exiled

In school they used to broadcast the Star Spangled Banner on the intercom system everyday and forced us to stand and then give our pledge of allegiance to the flag.

My friends and I sat through both - telling our selves we were protesting the Vietnam war. My older brother was of drafting age... There was much discussion and condemnation about it, the first time... but after a very few times the school just decided to ignore it, saying we had the right to do what we wanted and we did not have to Pledge our Allegiance.

The "controversy" blew over and of course the war went on.

I am a much older now, but still swell with pride knowing that I don't have to stand for the National Anthem. In fact I can't think of anything more UN-American than to be told you MUST stand for the National Anthem.

Reading these 7or so pages of folks saying how people have fought for and died for that flag. I respect the troops, for fighting and dieing for the right NOT to stand for a song, a flag or to take a pledge of Allegiance.

There is police brutality. There is. Period. There is a disproportionate amount of black incarceration. The police brutality may be less than in years past - for we have come a long way baby. I know I was raised in the segregated south. But unlike then, we today we have cell phones and other forms of instant communication that feed us a steady diet of how far we have yet to come.

People are upset about it. And I don't blame them. You should be to.

I stand up for this minor Quarterback and his right to sit down. He is standing up for many that can not stand up for them selves - by sitting down. His action sparked the dialogue that we are having right now.

On an national level, continued dialogue may just help to quell the problem.

True, Muhammad Ali he is not. But that makes it all the more important. and frankly, brave. Ali was a celebrity and risked and lost a great deal for his stand. However, in many ways, being a minor actor on a big stage Kaepernick is risking more.

I truly believe sports is an excellent place for kind of action, and I hope he inspires more athletes to behave similarly. In short, it worked. Sports draws a very diverse audience. And such actions gets us talking about the issues. Most if us have played at least enough of some organized game to learn a little sportsmanship when broaching such topics to be civil.

"it is from the lost, your culture has always been found." - chandler (9th ward new orleans #2)

A.8Manning

whether you stand up and stare at a flag is the most unimportant thing on earth. Symbolism is pointless/meaningless.

youll forget about this when the Vikings pick him up and Minn. runs down hill all season in that shiny new dome.

burningmetal

That's a pretty lazy way to look at it. It isn't merely the symbolism of standing or not standing for a flag. It was his reasoning behind it. And that is what we're discussing. Not standing up for the flag doesn't send a message to police or government. It says "screw you, America". If he had said that was his reason, we'd still be calling him a loser, but at least his intentions would be more clear. His reasons are instead very misguided, and he's just following along with this movement of playing the race card.

As far as him having the right. He was allowed to do it and wasn't thrown in prison, right? And we aren't saying to throw him in prison. That's all "rights" afford anyone. It doesn't shield you from criticism. People need to get that straight.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, the NFL would fine and suspend me.

A.8Manning

you are deciding to put reasoning behind it. There is no reasoning behind it.
Its a pointless action/symbolism.


no,it just means you didnt stand up for a flag. I've not stood a few times because I didnt feel like it. It has nothing to do with anything else.
I dont worship bed sheets on poles. Is this 1984 type stuff now?

you dont need a right to stand up/not stand up for a stupid flag. Its the same as deciding to go here or there on a daily basis. Its nothing important to bother with.
If media says nothing,no one knows and life goes on. Media created this stupid story and people who dont think for themselves bit on it.
this is only a story because people waste time talking about it.
its meaningless to ultimate reality and anything in life that actually matters.


p.s. forgive me but... I dont see any editing tools to quote things and such above my post box when i edit or post or what ever...? where is it?

burningmetal

I'm sorry you feel that way, but unfortunately you're flat out wrong. If it means nothing, then why does it apparently mean something to everyone, be it positive or negative? YOU have decided for yourself that it means nothing to you. That sounds like a personal problem, and not something that the rest of us should take under consideration when having a conversation of what the flag means to us.

That flag is, IN FACT, our national flag. Not because I said so, and regardless of whether you care or not. So when you protest the flag, you protest the country. If you want to make a specific statement about something happening in this country, you go and speak to someone who it specifically pertains to.

