cops". My inner veteran: "BULLSHIT! If that's true, you're doing it wrong".


    I’m told that NFL players are kneeling during the playing of the national anthem as a protest against racism and bad cops targeting innocent minorities. If that is the case, then you’re doing it wrong and, as we can see, your actions have not and will not accomplish the goals that you are hoping to accomplish. This will kill the branch of the entertainment industry known as the NFL. But worse, it will divide us more as a people.



    First off, let me say that I have no doubt that there is racism going on. I have no doubt that there are bad cops and bad politicians who target minorities in this country. I stand with you all against this travesty of justice. I’ll stand with you. But I will never kneel with you when you turn your focus away from those bad cops and bad politicians and wrongly focus your ire on the very founding principles of the United States of America. That is exactly what you are doing with your kneeling during the national anthem.



    Sure, you have the right to do it, but it is offensive to me as an American and as a veteran who served under the flag and who is sworn to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same. Just as you have the right to kneel during the anthem, I have the right to call you out for it and to deny doing any business with you in response to your actions.


    Our flag and our national anthem are symbols of our Constitution, of freedom, of liberty and of human rights. They are symbols of our home and all that we believe in. They are symbols of the principles that unite us, and behind which we can all rally. Whether you are an elderly American celebrating the 4th of July with your grand kids, or a military member defending our country from enemies on foreign shores, these symbols are meant to unite us all for a common purpose. They proclaim to the entire world that we, as Americans, still recognize and attest to that which our Declaration of Independence stated so boldly. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”



    The bad cops and bad politicians do not represent America or her principles, and America does not represent or support them or their unjust actions. So, to protest in this manner against the country, the flag, and the anthem is a despicable, reprehensible act. To protest these does not serve to protest the bad cops and bad politicians, it only serves to protest the very principles on which the United State of America was founded. You are COMPLETELY missing your mark with these protests.

    I have said it once already, but I will say it again. The NFL needs to look at what happened to NASCAR when they spoke about the Confederate flag, it was the straw that broke the camels back for NASCAR just look at the attendance now. Now people we are talking about the American flag, the flag that pulls all of us together, holds us together and the Pride of being an AMERICAN. This is showing what is wrong with America today.

    The anthem means so much more then people realize. This should be taught in school.


    This video is so worth watching, you will never say the anthem and not reflect what price people paid.



    By the time I save up for mods, I have to buy another rear tire :cursing:

    Two aspects here:
    1) they do NOT have a right to do it. In private employment. Freedom of speech is not protected. There are countless law cases to support this as well as common sense with businesses whose employees deal with the general public. Think about something like a flight attendant deciding to give a speech during a flight as to his/her personal opinions on political subjects. It's simply not allowed. The negativity should be directed at the NFL for allowing this. It's totally illogical in ANY business to take sides on controversial political subjects which piss off half your customers. Here's a human resources clip explaining 1st amendment rights in workplace.


    "No Constitutional Free Speech At Work
    Employees don’t have a Constitutional right to free speech or freedom of expression at work. The Constitution’s right to free speech only applies when the government is trying to restrict it. Even then, it’s not absolute. There is no free speech in your house; ask your mom. And there is no legal right to free speech or expression at work. (If you work for the government, there is a special set of rules that apply.)"


    2) Offensive--fully agree that this is offensive to a large percentage of the population base. Try to compare this to the endless placating that goes on in government and colleges in dealing with a single complaint from an atheist or minority religion. In those cases we're told we have to tear down Christmas trees, etc so as not to offend anyone. Conversely, these NFL employees are offending millions of people who indirectly employ them in lavish lifestyles.

    I understand some of the points made here but if it makes you that upset that the NFL is disrespectful of the flag and the country turn your TV off. I don't watch sports, and not much TV at all so if it wasn't for people who keep talking about it and the news I wouldn't know anything about all of this. I hate people that are disrespectful of what I stand for but talking crap about them will just make things worse. Case in point look at Tronald Dump. He made a stupid statement that was none of his business and now instead of a handful of people being disrespectful now everyone is doing it.



    Sent from my iPad using Polaris Slingshot Info

    I agree with the OP 100%. And I refuse to materially support and be a part of what is taking place. As such football season in my house is officially canceled. For the remainder of this season and until these over paid thugs get the message there will be no professional football allowed on any television in my home. In addition the products of any companies that are known sponsors of the NFL will be avoided and where possible we will find replacements.


    Who here will join me?

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    Quote from Flybuddy

    they do NOT have a right to do it. In private employment. Freedom of speech is not protected.

    We are in agreement here. The Bill of Rights places limits only upon governmental power. What I meant was that they have the legal right to do it - they won't be jailed for doing what they are doing. The NFL can absolutely fine them and/or the team owners can fire them for it if they chose to do so, neither are constrained by the First Amendment.

