While I agree with you, there is something hypocritical about so many who bitterly criticize the players when they themselves don't really know, or even really care about, the lyrics and only stand because they've told all their lives it's the right thing to do.

It is somewhat hypocritical. What scares me more, though, is that the national anthem and flag have been made into sacred cows. It's not the lyrics or the cloth that matter; it's the idea behind them. When we subjugate what the flag stands for to the flag itself and act accordingly, we've started down a dangerous path.

What? Hopefully, I misinterpreted what you wrote...
It is the very essence and context with which the Nations Flag stands that makes it special and it should be held in high regard. Do you know how many immigrated to this land and found peace and solace in just the mere sight of our flag flying high? The fact that it is on a military uniform and military aircraft displaying strength in the weakest of situations (humanitarian aid) is special. After a long week outside the wire in some hell hole, coming across the flag flying high at a FOB brings a feeling of relief and sanctity. I'm sorry, but when you look at the flag as being just some piece of cloth or just some vacant symbol, that's the dangerous part. National pride is important and used to be something to brag about. It was sacred and unified us, yet it's slipping away to national selfishness.

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Bye.

Happy Hump Day!

You are just showing that you are ignorant to what the flag and standing means to him. Being dismissive on what he feels shows what a uncaring person you are. God bless you and hope you find peace.

Lol I’m doing just fine but thank you for caring about me. I’ll sleep better knowing you care.

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You are just showing that you are ignorant to what the flag and standing means to him. Being dismissive on what he feels shows what a uncaring person you are. God bless you and hope you find peace.

Lol I’m doing just fine but thank you for caring about me. I’ll sleep better knowing you care.

Might want to read the comment above. You sound like some kid in his 20's that thinks he knows it all. You are a sad individual.

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Lol I’m doing just fine but thank you for caring about me. I’ll sleep better knowing you care.

Might want to read the comment above. You sound like some kid in his 20's that thinks he knows it all. You are a sad individual.

What'll really bake your noodle, is that he also claims to be a teacher.. I'd yank my kid outta his class so fast..

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By the way turn off the TV news and WAKE UP. Over 700 black on black killed each year in Chicago. This SJW is a big nothing burger.

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Lol I’m doing just fine but thank you for caring about me. I’ll sleep better knowing you care.

Might want to read the comment above. You sound like some kid in his 20's that thinks he knows it all. You are a sad individual.

I’m actuallty extremely happy just about all the time. But thinking you know me over a few posts on message board? That seems.... well.... sad. I continue taking grad classes so that I can further my education but apparently I know it all so I should stop.

I’m not in my 20’s but I sure wish I still was. I could drink as much as I wanted and not feel hungover. 

Sorry we got a different view point about what’s happening in the NFL but hopefully we both hope the Jags win

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Might want to read the comment above. You sound like some kid in his 20's that thinks he knows it all. You are a sad individual.

What'll really bake your noodle, is that he also claims to be a teacher.. I'd yank my kid outta his class so fast..

PE teacher.

Future AD but carry on.

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Might want to read the comment above. You sound like some kid in his 20's that thinks he knows it all. You are a sad individual.

I’m actuallty extremely happy just about all the time. But thinking you know me over a few posts on message board? That seems.... well.... sad. I continue taking grad classes so that I can further my education but apparently I know it all so I should stop.

I’m not in my 20’s but I sure wish I still was. I could drink as much as I wanted and not feel hungover. 

Sorry we got a different view point about what’s happening in the NFL but hopefully we both hope the Jags win

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What'll really bake your noodle, is that he also claims to be a teacher.. I'd yank my kid outta his class so fast..

PE teacher.

Future AD but carry on.

Oh you listen to some leftist professor that teaches bs..WAKE UP

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I’m actuallty extremely happy just about all the time. But thinking you know me over a few posts on message board? That seems.... well.... sad. I continue taking grad classes so that I can further my education but apparently I know it all so I should stop.

