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Standing during the Pledge or National Anthem

Burgold

By Burgold
in The Tailgate

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Burgold

Burgold

Posted
Posted

I'm a firm believer of freedom of speech and protest. That said, I think not standing during the Pledge or during the playing of the National Anthem is wrong. Now, I support your right to stand up silently and not say the pledge (for religious or other reasons). I can even get behind you not putting your hand over your heart, but I do think you should stand.

I think part of it is that I look at some of these issues as a matter of harm. As a young Jewish boy, I wasn't harmed in being asked to sing Christmas songs during the school assembly. I remember being invited to be part of a Presidential prayer breakfast during an inauguration. When the priest asked everyone to rise I did. I didn't say the prayers, but I did stand. These are the little slights we bare as being part of the community.

So, when I read about Kaepernick choosing to sit during the National Anthem, part of me gets it and most of me doesn't. He says he's doing this because he's frustrated with racial inequality. Is not standing a good gesture to announce that disquiet?

I don't think so because no one knew why he wasn't standing. They just saw it as a sign of disrespect. More, as a QB in the NFL he has a tremendous platform to use his voice or his money to make an actual difference. That makes the act of sitting seem hollow as far as gestures go.

If you believe that police abuse is one that deserves action and comment than ACT and COMMENT! As a side note, I see this police abuse issue as more of a local issue than a national one as it doesn't involve federal abuse of power, but local ones. If that's true it makes protesting America by sitting even less effective as a statement.

I suppose Kaepernick's action did generate some attention and so I may be wrong, but I think it garnered a lot less than the NBA and WNBA players who wore protest t-shirts and got fined for it. I respect the latter statement more if for no other reason... their actions were unambiguous and clear.

In other words, stand up for your beliefs and your country. Don't sit on your arse and sulk.

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DM72

DM72

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, redskinss said:

i see it this way, you have every right to sit during the national anthem and if you exercise that right then people have the right to rip you apart for it.

kapernick is finding that out the hard way right now.

 

And he's not backing down which I applaud him for. 

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KLJ

KLJ

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, redskinss said:

i see it this way, you have every right to sit during the national anthem and if you exercise that right then people have the right to rip you apart for it.

kapernick is finding that out the hard way right now.

exactly..  he's a moron and a piss, poor qb..

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KLJ

KLJ

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Dont Taze Me Bro said:

Sorry you are blind to the struggles of our fellow Americans.  Keep trying, it's cute.    

you seem like a very angry individual..  i'm sorry that i don't believe every form of protest deserves respect.  

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zoony

zoony

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, Dont Taze Me Bro said:

Angry?  Kid you know nothing about me. So step off.

 

Maybe you can step off as well.  Reading the above, you went after him and kept on.  You disagree, now please move forward so other views can be shared in this thread and its not just the two of you bickering

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PCS

PCS

Posted
Posted

I don't know. I do think it's disrespectful,but geez if I had a dime for every time I've been to a sporting event or some other event that starts with the National Anthem and saw people keep talking,drinking their beer,eat their snacks,b.s. in the food or drink line,ect. I wouldn't need a powerball win. Life's too short for me to worry about those folks and in this case,young Mr. Kaepernick. If that's what he feels he needs to do to protest,so be it. I'm not a fan of it,(as I said,I think it's disrespectful),but I'm not going to get pissed either. I don't get in to this bull**** "If you don't like it so much,find another country" thing either. With that kind of reasoning,the American population would be down to about 23 people,(keeping in mind some were suggesting the same thing during the RNC not too long ago. :) ).  

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mjah

mjah

Posted
Posted

I couldn't care less whether a player sits or stands during the National Anthem before going out on the field to entertain me and risk major injury.  He's there to play football for profit, not to flatter my love of home and country.  It's a game and a TV show... not a big deal either way. 

PR kerfuffle.  Shrug.

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Hersh

Hersh

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Burgold said:

I'm a firm believer of freedom of speech and protest. That said, I think not standing during the Pledge or during the playing of the National Anthem is wrong. Now, I support your right to stand up silently and not say the pledge (for religious or other reasons). I can even get behind you not putting your hand over your heart, but I do think you should stand.

I think part of it is that I look at some of these issues as a matter of harm. As a young Jewish boy, I wasn't harmed in being asked to sing Christmas songs during the school assembly. I remember being invited to be part of a Presidential prayer breakfast during an inauguration. When the priest asked everyone to rise I did. I didn't say the prayers, but I did stand. These are the little slights we bare as being part of the community.

So, when I read about Kaepernick choosing to sit during the National Anthem, part of me gets it and most of me doesn't. He says he's doing this because he's frustrated with racial inequality. Is not standing a good gesture to announce that disquiet?

I don't think so because no one knew why he wasn't standing. They just saw it as a sign of disrespect. More, as a QB in the NFL he has a tremendous platform to use his voice or his money to make an actual difference. That makes the act of sitting seem hollow as far as gestures go.

