Buffalo Bills players kneeling sunday 24 September 2017 to the pregame National Anthem, in defiance to President Trump's remarks about the athletes, more than 200 players in the NFL joined in.
President Donald Trump Withdraws Invitation To White House From Stephen Curry | NBC Nightly News ... Thanx to NBC News
This posting will be Part 53 of the "Public Patriots" series of this journal/ blog. This is a topic that is saturated in mainstream media today, and many folks are speaking out for or against this, including the President's constant tweet/ Twitter remarks, and just a real mess ... so I wanted to do a response posting myself on it. Above, an opening video with President Trump's views, first video below is from Dallas' WFAA sports anchor Dale Hansen and his viewpoint ... then below I wanted to include a response video as well from U.S. Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin for a reason, as well as some newsread linked below. After, I will add my response to this mess.
Hansen Unplugged: Anthem protests not about disrespecting the flag (Dallas sportscaster/ anchor) ... Thanx to WFAA
***** SPORTSDAY | DALLAS COWBOYS: Players from almost every NFL team kneel, lock arms, more for national anthem: 'There is no greater unifier' ... (newsread)
Steve Mnuchin: NFL players can 'do free speech on their own time' ... Thanx to Raw Story
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***** PD/ RCJ: "PUBLIC PATRIOTS" PART'S 52 THRU 1
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Martellus Bennett | Green Bay Packers
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Thomas Hudson Pickering/ Ranch Chimp
This is actually incredible the way this is getting covered especially by this President, at least, the type of propaganda that this is being twisted into by the President and his circle. It's not really fair at all, is why I wanted to do this posting, and the media is also under pressure from power of corporate entities as usual. First of all, speaking about "free speech" and the limitations on such imposed by these folks ... the players have NOT said a WORD, they just took a kneel, kneeling is NOT speaking, bottom line. The protest that started with Colin Kaepernick, is concerning the injustice, excessive use of force, killing civilians, and the growing militarization of police in America ... it IS NOT about disrespect for our military, flag, or the country. This has nothing to do with the flag, military, or first responders ... it is a corporate promoted ball game, where corporations it appears, stepped in and took over as the NFL stopped taking their tax- exempt/ non- profit status. I'm sure that these young men care about this country, and this is exactly why they are doing this ... this is what democracy is all about in this constitutional republic, this is the American thing to do. When I listen to the President, he sounds more like a ruling dictator as the months go on, instead of a U.S. President ... as if he's a king (I think in his mind he looks at himself as a king). What has been happening in America more and more, is taking this patriotism talk to an extreme, and promoting big business sports and now controlling what used to be just simply fans wanting to open a game with the national anthem. This is being expanded through propaganda and pressure to try to make it mandatory, that we do the national anthem while showing support for corporate communism, which like in everything else, is taking over our sports, military/ defense and our representative government and legislation priorities. It is sickening enough, that there is hardly any stadiums left in this country that dont have the name of a multinational investment bank or corporation on them, the games are also to promote these entities, and you cannot even look at a field without a saturation of such. Even the commercials are oversaturated in these games promoting these same entities business, that seem to have a monopoly of sort on our so called free market.
The reason I wanted to put the Steve Mnuchin video above, is to show just how ridiculous this dictatorship type administration has gotten, the boldness of these SOB's in incredible. Mnuchin is also currently under investigation for using tax money for extravagant personal travel expenses (NY Daily News). Slow down a minute and watch the video, and ask yourself ... why in Hell do we have a Wall Street investment banker and hedge fund manager dictating what the NFL should do and what should be mandatory to prove patriotism? ... this is insane. How patriotic is our President?, did he serve this country in the military? ... no, Trump received 5 deferments from the draft, he done everything he could to AVOID serving to be honest here. Trump talks endlessly about American jobs ... yet he and his daughter Ivanka use cheap Chinese and Indonesian labour for their products, instead of bringing their jobs back here, they could still make a good profit using American labour, but refuse to. I could go on and on ... where is the patriotism? ... why are not veterans getting a big boost in support under his administration? The President tweets that NFL attendance is down because of this ... that IS NOT accurate, he is trying to push this as a sort of cheap propaganda from his phone. Actually the NFL players are making a fortune for corporations ... and the reason you have maybe some loss in attendance is because of the outrageous prices of tickets to see a game these dayz ... just talk to folks that you know in your town or online about ticket prices and outrageous food and drink concession prices. You can watch the game on your big screen tele with friends at home in HD or a sports bar, with better close ups and replays ... and drink real beer, not cheap draft beer and watered down drinx overpriced. It's bad enough what they are turning our sports activities into in this country, set aside all the cost milking.
