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St. Louis Police demand apology from Rams for 'Hands up, Don't shoot' gesture
Five members of the St. Louis Rams stood in solidarity with the Ferguson protests prior to Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders.
Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Kenny Britt, Jared Cook and Chris Givens displayed the "Hands up, Don't shoot" gesture upon entering the field during player introductions.
The St. Louis Police Officers Association (SLPOA) were irate afterwards, calling the act "tasteless, offensive and inflammatory" in an official statement released Sunday.
An excerpt of the statement is below:
The SLPOA is calling for the players involved to be disciplined and for the Rams and the NFL to deliver a very public apology. Roorda said he planned to speak to the NFL and the Rams to voice his organization's displeasure tomorrow. He also plans to reach out to other police organizations in St. Louis and around the country to enlist their input on what the appropriate response from law enforcement should be. Roorda warned, "I know that there are those that will say that these players are simply exercising their First Amendment rights. Well I've got news for people who think that way, cops have first amendment rights too, and we plan to exercise ours. I'd remind the NFL and their players that it is not the violent thugs burning down buildings that buy their advertiser's products. It's cops and the good people of St. Louis and other NFL towns that do. Somebody needs to throw a flag on this play. If it's not the NFL and the Rams, then it'll be cops and their supporters.
The thing being represented has been proven false, but the ignorant, and opportunists and the terrorists, need the input to serve themselves.
I'd agree the ferguson protestors hitched their wagon to the wrong horse - that said, the police response was awful & anyone who doesn't agree with the police response isn't a "terrorist" or "uninformed". Police that teargas newscrews & arrest them without cause are kinda dangerous & worthy of lots of attention.
A police department with the mindset that anyone who protests "must be put down" isn't a police department anymore, it's a standing army squelching dissent. I've seen some pretty heated (lawful) protests in podunk towns across America over legitimate (small town) issues - like corrupt/insider deals, zoning & use of your own land, & laws & ordinances that are unconstitutional - it is the responsibility of the residents of these towns & cities to assemble (in force!) and clearly tell their councils & mayors to back off these issues. If the mayors & councils can just call any peaceful protest a "riot" and roll out the Mraps, sound cannons & rubber bullets, then we've lost our most important "check" in a carefully constructed system of "checks" and "balances".
The people shouldn't have to wait ten or fifteen years for a supreme court decision to (hopefully) right the wrongs imposed by local governments. They have a right to "shut down" local governments that don't represent their interests when those bad decisions are made, not years later.
It's only a matter of time - at the rate we're going, before a lawful protest over a school bond, or a zoning issue, or some silly (unlawful) ordinance is termed a "riot" by those in power & one of these militarized "police" forces is used as a cudgel to prevent the public from exercising their right to peacefully assemble. If you stand back and honestly look at many of the things done in Ferguson over the past few months, it's pretty creepy. Police officers don't need to wear masks & cover their badges if they're doing the right thing.
Yep, those football player had no business doing so.
They can just go on making their millions
And not even take the time to know the facts of that case.
That poor Police Officer has had his life threatened many times.
As he is coming out and saying.
His career is over.
For a thug who went after him and for to many in society who won't support what they should be.
A man, a police officer doing his job protecting and serving his community.
From a sad excuse of a human being who robbed a store then attacked a Police Officer.
I'd agree the ferguson protestors hitched their wagon to the wrong horse - that said, the police response was awful & anyone who doesn't agree with the police response isn't a "terrorist" or "uninformed". Police that teargas newscrews & arrest them without cause are kinda dangerous & worthy of lots of attention.
.
Your comment is intentionally misleading.
Anyone who does not agree is not automatically a terrorist.
We are speaking of one example.
The Mike Brown incident.
The facts are out, and the mobs don't like them and are continuing a lie.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
26,700 posts, read 41,758,476 times
Reputation: 41381
Quote:
Originally Posted by scarabchuck
Those players should be supended. They get payed to play football, not make political (?) statements.
So you advocate suspension of players who did not commit a crime, who have not failed a drug test, or haven't done anything on the field that physically harmed another player because they made a stand you don't agree with? The commissioner has already behaved like a tyrant enough this year, please don't encourage him.
Personally I'd be more than happy to tell STLs police force where they can stick their request for an apology.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
26,700 posts, read 41,758,476 times
Reputation: 41381
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dissenter
So you advocate suspension of players who did not commit a crime, who have not failed a drug test, or haven't done anything on the field that physically harmed another player because they made a stand you don't agree with? The commissioner has already behaved like a tyrant enough this year, please don't encourage him.
Personally I'd be more than happy to tell STLs police force where they can stick their request for an apology.
Looks like the NFL had the same message for STL police that I did.
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