I’m not in my 20’s but I sure wish I still was. I could drink as much as I wanted and not feel hungover. 

Sorry we got a different view point about what’s happening in the NFL but hopefully we both hope the Jags win

---

PE teacher.

Future AD but carry on.

Oh you listen to some leftist professor that teaches bs..WAKE UP

But.. They have hot cocoa.. And therapy dogs.. And coloring books..

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I’m actuallty extremely happy just about all the time. But thinking you know me over a few posts on message board? That seems.... well.... sad. I continue taking grad classes so that I can further my education but apparently I know it all so I should stop.

I’m not in my 20’s but I sure wish I still was. I could drink as much as I wanted and not feel hungover. 

Sorry we got a different view point about what’s happening in the NFL but hopefully we both hope the Jags win

---

PE teacher.

Future AD but carry on.

Oh you listen to some leftist professor that teaches bs..WAKE UP

Huh? My classes are about Physical Education. Some of my professors are athletic directors. Pretty sure a couple of them voted for Trump but I don’t care who they voted for as long as they help me reach my goal of being an AD.

You ok man?

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Oh you listen to some leftist professor that teaches bs..WAKE UP

But.. They have hot cocoa.. And therapy dogs.. And coloring books..

Oh man I wish they had cocoa! I like coffee more though so I brew a cup before class. 

No dogs which sucks because dogs are cool!

Coloring books? I wish they had that too! They’re actually pretty fun.

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Oh you listen to some leftist professor that teaches bs..WAKE UP

Huh? My classes are about Physical Education. Some of my professors are athletic directors. Pretty sure a couple of them voted for Trump but I don’t care who they voted for as long as they help me reach my goal of being an AD.

You ok man?

I think you need a therapy dog to help get you through this traumatic time..

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Huh? My classes are about Physical Education. Some of my professors are athletic directors. Pretty sure a couple of them voted for Trump but I don’t care who they voted for as long as they help me reach my goal of being an AD.

You ok man?

I think you need a therapy dog to help get you through this traumatic time..

I’m ok. My therapy hamster would get jealous I think.

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I think you need a therapy dog to help get you through this traumatic time..

I’m ok. My therapy hamster would get jealous I think.

I bet your hamster needs tons of therapy.. His name isnt Lemmiwinks is it?

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I’m ok. My therapy hamster would get jealous I think.

I bet your hamster needs tons of therapy.. His name isnt Lemmiwinks is it?

Hahaha that’s funny I don’t care who you are!

I thought that was gerbils though? I don’t know but Lemmiwinks is funny.

But I have a therapy mouse for my therapy hamster. Can’t have anyone freaking out.

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I'm not there yet, but if it goes on much longer my level of disgust will out weigh my level of entertainment and I'll walk away. When it was a few select players that was one thing, I could just ignore them. But now it's becoming a league wide thing, that's different. The league has rules about being on the field for the national anthem they're choosing not to enforce them.

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It is somewhat hypocritical. What scares me more, though, is that the national anthem and flag have been made into sacred cows. It's not the lyrics or the cloth that matter; it's the idea behind them. When we subjugate what the flag stands for to the flag itself and act accordingly, we've started down a dangerous path.

What? Hopefully, I misinterpreted what you wrote...
It is the very essence and context with which the Nations Flag stands that makes it special and it should be held in high regard. Do you know how many immigrated to this land and found peace and solace in just the mere sight of our flag flying high? The fact that it is on a military uniform and military aircraft displaying strength in the weakest of situations (humanitarian aid) is special. After a long week outside the wire in some hell hole, coming across the flag flying high at a FOB brings a feeling of relief and sanctity. I'm sorry, but when you look at the flag as being just some piece of cloth or just some vacant symbol, that's the dangerous part. National pride is important and used to be something to brag about. It was sacred and unified us, yet it's slipping away to national selfishness.