President Trump complains about some of the penalties when players clash and some purposely out of anger may injure other players in unsportsmanlike conduct, the President sayz they're taking the fun out of the game, that we should promote injury and ask for blood as well. This is not bloody damn ancient Rome, and the President in 2017 is NOT supposed to be a fuhrer. Would you treat your son like that if he wanted to take up professional sports? ... of course not. Do you know why these players get paid millions to play? ... because they are what makes this multi-billion dollar industry work ... they also have to retire usually by 40 years old at tops because of the physical demand and injuries. Many of these players spend many hours as volunteers in their communities across America helping people and raising money for those in need ... what in Hell has this President done in America to show his patriotism for all this country done for him? Not just the players, but even the managers/ owners and coaches are sick of having the President tweet this garbage ... people like the President and his administration are always talking about staying out of business ... then why in Hell are y'all knee deep in it? These players need to stand up to this, I commend every single one of them and look at them as public patriots for taking the kneel position ... to me, these young men are far more brave and patriotic than the President of this country ... these young men represent what actual democracy should be about. In the next hour, all eyes in America will be on Monday Night Football in Phoenix (ABC | ESPN, 7:30 CST) ... where the 1win/ 1- loss Arizona Cardinals will host the visiting 1- win/ 1 loss Dallas Cowboys. I am pulling of course for the Cowboys, and I will still watch and support even if any of the players from either team kneel for the national anthem ... enough from me.
Word Out ....
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***** RANCH CHIMP JOURNAL "WELCOME" POST
***** RCJ MUSIC/ ART'S HONOUR ROLL SOCIETY (my hand- selected music/ arts picks)
***** "THE RESISTANCE | PERILS OF THE POWER POSSE" ... ( a 2 part futuristic Ranch Chimp Journal dream to dream on )
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Hansen gets it right. The authoritarian types who support Trump claim to defend the right to protest in the abstract, but show them any actual specific protest and they'll condemn it. Trump is just demagoguing as usual.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that these young men care about this country, and this is exactly why they are doing this ... this is what democracy is all about in this constitutional republic, this is the American thing to do.
Exactly. It's a peaceful protest. It's not smashing windows or blocking traffic. It is highly visible, and that's what I think the naysayers really object to. They prefer not to be reminded of the police-brutality issue because it makes them uncomfortable.
to me, these young men are far more brave and patriotic than the President of this country
They're taking some real risks for something bigger than themselves -- which Trump has never done.
Well, that's the way I see it too as far as players taking a risk, Infidel ... example: look what happened to Colin Kaepernick ... he is basically blacklisted, even though they wont say that, but no one will hire him, because he is considered by the establishment as a trouble maker. That's another point you make as far as peaceful protests ... these games get mega publicity, so it's seen in the mainstream which is a plus. Dale alwayz shoots straight ... I had the opportunity to talk with him back a little over 30 years ago when I met him ... he was such a straight up guy as far as speaking honestly. I tried out of fairness, to give Trump the benefit of doubt when he got in office ... I didnt think that he was so hardcore ... I mistaken him for a moderate type I guess ... I was wrong ... anywayz, I didnt vote for him either. Thanx for your view here.
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