This is so overblown...when watching college games on TV they generally don't show the national anthem anyway.
So, I heard the entire team is kneeling during the national anthem
- Thread starter Pawkhawk1
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Good for them, I could care less if they kneel or even burn the flag at midfield ... that’s their right. You people need to stop acting like you are great American Patriots and speaking on behalf of the troops. I bet almost anything that you American Patriots have never even been close to putting a uniform on. I have been in the service and I’m telling you that the reason you can even speak your minds is because of people like myself have sacrificed to make that possible for you. You can also shove your “ America is Great” mantra up your asses because America is far from great, in fact it probably does not even make my top 5 category of county’s I have been to it lived in. I highly doubt many of you that are running your fat mouths have ever even been out of the Midwest let alone have any understanding of how other countries work. So if the team wants to take a knee or burn the flag or whatever that’s give with me .
Thanks for letting us know which Americans rights are fought for and which ones should shut up and ignore their rights. Well, ignore their rights that dont exist lol
I'm one of those troops it allegedly offends...I'm glad they're exercising their right to protest. I hope the stick with it until they get the outcome they're looking for.
First, the easy part. Your argument fails to the extent it assumes the players have a 1A right to protest during the national anthem. As voluntary public representatives of the University, and the State of Iowa, they do not have a right to protest or engage in any political speech.
Second, the more difficult part. The respective life experiences are irrelevant. The issue is the loss of national identity and the creation of anger. Every culture needs something around which to cohere, a set of principles to guide the coherence and a symbol that represents the other two. The American flag is that symbol for the country in which we live, voluntarily.
Kneeling in a sign of disrespect for the flag inherently means that, on balance the nation represented by the flag is worthy of disrespect. Now I find that to be a slur of the highest magnitude, especially from someone living the privileged existence of a varsity scholarship football player at any university. The professional athlete is particularly offensive because they're already living the exceptionally privileged existence of a millionaire pro athlete.
It is also expressing a desire to Balkanize the country into tribes. A 14% minority that refuses to accept the basic cultural norms of the other 86% is doomed to social failure unless they can force different cultural norms on the other 86%. History does not show many examples of the latter. Instead they remain a kind of permanent underclass replicating the same social pathogens that cause the problem in the first place.
If you're playing scholarship ball at the University of Iowa nothing in your past should rationally cause you to have such antipathy. You are living the American dream and nothing could to justify a show of public disrespect...cuz life's going pretty well for you on balance.
Beclown themselves on their time, knock yourself out. They have no right to beclown themselves when representing me and my state and my university and are worthy of much rebuke. There really is no middle ground.
Finally, you ducked the main point. Do you have the same standard for political views that you find loathsome? Because I find kneeling every bit as loathsome as a swastika or the Klan. Its a mild manifestation of a truly vile ideology, like wearing a hood or sporting a swastika. But if we don't have the same standard for every political viewpoint then there is no right of free speech, only the political power to censor speech with which an antagonist disagrees.
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He can defend his argument. I’ve enlisted a few other people to speak to yours:
"Without Freedom of Thought there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as Public Liberty, without Freedom of Speech." -Benjamin Franklin
Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.”—George Washington
“Equal laws protecting equal rights—the best guarantee of loyalty and love of country.”—James Madison
...Weird how I can’t find any quotes about the need for being servile in the way we address national symbolism. Can you? Almost like a group of revolutionaries who felt underserved by their original colonizing government would approve of such simple protest.
Like if every sporting event starts with The National Anthem, it loses its meaning? Agreed.
Washington forcibly crushed Shays rebellion.He can defend his argument. I’ve enlisted a few other people to speak to yours:
"Without Freedom of Thought there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as Public Liberty, without Freedom of Speech." -Benjamin Franklin
Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.”—George Washington
“Equal laws protecting equal rights—the best guarantee of loyalty and love of country.”—James Madison
...Weird how I can’t find any quotes about the need for being servile in the way we address national symbolism. Can you? Almost like a group of revolutionaries who felt underserved by their original colonizing government would approve of such simple protest.
Wow. You sound fun. I cant believe you wrote all that and closed comparing players kneeling as the same as wearing a swastika or KKK hood.
Your first point is laughably absurd. I am sure you have also been as upset about players praying as they kneel after the game and insist they can do no such thing.
Also laughable “If you're playing scholarship ball at the University of Iowa nothing in your past should rationally cause you to have such antipathy for your country to justify a show of public disrespect...cuz life's going pretty well for you on balance.” Lordy.
At this point just stay in the locker room until after the national anthem. No fans and TV isn’t going to show it just starve it of oxygen and this BS will eventually die out.
They used to play it before the players were out on the field and folks were filing into the stadium.
Not sure when that changed
I’m old as dirt but when I played I don’t ever remember being on the field when it was played and that was the early 80’s
Should be reserved for international competition, holidays, or special occasions.
OMG. How disrespectful! How could they? The country must have been run by commies. 😱
On further review....it might have changed during the first Gulf war in 91. Whitney Houston was the first rendition of the national anthem that I remember from a sporting event and that was at the Super Bowl at that time
I see. So when the argument was made that kneeling is disrespectful to the troops, that was just using the troops. When the troops support the kneeling, the troops get dumped. Great look.
I suggest we ALL kneel in unity. Sound good?
She killed it, but I understand it was pre recorded. I miss her. Don’t do drugs alone in the bathtub.
Personally I stand and place my hand over my heart as a retired vet. Kneeling really isn’t that disrespectful...not like they’re flipping the bird or something.
I find assholes that fly the confederate battle flag alongside the Stars and Stripes much more disrespectful. Folks with Stars and Stripes bandannas (saw one used as a mask the other day) are scum of the earth as well
I find assholes that fly the confederate battle flag alongside the Stars and Stripes much more disrespectful. Folks with Stars and Stripes bandannas (saw one used as a mask the other day) are scum of the earth as well
And kneeling wasn’t meant to disrespect the troops. Just the opposite. It was intended to draw attention to the racism that still exists in this country, and the negative affect it has on millions of Americans.
So it’s telling when someone gets pissed about it
Horrible take away. I’ve never made the argument that the anthem is strictly for the troops. It’s for all Americans.
That’s why i worded it more generally. We both know that argument has been made by your allies.
Pay attention to the people doing the kneeling when looking for why they are doing it. Do not listen to politicians who are using it for political gain and to divide our country also for their own political benefit.
As someone old enough to remember the black player boycott and how it destroyed Iowa football, I think people should consider how an outright refusal to show sympathy for our black players could effect the future.
As has been said many times before, if it is OK to kneel in church it should be fine to kneel on a football field.
SIAP
As has been said many times before, if it is OK to kneel in church it should be fine to kneel on a football field.
SIAP
I don't need to wonder. I know why. They are being manipulated by the media and politicians for profit and power.
I think the whole country should kneel during the national anthem to protest the awful Administration in the White House