I think you interpreted me correctly. I hold the flag in high esteem, but only as a symbol, and I'm not a big "symbol" guy. I believe in the ideas and principles behind the flag, and what the flag represents. To that end, yes, the physical representation of the flag is important to me, but if someone were to kneel before that flag as an act of defiance, I wouldn't have any issue with them doing so.


That's not to say that I agree with the players kneeling here. I don't take issue with the protest itself, and I actually agree with the players (mostly) that there are some serious problems here that could threaten this country if not addressed, but the message is lost in the method. When one chooses a particularly inflammatory method of protest, two things happen. One, they get a lot of attention. Two, that attention is so focused on the method of protest that the meaning behind it becomes a secondary dialogue. That's happened here, as anyone who saw the sidelines in London could have predicted. I think there are far more effective manners of protest, and I think we'll see more and more teams go towards standing with locked arms going forward. That said, I value the ideas, beliefs and principles represented by the flag far more than I do a piece of cloth with stars and stripes on it. If someone wants to kneel before the flag in a show of protest, I will firmly believe that they are making a mistake by doing so, but I will defend to the death their right to do it. Nationalism be damned. When a symbol is held above the principles it is designed to represent, nationalism becomes dangerous.

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I'm not there yet, but if it goes on much longer my level of disgust will out weigh my level of entertainment and I'll walk away. When it was a few select players that was one thing, I could just ignore them. But now it's becoming a league wide thing, that's different. The league has rules about being on the field for the national anthem they're choosing not to enforce them.

It's not in the rulebook. They have guidelines. Like many of the guidelines it's up to the league or from team to team whether to use them or not.  

Just as a Q, how do you think the players should have responded to Trump?

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I bet your hamster needs tons of therapy.. His name isnt Lemmiwinks is it?

Hahaha that’s funny I don’t care who you are!

I thought that was gerbils though? I don’t know but Lemmiwinks is funny.

But I have a therapy mouse for my therapy hamster. Can’t have anyone freaking out.

Don't let Richard Gere find out.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

I'm not there yet, but if it goes on much longer my level of disgust will out weigh my level of entertainment and I'll walk away. When it was a few select players that was one thing, I could just ignore them. But now it's becoming a league wide thing, that's different. The league has rules about being on the field for the national anthem they're choosing not to enforce them.

It's not in the rulebook. They have guidelines. Like many of the guidelines it's up to the league or from team to team whether to use them or not.  

Just as a Q, how do you think the players should have responded to Trump?

I don't think they should respond at all, who cares what Trump says about sports? He has absolutely no barring on the league at all. He's giving his opinion right or wrong. Why does disrespecting the national anthem (stretching during the anthem, not attending the anthem, refusing to stand for it all examples of disrespecting the national anthem) have anything to do with Trumps comments?

Obama did a crap tone of stuff that MANY people strongly disagreed with did you see people opting out of the national anthem anywhere? Trump does a crap tone of stuff I disagree with, why is protesting the national anthem an acceptable form of protest?

This isn't about what the president said or didn't say or implied or didn't imply. It's about showing some kind of respect for the country in which they choose to reside. 

When do they stop protesting when all perceived injustices stop? 

My level of disgust is growing every day.

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I'm not there yet, but if it goes on much longer my level of disgust will out weigh my level of entertainment and I'll walk away. When it was a few select players that was one thing, I could just ignore them. But now it's becoming a league wide thing, that's different. The league has rules about being on the field for the national anthem they're choosing not to enforce them.

It's not in the rulebook. They have guidelines. Like many of the guidelines it's up to the league or from team to team whether to use them or not.  

Just as a Q, how do you think the players should have responded to Trump?

They should have laughed at how stupid a statement it was, and then gone on with the business of football.

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"Why should I give information to you when all you want to do is find something wrong with it?"

The real question: When will it stop?

Is there a point in time where these guys can say, "Job well done", and end their protest?

Or are they protesting something that isn't and advocating for something that will never be? And will they realize it?

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato