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Ok, Bob, here is my rant in response. I knew Lou back when we both went to Catholic HS in NYC. He was one of the most intelligent boys I had ever met. We never talked sports and I only went to one of his games when his GF dragged me there. Nothing romantic ever between us. Just friends.
He talked about Politics all the time. We shared that interest. Remember this was the 60's and very much on young people's minds. It did not surprise me when he converted to Islam. Despite going to Catholic school, neither of us were very religious as far as Christianity went.
What did strike me was how family oriented he was as a teen. "Dad says". Heard that a LOT from him. Dad says if I don't keep up grades, then I am OFF the Basketball team. What do you think of that? Bad upbringing?
Lost touch after graduation, but I do not find the man very much different than the teenager I knew. His views today are similar to back then, LONG before he ever became a rich sports celebrity. For what it is worth, I am a white woman.
You are talking about Kareem, right? I thought I would make sure. I knew he changed his name from Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. (I didnt know it was Ferdinand for his first name, thought it was Lew, but I digress) but not all might know. Just added this so they can follow your post.
Otherwise, nice to hear about how it's not new from someone who knew him.
"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.)
So employers are generally free to restrict employee speech, at least while they are at work."
"Employees who work in the private-sector do not, as a rule, have First Amendment protection for their speech in the workplace. On one level, a private sector employer could take the absence of a direct First Amendment right as providing free rein to discipline, terminate or retaliate against employees for their speech in the workplace. Before doing so, however, the private sector employer should take into account the effect of the anti-discrimination laws such as Title VII, RCW 49.60 (the Washington Laws Against Discrimination or “WLAD”), whistle blower laws, and various local laws."
Ok, Bob, here is my rant in response. I knew Lou back when we both went to Catholic HS in NYC. He was one of the most intelligent boys I had ever met. We never talked sports and I only went to one of his games when his GF dragged me there. Nothing romantic ever between us. Just friends.
He talked about Politics all the time. We shared that interest. Remember this was the 60's and very much on young people's minds. It did not surprise me when he converted to Islam. Despite going to Catholic school, neither of us were very religious as far as Christianity went.
What did strike me was how family oriented he was as a teen. "Dad says". Heard that a LOT from him. Dad says if I don't keep up grades, then I am OFF the Basketball team. What do you think of that? Bad upbringing?
Lost touch after graduation, but I do not find the man very much different than the teenager I knew. His views today are similar to back then, LONG before he ever became a rich sports celebrity. For what it is worth, I am a white woman.
You and I both know, people like your friend are few, and far between.
FYI OP - black people we know issues of race in regards to us as a demographic better than you. We are not the stereotype you think we are and you are way too overly triggered and angered about your fellow American citizens utilizing their constitutional rights to express themselves.
I'd think you'd just not get bothered by something that you obviously doesn't feel impacts you or bothers you but you do not know the experiences or lives of black people in this nation.
BTW I've been to Detroit recently and had a great time. Best thing about Detroit IMO is the people - they are cool people. I don't live far from the city and if I'd gotten a job offer there, I'd have gladly moved to Detroit. It is experiencing a renaissance at the moment on a variety of fronts. You should go sometimes instead of making silly complaints and vents about places you haven't been to and generalizing people based on your own narrow worldview.
Also us blacks are pretty well educated today - which is why we know our rights and know how to use the system to our advantage. It also makes no sense to contact every black representative. The players want to do their protest, they will do so within the confines of the NFL, not sure why you think all us black people need to contact all the black congress people lol.
Also the idea that you think all of us have all of these problems you imagine, IMO that is you being too invested in media depictions of us from the 1980s. We don't have those problems today like 30 years ago. However, all of us do deal with bias, prejudice, and stereotypes on a regular basis. The latter can and does impact our relationship with law enforcement, which is what the kneeling is about. I know you like to pretend you and everyone else in America is "colorblind" but we are smart enough to know that that has never been the case and isn't the case today no matter what mumbo jumbo you tell yourself.
No one is asking for your help in anything, so don't see why you are upset or even feel the need to vent. Seems very odd honestly IMO.
Note, I'm black and have relatives who were veterans of every American conflict in this nation - including the Revolution. How about you? Due to my family's sacrifice, and the fact that my lineage in this nation is more than likely longer than yours - as is the majority of black people's lineage in this nation longer than yours - we have every right to express ourselves in our country. This is not your country or white people's country no matter what you want to believe. We have always been here and will always be here and if we feel that there is discrimination occurring we will always speak up about it and do our best to make the country more inclusive and less discriminatory. That has been a huge role of our demographic since the 1700s. We've made your/our country the great nation that it is in regards to rights being afforded to all people in this nation. Our demographic has a very good track record in regards to activism, so I'd think that you'd not be so bothered by it after all these centuries of us being in this nation engaging in protests and direct action campaigns.
Then you need to do a little more reading on the subject. It's not as cut-and-dry as you might think. Certain types of political speech are protected in an employment setting, and this is quite possibly one of them.
since the NFL is not a government agency, the constitution does not apply. remember the constitution was set up to tell the government what they CANNOT do.
but lets take it a bit further shall we? while the players have the right to protest in a peaceful manner, they DO NOT have any constitutional protection from their employer, if their employer chooses to punish them in what ever manner the owners see fit.
if the owners decide to fire the players, so be it. if the owners choose not to punish the players, then so be that also.in every employment contract there is a clause that allows the employer to fire an employee for casting a bad light on the business in question.
The whole NFL anthem thing is nothing more than the right wing pushing their own pile of political correctness while pretending only the left participates in PC battles.
FYI OP - black people we know issues of race in regards to us as a demographic better than you. We are not the stereotype you think we are and you are way too overly triggered and angered about your fellow American citizens utilizing their constitutional rights to express themselves.
I'd think you'd just not get bothered by something that you obviously doesn't feel impacts you or bothers you but you do not know the experiences or lives of black people in this nation.
BTW I've been to Detroit recently and had a great time. Best thing about Detroit IMO is the people - they are cool people. I don't live far from the city and if I'd gotten a job offer there, I'd have gladly moved to Detroit. It is experiencing a renaissance at the moment on a variety of fronts. You should go sometimes instead of making silly complaints and vents about places you haven't been to and generalizing people based on your own narrow worldview.
Also us blacks are pretty well educated today - which is why we know our rights and know how to use the system to our advantage. It also makes no sense to contact every black representative. The players want to do their protest, they will do so within the confines of the NFL, not sure why you think all us black people need to contact all the black congress people lol.
Also the idea that you think all of us have all of these problems you imagine, IMO that is you being too invested in media depictions of us from the 1980s. We don't have those problems today like 30 years ago. However, all of us do deal with bias, prejudice, and stereotypes on a regular basis. The latter can and does impact our relationship with law enforcement, which is what the kneeling is about. I know you like to pretend you and everyone else in America is "colorblind" but we are smart enough to know that that has never been the case and isn't the case today no matter what mumbo jumbo you tell yourself.
No one is asking for your help in anything, so don't see why you are upset or even feel the need to vent. Seems very odd honestly IMO.
Note, I'm black and have relatives who were veterans of every American conflict in this nation - including the Revolution. How about you? Due to my family's sacrifice, and the fact that my lineage in this nation is more than likely longer than yours - as is the majority of black people's lineage in this nation longer than yours - we have every right to express ourselves in our country. This is not your country or white people's country no matter what you want to believe. We have always been here and will always be here and if we feel that there is discrimination occurring we will always speak up about it and do our best to make the country more inclusive and less discriminatory. That has been a huge role of our demographic since the 1700s. We've made your/our country the great nation that it is in regards to rights being afforded to all people in this nation. Our demographic has a very good track record in regards to activism, so I'd think that you'd not be so bothered by it after all these centuries of us being in this nation engaging in protests and direct action campaigns.
I don't know what you are smoking, but what you have stated is a pipe ream.
Fantasy land if you will.
At no time did Colin Kapernick state that he was kneeling in respect for the flag. He was kneeling because he stated that "black people are oppressed" in this country, which is a load of *******s.
Freedom of Speech does not mean "freedom from criticism".
Compared to the 1960s or the Civil War, I think the oppression Black people have now has lessened a bit compared to those times.
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Yep but they can't see their PC hypocrisy.