Stand, sit, kneel...
Looks like the pressure being brought to bear on the National Football League by the Liar-In-Chief is working. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a letter today to the Chief Executive/Club President of every NFL team. Here is an excerpt:
"The controversy over the Anthem is a barrier to having honest conversations and making real progress on the underlying issues. We need to move past this controversy, and we want to do that together with our players."
The players who are choosing to take a knee are not protesting the military, veterans or first responders. They are saying that they want the nation as a whole to take action to stop the disproportionate killings of people of color done under the color of authority.
But people who do not want these issues to be dealt with have successfully managed to reframe the protests as being something they are not.
I am not alone among veterans who have no issue with the players choosing to take a knee. There are veterans who vehemently disagree with that position. That is what makes this a great nation. The freedom to disagree. The freedom to express our feelings without the government infringing upon our expressions. As long as they remain speech and ideas, rather than actions that may violate the rights of others.
Like it or not, the NFL is a business. If they choose to make a business decision to require players to stand for the playing of the national anthem, that is not an abrogation of the First Amendment rights of the players. Government is not infringing their right to protest, in spite of presidential pressure being applied.
The history of the playing of the national anthem goes back a long way, in fact before it was our nation's anthem. The Star-Spangled Banner did not become our nation's official anthem until 1931. It was being played at baseball games going back to 1897.
The claim that NFL players did not come out on the field for the anthem until 2009 is a mixed bag of fact and fiction. It was not played regularly before the start of baseball games until after World War II. After World War II ended, then NFL Commissioner Elmer Layden said that the playing of the anthem before football games should continue.
"The playing of the national anthem should be as much a part of every game as the kickoff. We must not drop it simply because the war is over. We should never forget what it stands for."
I think the NFL should give players a choice. Stand on the sidelines for the playing of the anthem, or stay in the locker room until after the anthem has finished playing. While we are on the topic, every other activity at the game should stop during the playing of the anthem. No concession sales (Dodger Stadium halted concession sales during the playing of the anthem the last time I went to a game, back in 2004), no walking from point to point. Stop, face the flag and wait until the anthem is finished playing.
What do you think?
"The controversy over the Anthem is a barrier to having honest conversations and making real progress on the underlying issues. We need to move past this controversy, and we want to do that together with our players."
The players who are choosing to take a knee are not protesting the military, veterans or first responders. They are saying that they want the nation as a whole to take action to stop the disproportionate killings of people of color done under the color of authority.
But people who do not want these issues to be dealt with have successfully managed to reframe the protests as being something they are not.
I am not alone among veterans who have no issue with the players choosing to take a knee. There are veterans who vehemently disagree with that position. That is what makes this a great nation. The freedom to disagree. The freedom to express our feelings without the government infringing upon our expressions. As long as they remain speech and ideas, rather than actions that may violate the rights of others.
Like it or not, the NFL is a business. If they choose to make a business decision to require players to stand for the playing of the national anthem, that is not an abrogation of the First Amendment rights of the players. Government is not infringing their right to protest, in spite of presidential pressure being applied.
The history of the playing of the national anthem goes back a long way, in fact before it was our nation's anthem. The Star-Spangled Banner did not become our nation's official anthem until 1931. It was being played at baseball games going back to 1897.
The claim that NFL players did not come out on the field for the anthem until 2009 is a mixed bag of fact and fiction. It was not played regularly before the start of baseball games until after World War II. After World War II ended, then NFL Commissioner Elmer Layden said that the playing of the anthem before football games should continue.
"The playing of the national anthem should be as much a part of every game as the kickoff. We must not drop it simply because the war is over. We should never forget what it stands for."
I think the NFL should give players a choice. Stand on the sidelines for the playing of the anthem, or stay in the locker room until after the anthem has finished playing. While we are on the topic, every other activity at the game should stop during the playing of the anthem. No concession sales (Dodger Stadium halted concession sales during the playing of the anthem the last time I went to a game, back in 2004), no walking from point to point. Stop, face the flag and wait until the anthem is finished playing.
What do you think?
posted by me at 2:00 PM
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