Monday, September 19, 2016

Oh, Say Can You See...

I thought about doing a rant about the football players who are dishonoring our country by refusing to show any respect for the playing of our National Anthem before the games.

I thought about pointing out the disrespect being shown to those who fought, were wounded and died defending this land we love.

I thought about remarking on how I found it difficult to rationalize a protest for justice from those making millions to play a game.

I thought about reminding these over paid athletes that they are in the position of being role models to the high school and college kids who are now staging similar protests.

I thought about pointing out that at one time the music and words of that song and the sight of our flag were enough to make hearts swell with pride, knowing that they represented our great nation.

But then I thought about the freedoms those two symbols of America represent.  They represent our right of free speech.  They represent our right to peaceful protest.  They represent all of our God given rights that we still enjoy today.

Including the right of a multi-millionaire football player to make a complete ass of himself.

10 comments:

  1. What folks forget, Vicki, is that exercising your "rights" can sometimes have negative consequences, especially if doing so insults others.

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  2. Gorges...I agree that negative consequences are often the result of exercising our God-given rights. But as insulting or offensive as we may find the opinions of others, they still have the same right to speak their mind as you and I have. I don't for one minute condone the behavior of insulting our National Anthem or our flag. But if I insist that those behaviors be banned, then I should fully expect that my right to speak freely be banned as well.

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  3. I lost respect for pro athletes long long time ago. football, baseball, etc. I have more respect for a 101 year old man named LT. Col. Cole the last surviving crew member of Doolittle's Raiders. The guys who dropped bombs on Tokyo in 1942.

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  4. I am in agreement, Rob. I have much more respect for those like Lt. Col. Cole.

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  5. They have the right to protest and we have the right to call them jerks. (I'm being nice).

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  6. Chickenmom...Agreed. Although sometimes I wish my "Minnesota nice" upbringing would let me be not so nice. I will say that I truly hope Karma comes around and bites those dunderheads in the butt.

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  7. Maybe all these NEWBIE Black life matters members would take their money and put it where there mouth is if would mean something. Why don't they go to Chicago open a company on the Southside and employ these young men, they could work with the justice system giving them a chance to change their lifes. All the money BLM has they could do the same instead of spending them on theirselves in admin cost. Just y 5cents worth.

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  8. Victoria...Unfortunately, there seem to be so many who would rather march in the streets trying to stir up hate and discontent or protest our National Anthem in public rather than take the time and effort to really try to change things. I read about a teacher in NY (sorry - can't think of the name) who got his students interested in rooftop and wall gardening. That branched out to providing fresh fruit and vegetables to the school cafeteria, to learning to cook the food, to feeding the homeless. Pretty soon they were cleaning up their own neighborhood rather than rioting and burning it down. They planted small gardens and flowers. They got neighbors involved. And they went from a 46% rate of graduation to 98%. Many of the graduates now have college degrees and good jobs. Those in school old enough to work have jobs part time selling what they grow. If those boneheaded BLM people and those overpaid athletes really wanted to change things, there is a good place to invest their time and money.

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  9. You do not have the right to slander. You do not have the right to libel. You do not have the right to riot. You are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts. You are not a racist or a bigot or whatever else these cretins want to call you. Justice goes down in the courts, not the streets.

    The average African American black IQ is 85. Mohammed Ali had an IQ of 79 - which is considered mild mental retardation. The average Sub-Saharan black IQ is in the mid 60's. I don't like any of this either, but it is what it is. These guys will only learn one way... the hard way.

    There is nothing noble about letting these feral animals abuse us. They see your courtesy and mercy as weakness. And -if they can get a free Obama phone or a new pair of sneakers by exploiting it, they will.

    All this idiocy starts at the top, beginning with that black baboon in the Oval Office, and that gibbon on the football field. Something really needs to be done.

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  10. Glen...You are right. There is a vast difference between exercising your rights of free speech or protest and rioting in the streets. Something needs to be done. Especially judging by the chaos in Charlotte NC the last couple of days. Thing is, I don't see very many of them paying the consequences for their actions. That might be a good place to start.

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