    Quote from rnj12

    I understand some of the points made here but if it makes you that upset that the NFL is disrespectful of the flag and the country turn your TV off.

    I'm like you in that I don't watch football either, but this is a matter that matters to me. So I exercise my right to sound off about it. Yes I could just turn off the TV, but that's like saying "if you are with your mother in a restaurant, and a guy walks up and calls her a whore, you could just leave the restaurant". That's true too, I could. But it's far more likely that I'd take issue with the guy in that situation, and sound off about that too. As a veteran, I'm not inclined to stay silent in the face of implicit approval of such blatant disrespect to our country by a major entertainment industry.

    I will be blocking or ignoring this thread, and here's why.


    I personally don't give a fuck about most of this. It's manufactured drama, if it comes right down to it. There are better ways to organize and protest, better ways to MAKE A GODDAMN DIFFERENCE, and more important things to argue about (and I'm talking about the kneeling, not the racism/bad cop issue that is nominally at the heart of the kneeling trend).


    What really pisses me off is that it's taken over my sports time, not just football, but all sports. The time that is my down time, the time that I have to look at some pretty world-class athletes doing some amazing things, the time that I have to feel good about my team or some individuals I hold in high regard, or to root for based on their personal work (JJ Watts' response to Harvey in Texas, for example). It has taken away my ability to turn on Sportscenter and watch the baseball highlights without being bombarded by people from both sides with hurt feelings and a banner to wave. It has taken away my pleasure in a simple game (or games) that should never have been politicized in the first place. It has taken away the enjoyment that I might have gotten, and could potentially get in the future, sharing the love of sports with my children as they get older.


    This epic clusterfuck of societal discord is now being led at the national level, orchestrated over TWITTER for chrissake, and being pushed into our homes on every platform from television to radio to internet, including, now it would seem, on this very forum. And that's where I draw the line. I come here to learn, to enjoy my Slingshot and the people who have those same interests, and to have a little fun (like picking on @MiM - did you guys hear what he did to his brand-new paint job??? LOL). So to preserve that enjoyment, perhaps the last bastion of enjoyment I have that involves other people, because otherwise I'm going to have to unplug completely and go get lost in the Northern Maine woods, I'm going to nip this in the bud. Have a great discussion, guys. I'm out.


    (Oh, and BTW - I'm a veteran too, and I have absolutely no problem with those who want to kneel during the anthem, or those who want to yell at the kneelers. That's what's beautiful about this country, man....you have those rights. And that's the reason I've put the uniform on, for 21+ years now, to take a stand to ensure we keep those rights, and our children get to keep those rights.... Do I think it's a bit disrespectful to kneel? Yep. Do I take it personally or think you're a bad person for doing so? Nope. All I would ask you to do, regardless of what side you are on, is to tone down the personal rhetoric, the "you believe and act differently from me so you are not only wrong, but you are a bad person" kind of attitudes, and remember that we're all people. There's no need for the personal attacks.)

    Quote from KayTwo

    There's no need for the personal attacks.

    I haven't seen any in this thread. I thought it was going pretty smoothly. I don't hate the kneelers or think that they are all bad people (offensive, but not necessarily "bad"). I just think that they are going in the wrong direction to reach their stated goals. I would like to see an end to racism and bad cops/politicians as much as anyone, so it behooves me to do what I can to try to point these guys in the right direction. The sooner they stop disrespecting the flag and destroying the NFL, the sooner they can start meaningfully protesting in a way that will really make a positive change for our country.

    i quess this thread is something racist. really. this is what we are talking about when people are drowing. dying from disaters and party of a us island is without power no food no water, and dam getting ready to bust. let i say 50 million americans about to loose health insurance. this forum at one time was full of knowledge, now i see bs comming out of the quieter mouth. yes i served and for the right for people to kneel , stand , or sit. if you served and dont understand then to me you wasted your time

    Let me also say for the record, that if Christian players were to decide to protest abortion by laying down and curling into a fetal position during the anthem, I would also be against that. As much as I detest abortion, the anthem has nothing to do with it. When you have a grievance with your brother, you address the issue to your brother, you don't go around cursing and disrespecting your own family name.

    Quote from KayTwo

    ...being pushed into our homes on every platform from television to radio to internet, including, now it would seem, on this very forum. And that's where I draw the line.


    Quote from orangeslingshot

    this forum at one time was full of knowledge, now i see bs comming out of the quieter mouth

    I agree. Now see, if we had a discussion area on this forum that was called "Anything Other than Polaris Slingshot Related", that would be a far more appropriate place for my subject. If we had that I would have posted this there but...... oh, wait a sec....


    Hehehehehehehehehehehehe!!!
    :D:D:D:D:D:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: