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The over the top patriotic displays that some conservatives demand have just become another aspect of their political tribalism. Just like when Palin separated people into "Real Americans" versus everyone else, conservatives are now using the level of a person's jingoistic enthusiasm to determine where a person stands with respect to membership in their tribe. IMO, all of these patriotic rituals are not designed to show love and respect for our country, they are designed to show other members of the public that they are "Real Americans".
When did standing with your hand over your heart to show respect for the flag, the national anthem and all they represent become an "over the top patriotic display" ?
When did standing with your hand over your heart to show respect for the flag, the national anthem and all they represent become an "over the top patriotic display" ?
What does the anthem and flag represent? The freedom to fire employees that the far right mob deems to be insufficiently patriotic? I am amazed that so many self proclaimed American patriots believe that the United States should operate like North Korea. If you fail to show deference to Dear Leader Trump and do not display the proper fetishistic behavior during staged jingoistic rituals you will be punished. Is that really the vision that conservatives have for the United States?
Nobody is "FORCED" to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, or sing, or stand for the National Anthem. Nobody is forced to participate. I remember in school in the late 60's, and early 70's the Black students not standing, nor reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Nobody said anything to them about it, and certainly nobody forced them to participate. So please stick your comparisons to Nazi Germany, or Maoist China somewhere. Be creative.
So why are Trump and his minions so upset that football players are declining to stand for the National Anthem?
It is a good thing for the government and all people in the USA to support good citizenship. Flag burning does not support good citizenship and we should not ignore or encourage the flag burners. We do have established channels for citizens to express their wishes. National Entertainment is NOT the channel. The flag burners do so much harm to our young Americans.
Flag burning is speech and protected by the Constitution. That you don't think it "supports good citizenship" has nothing to do with it. Flag burners do zero harm to young Americans. Rather, they teach them to think for themselves and not blindly follow authority, which are true American values.
Football players are grown men and have the right to express themselves how they want, where they want, and when they want. If their employers believe they have violated their contracts, they can fire them. If fans are offended, they can turn off the television.
Umm last time I checked there were no laws stating you had to stand during national anthem or recite the pledge.
So please spare us this meaningless topic.
In some countries you can most definitely be jailed for not standing during nationalist songs or be deemed to have disrespected symbols of authority figures.
Maybe they athletes should protest their paycheck rather than disrespect the national anthem...
What does that even mean?
Do you begrudge them their paychecks? If so, why? Haven't they worked for it? Taken health risks? Made a lot of people a lot of money? Entertained many more?
Patriotism should not be "forced". As an American citizen you should strive to be patriotic as the flag is a symbol of freedom and represents all of the men and women who have died to protect those freedoms. Everyone has the right to protest, but to protest the very symbol of America that allows them to do so is disrespectful even if you do it in a respectful way. Respect the flag, respect America, be proud to be American. If you don't like it, leave...in my opinion protesting the National Anthem is a form of treason.
Your opinion and $5 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
Protesting in America IS patriotism. It's what the country was founded on and is the basis of the First Amendment.
The colonists believed just like you do and true United States patriots fought against that belief.
The NFL and NBA are employers. Most people are not free to spout their political beliefs at work or they would be fired. Your employer does not have to give you the opportunity to express your political views at work. If you want to be politically active do it on your own time, otherwise shut up and play your sport or sing your song. You are paid millions of dollars to be an entertainer. They should be thankful they live in the USA and make obscene amounts of money for doing something so completely ridiculous. How many of these rich football players or basketball players would actually attend a BLM rally in the streets? I doubt very many of them. Seems pretty easy to drop to a knee in the confines of a nice stadium. I'd have more respect if they were actually doing something to further their cause in the real world.
You're right. Their employers don't have to let them express their beliefs and if they are found in violation of their contract, their employers could fire them. But the employers don't have to and don't appear to want to.
Also, employment is a two-way street. Without the athletes, there would be no NFL. It's a reciprocal relationship and the team owners know that. Trump should shut up and let them run their businesses.
And if any of these athletes attended a BLM rally in the streets, there would be endless bitching about that and they would undoubtedly be called thugs and worse. You say you'd have more respect for them, but I seriously doubt that. Do you respect the other BLM protesters?
These are adult men who have lived in the world and have watched time after time as black men and women are beaten and killed by police officers with no repercussions. If they want to take a knee to protest that type of behavior, they can do so. If it's a violation of their contract, their employers can try to fire them for it. And if you don't like it, you can stop watching football.
So I guess if a Burger King employee was to wear a "Meat is murder" shirt at work, your belief is that if Burger King fired him it would violate the First and be part of a police state.
The first thing you need to wrap your head around is the difference between the state and private employers.
Once you can finally grasp that important detail, you might not make such ignorant posts.
In your scenario, it is the right of the employer to fire the employee. Assuming that kneeling during the national anthem is a contract violation, a player's employer may be able to terminate the contract. We all get that. So far, none have, which is very telling.
What is disgusting in this situation is Trump calling out the players and the NFL and stirring up crowds by saying the "son-of-a-*****" should be fired. Trump is transparently appealing to his racist, white-supremacist base and it's appalling but not surprising.
It's the fact that the POTUS is calling for this that makes it a government issue. He's the head of the government. Try wrapping your head around that.
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