It's like throwing a bucket of paint at the wall instead of painting the actual picture with a brush.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, the NFL would fine and suspend me.

A.8Manning

its not my feelings,its cold hard logical fact. Feelings have nothing to do with whether staring at a flag has any meaning. Feelings dont make things facts or truth's.
no,it means nothing because it means nothing.
whether I or you think it does or not. Its just a piece of material on a pole.
it has no meaning and serves no purpose..unless you need an extra blanket.

lets put it this way..if you believe in God..the all knowing creator doesnt give a damn about any nations flag.Americans dont get any special treatment.



[[It's like throwing a bucket of paint at the wall instead of painting the actual picture with a brush]]

no,its like not looking at a flag/ not standing for flag,no more,no less.

what purpose does the flag serve when you are tired,cold,hungry? what did the flag do for Katrina?

burningmetal

If I forget to quote something in my original post, I haven't been able to figure out how to include the quote in my edit. It never works, so I'm not sure.

A.8Manning

forgive me again but..every site has these things,so why not here?

whats the deal guys? is it my firefox? what? its no fun without an editor,smileys n stuff

OldMaid

I made a joke earlier ,pg. 1 , about ColinK.
I think I made the point I believe he is wrong.

Why am I jumping in this mess to post my opinion when I already made mine in a sentence or two...
Some of ya'll comments are way off in left field....off subject. OJ? Really?
*I'll get to that later.
The US flag to me represents all of the men and women , White and Black, Other , who fought and died since 1776 to now, to make this country of freedoms that we all have. To disrespect the country's flag is to not honor all those people who fought and died for you to have the freedom and life here that you can have in this country. The words are important. It is an important, unitfying symbol of the U.S.A.
I say the pledge to the US flag and to the state of Texas everyday. Work related.
The US flag and the pledge unites people. It is a common link. The USA is not perfect. Where is it perfect? * I’ll get to that later.

Really, ColinK is contradicting himself. What he is doing is , is due to having those freedoms.
He is very confused. Troubled. I feel more sorry for him, no I don't!! No. LOL!! I can see why he is troubled and he needs to accept himself and be thankful for all he has and how his life turned out. Like some people have that White guilt thing , well, some people have Black guilt too.
I do believe his has some issues with being adopted and his White bio mom, who was not in his life, is out there now on twitter talking against him about sitting down and his Black bio father is unknown, I think. He is engaged to that radical woman. He grew up in a good family, just happened to be White, and lived a Mid Class lifestyle and in Wisconsin. Wearing Fidel Castro ,a Communist oppressor of the his people, was odd, crazy. CK tried to fit with some of the NFL's finest, LOL, the thuggish ones, and that was a mistake he made. Remember the incident a while back when he and some 49's and some trashy woman and she filed a lawsuit or something. Now he is turning Islamic. He is all over the place. He needs therapy. He needs to STFU too and stand up and salute this country and the people who fought then and now for him to have all these freedoms he has. His protest is in the wrong way. As for protesting, you, whoever, ColinK, can protest here in this country, unlike other places all you want for whatever. The price of tomatoes , Trump, Hillary, the police, whatever. Again, ColinK is misled.

Do you ever notice that the people against the police are the ones who need the police or the ones who can get the police and better access to the police? I left a post about that. Again, he is confused.
Racisms, ageism sexism, nepotism, classism, etc. , you will always have. I DID NOT say these things are right, so do not misread me. However, our flag and anthem represents our country and in our country, wrongs can change. You have a transparent justice system, laws for all, citizens being allowed as jurors, etc. Wrongs can change. You have the freedoms to change wrongs. You have rights here. Disrespecting the U.S. flag and anthem and THE country is not the way to protest or prove a point. CK is defeating his purpose.
He is doing like what 2 years old do when they do not get what they want and they just drop to the floor and fall out. Tantrum. The 2 year olds learn that tantrums do not work.