If you believe that police abuse is one that deserves action and comment than ACT and COMMENT! As a side note, I see this police abuse issue as more of a local issue than a national one as it doesn't involve federal abuse of power, but local ones. If that's true it makes protesting America by sitting even less effective as a statement.

I suppose Kaepernick's action did generate some attention and so I may be wrong, but I think it garnered a lot less than the NBA and WNBA players who wore protest t-shirts and got fined for it. I respect the latter statement more if for no other reason... their actions were unambiguous and clear.

In other words, stand up for your beliefs and your country. Don't sit on your arse and sulk.

 

. 

You tell him to ACT and COMMENT, well what do you think he was doing? You don't have to like the act but he is doing what you want. If Kaep simply spoke out, people would tell him to shut up and play football. What he did was continue to bring attention to a real issue in the midst of people making fantasy lineups

While I personally stand for the pledge and the national anthem, I do find it interesting that we like to condemn the person or people protesting if we don't like the way they protest. To me, we get very caught up in a "first world" problem  and the act of the protest when we should be continuing the discussion on the point he is making. 

 

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Zazzaro703

Zazzaro703

Posted
Posted (edited)

He wanted to make a statement and what he is doing will draw and has drawn a lot more attention to his message than if he just stood at a podium. While at first I thought it was disrespectful towards our armed service members (but I still recognize his right to sit no matter how I felt), I waited for his explanation and now him sitting doesn't bother me. If he feels the flag doesn't symbolically represent the rights and values it used to and soldiers are dying in vain to protect those values like liberty and justice for all, who am I to argue with his perspective of the world. His perspective isn't some looney toon fantasy world either, so if he wants to sit... Let him sit. But, he should be prepared for the backlash and it sounds like he is. This was a calculated decision on his part and not some knee jerk thing he thought up 2 minutes before the start of his first preseason game. He is trying to start/continue a discussion that some people are afraid to talk about and others frankly are too ignorant to contribute anything of value. When I say ignorant people, I mean the ones that respond to Kaepernick's action with blind racist comments and "If you don't like America you can get out". I give a tip of the hat towards his determination and putting his money where his mouth is, he could stand to lose a lot if he continues to sit and will be scapegoated as being a distraction if the 49ners suck. Here is the article where he explains why he is sitting:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691874/article/colin-kaepernick-ill-continue-to-sit-during-national-anthem

 

Edited by Zazzaro703
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boobiemiles

boobiemiles

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, Burgold said:

I'm a firm believer of freedom of speech and protest. That said, I think not standing during the Pledge or during the playing of the National Anthem is wrong. Now, I support your right to stand up silently and not say the pledge (for religious or other reasons). I can even get behind you not putting your hand over your heart, but I do think you should stand.

I think part of it is that I look at some of these issues as a matter of harm. As a young Jewish boy, I wasn't harmed in being asked to sing Christmas songs during the school assembly. I remember being invited to be part of a Presidential prayer breakfast during an inauguration. When the priest asked everyone to rise I did. I didn't say the prayers, but I did stand. These are the little slights we bare as being part of the community.

So, when I read about Kaepernick choosing to sit during the National Anthem, part of me gets it and most of me doesn't. He says he's doing this because he's frustrated with racial inequality. Is not standing a good gesture to announce that disquiet?

I don't think so because no one knew why he wasn't standing. They just saw it as a sign of disrespect. More, as a QB in the NFL he has a tremendous platform to use his voice or his money to make an actual difference. That makes the act of sitting seem hollow as far as gestures go.

If you believe that police abuse is one that deserves action and comment than ACT and COMMENT! As a side note, I see this police abuse issue as more of a local issue than a national one as it doesn't involve federal abuse of power, but local ones. If that's true it makes protesting America by sitting even less effective as a statement.

I suppose Kaepernick's action did generate some attention and so I may be wrong, but I think it garnered a lot less than the NBA and WNBA players who wore protest t-shirts and got fined for it. I respect the latter statement more if for no other reason... their actions were unambiguous and clear.

In other words, stand up for your beliefs and your country. Don't sit on your arse and sulk.

This is the whole problem. Equating racism to the school Christmas song. U and most white people have no concept about what you are talking about. 

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boobiemiles

boobiemiles

Posted
Posted (edited)

African Americans have fought in every military conflict however we are marginalize by this country, and it's system.  If Colin feels the way to address racism is to make a small sacrifice then so be it. I hope he understands that his gesture will cause a lot of people to hate him. But if his actions bring light to the racial problem in America I feel he would honor the men and women that died for the idea of a country where people can express themselves freely. I hope we start asking why people can set up businesses in the black community but you will never see a black business in a white, asian, or middle eastern community. If it helps make a better future for us all then it was worth the sacrifice. Black people own .5  of 1percent of wealth in America. How can Colin triumph against such overwhelming odds. People are more concerned with him standing but not the problem. 

Edited by boobiemiles
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