Jacksonville Jaguars Fan Forums

Here's what I don't get:

 

Many conservatives, including quite a few self-identified ones on this board, freak out and throw fits when a college, school, organization, whatever, restricts the First Amendment rights of groups that want to publicly espouse positions on things like marriage, abortion, racial issues, climate control, whatever, that might be unpopular with other groups. Fair enough, and I agree. In a public setting, all Americans have the right to be heard, whether you agree with it or not.

 

What confuses me is that when athletes choose to use their position of prominence, as Colin Kapernick and now other NFLers have, plus athletes in other sports, to comment on something in an unpopular fashion, suddenly their freedom of speech is secondary to blind nationalism? I'm not defending Kap or any of the others. I think their method of demonstrating is counter-productive and shifts the discussion away from the one we need to have into something else. The broader question is why it's ok to shred athletes for taking advantage of their First Amendment rights in an unpopular way, but it's then fine to shout at those you disagree with for unfairly restricting the First Amendment rights of people and groups you do agree with?

 

In some strange, twisted way, isn't sitting down during the national anthem the most powerful use of the First Amendment available to professional athletes? Why should their First Amendment rights be subjugated to a song?

No one is stopping CK or anyone else from protesting the way the see fit, but freedom of speech works both ways. They have the right to protest, and everyone else has the right to say something about it.


Restricting someone's rights and having an opinion on someone else expressing their rights are two totally different things.

As much as people on this board say the country has been wussified by the shift to a more PC culture, I find it laughable how many people looked past this fact when complaining about him. It's not like this is the first time this thing has happened.

I said all along he has a right to do it, heck he has the right to spit on the flag burn it urinate on it and whatever else. Doesnt mean I'm not gonna call a fool fool.


I think the entire BLM movement is fools gold, it's promoting the same culture that has left black Americans in poverty for generations, a culture of the deck is stacked and we blame x. I've had several several black friends and when we have this discussion it boils back down to this belief their damned before they start so why even try?


Is their racism in America, yes. Is there policy brutality in American, yes. It's two separate issues, if you had some magic test and fired every cop that had any form of prejudice youd still have a problem with police brutality in America. The problem is simple, we have to many laws, and the state is to big to control.

I think some people are frustrated with the double standard. There were a lot of demands that Stacey Dash be fired for her Black History Month comments. I don't think there is any doubt that had it been a white, male anchor for ESPN that made the same comments they would have been fired or at the very least suspended.


My opinion is that I don't care what Kaepernick thinks about politics and social issues. He self-admitted that he never even followed it until this offseason so why should anybody give two 4-letter words about his thoughts. I wish the 24 hour news cycle stopped airing opinions from half way [BLEEP] people because of name recognition.


Sit or stand during the anthem. I don't care and I don't care about his opinion.