You guys and name calling each other and your views on other cases and bringing up OJ, way off subject. I said I would get back to that. In my opinion, OJ should have stayed with his wife instead of picking that 18 year. Opps, sorry . It is true.
I am not , NOT for DV. I think DV is very serious and pity those women in that situation who need help to get out. He killed that girl.
Then you guys are calling each other dumb and brining up OJ and are way off base.
Everyone brings something different here.
I am Black American, female , and Catholic. I am a big proponent of the Back to Africa Movement and the Back to Europe Movement and Back to whatever you come from or say you to come from or want to move to movement. Please go. Go live where it is better for you. The USA is not for you and the flag and anthem bothers you, go.
Me….ummmmm , The Middle East and Africa would not be so good for me.
Hmmmmm, Mexico is ok for the vacation places, but nooooooo. No thank you. I would not to live in Mexico. Well, where else? Eastern European countires…..eeehhhhhhh, NO! Not for me .No thank you.
Central and South America, again for me, NO!! Carribean vacation places are ok for vacations, but nah. Not a place there for me!!!
Hmmm, what places are left on Earth good for me? Western European countries, so-so. Good for a vacation, but not, nah, me living full –time for life and wanting my USA rights there, no. Too expensive and crowded in The UK and there is really that classism over there.
Swistezland! Oh, I am tens of millions of dollars short so that would not work for me.
Japan is expensive, tight and nah. Not for me. Australia, ehh, same as Japan. I like my rights here.
Well, what is left?
THE USA. I ‘m good. I am going to stay right here. nolaswami, burningmetal, who ever else here, ya’ll go. Move where ya’ll want to.

burningmetal

There's plenty more where that came from, but I'm not going to waste any more time than I already have in posting videos that could easily be found by anyone who wants look for it. If you are really about truth, go and see the rest for yourself. I can cherry pick video's just like you, it's not hard. That's my problem with you, and that's my problem with this whole narrative of black oppression.

If you were, as you claim, against police brutality, then you would be talking about ALL of the crime out there. But instead you just look for what supports your opinions.

Roughly twice as many whites, in the past year or so, have been killed by cops as blacks have. But where is this in the media? Where are the videos I posted in the media? You don't think it's just a little odd? Why are we outraged about violence against blacks instead of being outraged against violence, period?

Many of the stories that come out about cop brutality are grainy, choppy videos with no context as to what started it. Is there real police brutality? Of course there is. There are bad people in the world, and the vast, vast majority of them are NOT cops. But a few of them end up making their way into law enforcement and, well, you give a bad man a badge and a gun (he would have a gun anyway) and you have a real problem. But if you take cops away, then everybody dies.

But in the media, it's all focused on the bad cops and even cops who haven't done anything wrong, who are being accused of murder simply because of the color of the person they shot. There ARE REAL CRIMINALS, who are not cops, as well. How quickly society has forgotten that. We'd rather start a racial war than to ACTUALLY do something about what's going on.

That's what's wrong with sitting for the national anthem and citing mistreatment of minorities as your reasoning. It's inaccurate to say that there is a disproportion, firstly, but in saying that he is also belittling the problems that so many others are facing. That's selfish, and if it's not prejudiced, I don't know what is.

And you know what's sad? When you tell someone that more whites are being killed than blacks, people say it's because there are more white people......... Wow. Yeah, there ARE more white people. But if this is supposedly a concentrated war against black people, then why are the numbers still doubled?

So if I line up 100 white people and 5 black people in front of a firing squad, and I decide to shoot 60 of the whites and 4 of the five black people, that means I killed 60 percent of the whites and 80 percent of the blacks, right? Simple arithmetic. But then the question has to be asked... Why did I pick 100 white people and only 5 blacks?

The point there is really simple. It doesn't matter the population percentage of one color to another. If you are killing more of the other, you are still killing more of the other, and in no way is the significance diminished. We have a CRIME PROBLEM. And it is not about race or being cop vs. being a civilian. And we will never make it right by pointing fingers at one side.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, the NFL would fine and suspend me.