Posted on 10/01/2017 5:38:30 PM PDT by The people have spoken
The Colts’ players released a statement clarifying why players kneeled during the National Anthem in last week’s game.
The announcement comes ahead of Sunday’s prime-time game against the Seattle Seahawks.
The statement reads as follows:
“Recently, there have been several misperceptions regarding a personal choice made by members of our team to bring awareness to prevailing issues facing our nation. To be clear -- those of us who kneeled did not intend to disrespect our flag, our National Anthem or those who serve our country. We all have family and friends who are servicemen and women. We appreciate and respect the incredible sacrifices they make.
But as NFL players, we have a platform. And as Americans, we have a responsibility to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Our intention was to raise awareness and to continue critical conversations about real eqaulity, the injustices against black and brown people, police brutality, respect, unity, and equal opportunity. Our players are hurting, our people are hurting, out neighborhoods are hurting, and kneeling was a direct response to that hurt.
But what makes football so special is the way it brings people together -- fans, players, coaches, all of us. We represent different races, backgrounds and beliefs, but we come together for a common goal. That togetherness seen on the field and in the stands when we play should resonate even when we leave the stadium.
In that same spirit, as unified Americans, we will respect all forms of peaceful protests, as they are protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Some of our players may kneel, while others may stand. But this is just the beginning. There is much work to do, and it will take all of us.
Kneeling for JUSTICE. Standing for UNITY. Fighting for EQUALITY. Showing RESPECT.”
Now suppose some players wanted to do an on-field demonstration to protest the wildly disproportionate rate of violent crime committed by young black males in this country. What would you think of that?
Bull-f'n-crap. You are acting "in yo' face" to a captive audience, without whose support you wouldn't have that platform. It's similar to the way the Hamilton cast abused their stage presence to berate Pence right after he and Trump took office from the stage.
If they wanted to have a team speakout on whatever issues on their own time, that would be OK. This is not, and its also disprespectful to the country as a whole.
The Obama effect. NFL teams releasing press releases on if/how they will respect the Anthem.
Our players hurting? They're making considerably more than many young people with good educations.
Our people hurting? Who's "our people," you mean Americans?
Our neighborhoods hurting? Why are you not going into your neighborhoods where you grew up to make a difference?
Stop kneeling and start helping them out by setting a fine example and giving back to your community.
Why don’t you take a knee during the game? Randomly pick a play, and just take a knee for that play. I’m sure that will get you more attention than you can handle.
So what are the women-beating cop-killers talking about now?
Kneeling for JUSTICE on the same day OJ Simpson gets released on parole... new levels of irony.
Football is now a political statement and the Black garbage started its finish. No more NFL football for me.
But as NFL players, we have a platform. And as Americans, we have a responsibility to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Like Jamiel Shaw Jr.? None of this garbage took a knee or “spoke up” for him. Did they? Jamiel dreamed of the NFL. Until he was murdered by a deportable criminal alien in a Democrat sanctuary city.
Unfortunately, the meat heads in the NFL are easily manipulated by Democrats.
First they insult the flag then our intelligence.
“And as Americans, we have a responsibility to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves”
YOU mean like Infants getting their skulls crushed and ripped apart. Infant body parts being sold for Lamborghini Cars? That kind of Stuff? oh, yeah, -that’s right your against every LAW OFFICER out there that is on DUTY enforcing our LAWS against Drug addicts, Murderers and violent crime offenders by dissing our Flag with disrespect.
Well, guess what.... just like in the National Anthem: “and our Flag was still there.” But wait and see..... Not YOU CLOWNS.... nope, you’ll be cast aside like yesterdays Newspaper. Adios N.F.L.
YOU can take your little ROAD-SHOW BS ACT somewhere else because in my House .... The NFL is; - GONE with the WIND!
As my Daddy always told me - if you’re explaining, you’re losing.
Nah. Call it the Patriotic Football League.
And that’s the problem right there. To the Left everything in life is a platform for politics.
Time to put the shoe on the other foot, IMO. How about we take a knee for the millions of black babies murdered by abortion? This nonsense would end the moment BLM issue is the only issue on the table. We should not allow them to divisively ruin our national anthem and make their issue supreme.
Stop kneeling and then we’ll talk.
Still not watching football. As much as I looked forward to this season I refuse to watch these privileged few whine about equality or whatever because it isn’t even clear what the point is now. I was also told by some that it is time for me to be uncomfortable because of the color skin and how I was born with privileges I have gotten. I started at the bottom and earned everything I have through hard work that my father put inside me through example. I have never discriminated against anyone or even thought I was better than anyone. I judge people by their actions. I spent my last 2 weekends volunteering on a building project for the American Legion I belong to help the Veterans of my post and not disrespecting our Country on National television.
