Quote:Having the capacity to empathize with a group being victimized and not getting bent out of shape that players are taking a knee is being part of the problem? And I assume sit down, shut up and wave a flag is your definition of being part of the solution? Don't think for a second why minorities feel marginalized when they are seeing their people killed by trigger happy cops without need? I'm not dumb enough to say cops shouldn't be alert and aware of the people they encounter, but there are more than enough recent examples of cops killing people unnecessarily to understand why people are upset.
It's not a mess I created, and it's not a mess one person can fix (though it's nice to know you think so highly of my abilities). Relationships need to be mended. People need to be held accountable. More training for cops makes perfect sense to me. I also support the mandatory use of body cameras on cops. I truly think most cops are good. But the bad ones grab the headlines. Let the camera support or contradict what gets put in the police reports. Good cops should have nothing to worry about. That's just scratching the surface. I'm sure there are other actions that can be taken people closer to the situation could recommend. But what measures can you say are honestly being taken now to diffuse the situation? Whatever it is sure isn't readily visible which is why these protests continue.
Why is the focus on cops so much? Furthermore, what does it have to do with the National Anthem? Do you know what the #1 suspect in every murder is? It's a spouse, family member, friend, or co-worker. It's someone close to the victim. It's not some gang banging minority. It's not some trigger happy cop. The odds of you dying from allergic reaction to a bee sting or being struck by lightning are exponentially greater than the odds of you being shot and killed by a cop.
And let's not fool ourselves. Look at the police killings. Can we agree that not everyone shot and killed were choir boys? Most were armed. Does that automatically mean that they deserve to die? Absolutely not. But have you ever been in a situation like that? Are you married? Do you have children? If so, and you were a cop, wouldn't your concern be going home to see your family at the end of serving your community? Have you ever applied to be a LEO? Have you taken the psychological tests and intensive scrutiny to even be considered?
That aside, why no outrage for minority on minority crime and death. For every police involved death, there are literally hundreds of deaths that are committed on the streets. Why no outrage there? There is no such thing as threat progression on the streets. It is routinely trained in LEO facilities.
Selective indignation is equal to no indignation. Either you hate killing, or you don't. If you do, focusing on Law Enforcement Officers is barking up the wrong tree. Look into where the true problem lies, and make a difference there. If not, this problem will never go away. In fact, it will only get worse.
How far are you removed from why players like Kap are protesting?
Quote:How far are you removed from why players like Kap are protesting?
Maybe a better question is why are they protesting THAT over what they are?
I think of you as a friend. I bet if we sat down in person, we would find a hell of a lot more in common about a great many things than we differ.
To answer your question though, do you REALLY know why he's doing it? He lost his job and his spotlight. Is this just a way to keep the lights on him? I'm not saying it is, but do you really know for sure?
Quote:Cops are actually #15 as far as danger on the job.
1 Logging workers 110.9 78
2 Fishers and related fishing workers 80.8 22
3 Aircraft pilots and flight engineers 64 82
4 Roofers 47.4 83
5 Refuse and recyclable material collectors 35.8 27
6 Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers 26.7 270
7 Structural iron and steel workers 25.2 15
8 Driver/sales workers and truck drivers 24.7 880
9 Electrical power-line installers and repairers 19.2 25
10 Taxi drivers and chauffeurs 18 68
11 First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers 17.9 130
12 Construction laborers 16.9 208
13 First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers 16.4 33
14 Maintenance and repairs workers, general 14.4 68
15 Police and sheriff's patrol officers 13.5 97
My job is number 7 on that list.
Quote:If America wasn't such a mess there wouldn't be the need to protest.
Please elaborate. I agree, there are issues that can and should be addressed. I am curious though as to what in your mind they are.
My personal response/reaction to CK's protest is this: As a veteran I support his right to do so however misguided. It is interesting to me that he does not see that were it not for the freedoms that the National Anthem and the United States Flag represent he would not have that very right to protest in fashion that he does.
To take it one step further on a very personal level seeing him sit there with his head down during the Anthem made me want to break my fist upon his face. With that said, seeing him evolve his call for justice by taking a knee instead of just sitting on his butt is encouraging and gives me hope that maybe this can be a catalyst to an actual discussion but I fear the usual rhetoric will supersede any actual discussion.
Quote:Maybe a better question is why are they protesting THAT over what they are?
I think of you as a friend. I bet if we sat down in person, we would find a hell of a lot more in common about a great many things than we differ.
To answer your question though, do you REALLY know why he's doing it? He lost his job and his spotlight. Is this just a way to keep the lights on him? I'm not saying it is, but do you really know for sure?
I agree you and I and truly the majority of Americans have a lot more in common than we don't. The us vs. them rhetoric has been amped up for years and in an election year it is only amplified.
I don't think Kap is doing this for attention. I think he feels being a professional athlete with the platform it provides allows him to make a visible stand for something he believes in. He certainly has gotten a lot of flak from this decision. I think he has intelligently spoken about why he is doing this and I can only take him at his word.
I get why people may not like it (pretty sure he does too). But I can understand why he is protesting in light of the number of incidents that have become sadly commonplace.
It's the sad anniversary of 9/11. I remember seeing the flag flying over the rubble. The contrast of color of the flag vs the grim,grey,dust filled concrete was a gut wrench.
