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I think it's backfiring on the hypocrisy of people who say they believe in God. If you believe in God then you knell to him....nothing wrong with that. Why is Trump making such a big deal about this and dividing our country.
By what measure is our military struggling? They make more than their civilian peers with similar education. Benefits like healthcare even further widen the gap.
I'm not racist, nor am I stupid. I know people didn't like MLK at the time, but they lost. Why? Because MLK was a lot smarter and a better strategic thinker than these guys. They have a media totally on their side and a huge platform to be heard, but they choose to protest in a way that pisses off the people they want to reach. That's bad strategy, and I'm not racist for thinking it or pointing it out.
Apparently people think all white people want to hate black people. That's stupid. I don't hate black people. I'm not trying to hold onto some stereotype in my mind about black people. I have neighbors and friends and even family members who are black.
Oh, and I brought up violence regarding the BLM protests, and sympathetic regarding the anthem protests.
All protests **** people off. It's really easy to talk about MLK winning, through the lens of history, but at that moment, he was far more hated than these athletes, and there was no guarantee that he would win. Lots of acts that are considered "sympathetic" today were enough to get a black person arrested or killed back then.
Is it okay if I ask how your black neighbors, friends, and family members feel about all of this?
I just read this and found it compelling. We all need to start listening to each other.
Quote:
Did you know this?
Aug 14, 2016- Colin Kaepernick sits for the national anthem.....and no one noticed.
Aug 20th, 2016- Colin again sits, and again, no one noticed.
Aug 26th, 2016- Colin sits and this time he is met with a level of vitriol unseen against an athlete. Even the future President of the United States took shots at him while on the campaign trail. Colin went on to explain his protest had NOTHING to with the military, but he felt it hard to stand for a flag that didn't treat people of color fairly.
Then on on Aug 30th, 2016 Nate Boyer, a former Army Green Beret turned NFL long snapper, penned an open letter to Colin in the Army Times. In it he expressed how Colin's sitting affected him.
Then a strange thing happened. Colin was able to do what most Americans to date have not...
He listened. In his letter Mr. Boyer writes:
"I’m not judging you for standing up for what you believe in. It’s your inalienable right. What you are doing takes a lot of courage, and I’d be lying if I said I knew what it was like to walk around in your shoes. I’ve never had to deal with prejudice because of the color of my skin, and for me to say I can relate to what you’ve gone through is as ignorant as someone who’s never been in a combat zone telling me they understand what it’s like to go to war.
Even though my initial reaction to your protest was one of anger, I’m trying to listen to what you’re saying and why you’re doing it."
Mr. Boyer goes on to write "There are already plenty people fighting fire with fire, and it’s just not helping anyone or anything. So I’m just going to keep listening, with an open mind.
I look forward to the day you're inspired to once again stand during our national anthem. I'll be standing right there next to you."
Empathy and understanding was shown by Mr. Boyer and Kaepernick reciprocated. Colin invited Nate to San Diego where the two had a 90 minute discussion and Nate proposed Colin kneel instead of sit.
But why kneel? In a military funeral, after the flag is taken off the casket of the fallen military member, it is smartly folded 13 times and then presented to the parents, spouse or child of the fallen member by a fellow service member while KNEELING. The two decided that kneeling for the flag would symbolize his reverence for those that paid the ultimate sacrifice while still allowing Colin to peacefully protest the injustices he saw.
Empathy, not zealotry under the guise of patriotism, is the only way meaningful discussion can be had. Mr. Kaepernick listened to all of you that say he disrespects the military and extended an olive branch to find a peace.
When will America listen to him?
I'm sorry, I don't know how to do the blue box thing, but I wanted to quote what you shared, because it's really beautiful.
I do not understand why people think that taking a knee is an act of disrespect. I do not understand why people think it's hostile toward veterans. For heaven's sake, in terms of protest, it is probably the most peaceful thing one could ever do, yet we have people carrying on as if these athletes were out there breaking windows and overturning police cars.
I really don't give a rat's posterior about football, but I have always thought that these players were withing their rights to take a knee, and have always sympathized with their cause. But...as someone who doesn't really watch the game, it wasn't a big issue for me, until Trump made it one. Prior to last week, it was pretty much a matter to be settled between the players and their employers. Then he had to, just had to, demand that they be fired, say that people MUST stand for the anthem, and start making demands that the NFL punish those who do not. Nice behavior for someone who believes in the rights of businesses to do as they please.
Now, instead of being about racial inequality, it is, thanks to our esteemed president, a matter of free speech, which really should concern everyone, even people who don't give a damn about unarmed black men and boys who get shot by rogue cops.
On the eve of the NBA’s first preseason games, the league office issued a memo to all 30 teams stressing an existing rule requiring personnel to stand for the national anthem and suggesting alternative ways for players to express their political and social views, per ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe.
That's your disconnect right there. MLK pissed off people somewhat fierce. The idea that all right-thinking people would naturally be on his side is after-the-fact thinking.
Protest will, to use your phrase, **** people off. It needs to. Those in power aren't moved by their goodness of their hearts.
He obviously pissed people off considering what happened to him. But those people were directly responsible for the injustice, and needed to be pissed off. I'm not really against the taking a knee protest, except that I think it's not good strategy. They don't need to alienate people to get attention when they have the media ready and willing to spotlight whatever they want, and a huge fan base to reach out to.
My question is what would be more effective to combat biased policing? Trying to reach out to people and rationally discuss issues? Or kneel while the anthem is playing and call the country oppressive, or set towns on fire and surround a mayor's house making threats over a verdict that has already been reached, on a crime that happened in 2011 that the Obama/Holder Department of Justice had already investigated and found nothing? I couldn't think of a more effective way to not get what you want.
Kaepernick is principled and has stood for what he believes in a respectable manner. He puts value on human life over a flag. He has articulated his position clearly while the President and others have exhibited ghetto, low-class behavior because they disagree. It is Kaepernick's upstanding behavior that has allowed him to be successful.
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Report: NBA issues memo urging teams to stand for the national anthem