This is a well-written piece that I received earlier today.
“...I think the NFL is beginning to learn their lesson, but I won’t be watching today anyway. I’d like to think this will be the LAST week of any controversy and they’ll all be standing! We’ll see...
This message was written by the Commander of an American Legion Post regarding the ungrateful moronic NFL players.
I see you…
I see you, professional football player, as you kneel down during the playing of the National Anthem…
I see you, with your arm raised in protest…
I see you thinking you are doing something to unite people over social and racial injustice.
I see you…
But, more than that here is what I really see…
I see a man pushing the wheels of his wheelchair as he returns home from a foreign land unable to function as he once did, due to fighting to protect you as you kneel on the ground.
I see a young widow, dressed carefully in black, mourning the remains of her husband, hugging a coffin on the tarmac of an airport.
I see that same woman clutching a perfectly folded flag to her bosom as taps is played at his graveside.
I see her young son, tears streaming down his face knowing his father would never come home again.
I see graveyards full of tombstones, here and overseas, with names of those fallen, with dates showing a much too early death.
I see so many, from so many different wars and conflicts, crosses and stones. They are too numerous to count.
I see the sacrifices made, the hearts broken, the tears shed, the shattered lives all in the name of freedom… all in the name of that red, white and blue piece of cloth that you choose to protest.
Social and racial injustice? You who make millions of American dollars for playing a game in a country where you have more opportunity to make a better life for you and your family than anywhere in the world? Really? The hypocrisy of it astounds me.
First of all, if you really want to protest, give your money and time to make changes. Give to those less fortunate than you. Help those people get an education, buy them food and shelter. Show them opportunities to make better decisions. Teach them that they have a purpose in life.
And if you really want to protest injustices…
Protest the treatment of veterans, who have to wait extremely long periods of time for healthcare, who are living under interstate bridges, in boxes, who are committing suicide. Today over twenty of them will take their lives out of hopelessness and despair.
Protest the people whose goal in life is to make sure an unborn baby doesn’t see the light of day. There will be around 3,500 of them today. There is no greater injustice than that.
Protest the loss of religious rights as some atheist complained so much that public prayer by a group of young players on an athletic field is not allowed.
When I see that flag, when I hear that song, when I sing those words, I give homage to those who died for this land, who continue to protect this land, who don’t know if and when they will ever see their loved ones again. Some say that they died for your freedom so that you can take a knee. I say they died for your freedom so you can stand proudly and be thankful that God has blessed you enough that you can live in a country of so much opportunity.
Go ahead…
Go ahead and kneel…
Go ahead and be ungrateful.
I am watching…
As are millions and millions of others.
We don’t see a protest of unity… we see a protest of disgraceful ignorance.
Please Pass This On To EVERYONE On Your List..”
Key misplaced assumption: As NFL players, they have a responsibility to speak for people who can’t speak for themselves.
Actually, they don’t have that responsibility. Also, they don’t have the platform. They assume they do, but they don’t.
In point of fact, the taxpayers, in almost every case, paid for the actual physical platform they are standing on - the field itself.
Another misconception: We misunderstood the message. No, we didn’t.
The error is with the players and the NFL - you don’t disrespect the flag, for any reason, at any time, in any place.
As players, they have the cash to buy a commercial. THEN they have the platform, and they can fulfill whatever cockamamie responsibility they think they have.
Until they do, networks should air the ceremony, players should stand at attention, hand on heart, helmet under arm, and they can kneel in whatever commercial they want to make to get their idiotic, not factually accurate, point of view message across to anybody indoctrinated enough to buy it.
Until then, honor the flag, then play the friggin’ game, and shut the f up.
Football players are experts in one and only one thing - playing football.
A pro-Trump statement during the Anthem is disrespectful. An anti-Trump statement during the Anthem is disrespectful. A pro-police statement during the Anthem is disrespectful. An anti-police statement during the Anthem is disrespectful. All “statements” that detract from the Anthem - whether made immediately before, during, or immediately after the Anthem - are disrespectful and unforgivable.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/36/301
(b) Conduct During Playing.—During a rendition of the national anthem—
(1) when the flag is displayed—
(A) individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note;
(B) members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform; and
(C) all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.
Linking arms, black power raised fists, kneeling, or any other Anthem protest is unforgivably offensive.
[Note: Obviously, this does not apply to photographers, musicians, singers, and others involved with bringing the Anthem to the audience. Pretending (as the mainstream media have done) that there is any parallel between a photographer kneeling to get video of the singer and a thug kneeling because he is ungrateful to the country that made him a millionaire for his athletic skill is intentionally deceptive - #FakeNews.]
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