So..at least for this day. Stand out of respect. On this day.
Then continue.
Personally, I will not respect anyone not standing. It's their right to so, and it's mine to think as well or say they are being piss holes on the anniversary of one of the worst day in our history.
If they want to kneel, I hope it's to pray for the 3,000 plus and their families who died that day.
I think that's the only 2 posts I've seen you make that were worth a damn..
Cooodose
Quote:I think that's the only 2 posts I've seen you make that were worth a damn..
Cooodose
And that's your only one...❣
Quote:I agree you and I and truly the majority of Americans have a lot more in common than we don't. The us vs. them rhetoric has been amped up for years and in an election year it is only amplified.
I don't think Kap is doing this for attention. I think he feels being a professional athlete with the platform it provides allows him to make a visible stand for something he believes in. He certainly has gotten a lot of flak from this decision. I think he has intelligently spoken about why he is doing this and I can only take him at his word.
I get why people may not like it (pretty sure he does too). But I can understand why he is protesting in light of the number of incidents that have become sadly commonplace.
As crazy as this sound had he explained in some interview that he was going to what he did and why, maybe people would have been more understanding. But to just sit on that bench looking butthurt stirred the pot and made it into a huge deal for the wrong reasons.
In the '68 Olympics a gymnast from Czechoslovakia stood on the medal stand and turned her head down and away from the Soviet flag while the anthem played due to the Soviet led invasion on Czechoslovakia. Everyone understood why she did it. This thing with Kaep just came out of nowhere. There was nothing anywhere saying he'd spent his off-season learning more about the issue and doing something about it then. All of a sudden he's sitting during the anthem and after all the hoopla he suddenly has an interest and is donating money to organizations he won't name. I could be wrong but it seems suspect to me.
Quote:And that's your only one...❣
Well you can't accuse me of not trying
Quote:
There are more black women in college today than there are any other race and gender in America. Sorry, it isn't the 1990s, 1980s, 1970s, or 1960s anymore. We are about as equal as it is going to get, and its pretty damn equal. In fact, we are being so "equal" that we are reintroducing segregation on behalf of blacks who no longer want to share living arrangements with other races. Ain't that nice?
<div>Cal State LA offers segregated housing for black students
</div>
Not sure where you are getting your facts for that statement. I spent about 30 seconds googling and found
this from the National Center for Education Statistics:
The percentage of American college students who are Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian/Alaska Native has been increasing. From 1976 to 2013, the percentage of Hispanic students rose from 4 percent to 16 percent, the percentage of Asian/Pacific Islander students rose from 2 percent to 6 percent,
the percentage of Black students rose from 10 percent to 15 percent, and the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native students rose from 0.7 to 0.8 percent. During the same period,
the percentage of White students fell from 84 percent to 59 percent.
Maybe if they had the Heart to Kneel they would have had the Heart to Win... B)
Couple funny observations:
1. This whole thing reminds me of the Aids Ribbon episode of Seinfeld. "Who????? Who does not want to wear the ribbon?????" LOL
2. Does anyone else see the irony in the fact that the people that hate the federal government and the authority there-of are the ones that are the most angry about people disrepsecting the flag and anthem - the 2 biggest symbols of the federal government's authority?
In this thread the outrage is tangible. In another thread, the government must be stopped and is clearly corrupt!!!! LOL Silly. But if black people say the government is corrupt and they need to stop killing us, oh then those black people are human feces.
I find the irony quite delicious.
Quote:Couple funny observations:
1. This whole thing reminds me of the Aids Ribbon episode of Seinfeld. "Who????? Who does not want to wear the ribbon?????" LOL
2. Does anyone else see the irony in the fact that the people that hate the federal government and the authority there-of are the ones that are the most angry about people disrepsecting the flag and anthem - the 2 biggest symbols of the federal government's authority?
In this thread the outrage is tangible. In another thread, the government must be stopped and is clearly corrupt!!!! LOL Silly. But if black people say the government is corrupt and they need to stop killing us, oh then those black people are human feces.
I find the irony quite delicious.
I've never considered the anthem and the flag to be symbols of the government. Those are symbols of the people and of the sacrifices of their fellow countrymen to me, and I'm betting it's that way with most of the people in this thread.
So I'm not really sure how ironic it is to not be a fan of the federal government, and still love and respect the country and its people.
Quote:I've never considered the anthem and the flag to be symbols of the government. Those are symbols of the people and of the sacrifices of their fellow countrymen to me, and I'm betting it's that way with most of the people in this thread.
So I'm not really sure how ironic it is to not be a fan of the federal government, and still love and respect the country and its people.
I agree. The flag and the anthem are about the People. If others choose to see them as representatives of the government I suppose that's their prerogative but it's a false representation IMHO.
Quote:It's the sad anniversary of 9/11. I remember seeing the flag flying over the rubble. The contrast of color of the flag vs the grim,grey,dust filled concrete was a gut wrench.
So..at least for this day. Stand out of respect. On this day.
Then continue.
Personally, I will not respect anyone not standing. It's their right to so, and it's mine to think as well or say they are being [BAD WORD REMOVED] holes on the anniversary of one of the worst day in our history.
I was about to post the same exact thing. 9/11 was a day everyone white, black, mexican, Jews, Christians, Atheist, etc came together. Everyone should have stood for that purpose.