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What is with all this sudden vitriol over the national anthem?

You know, I used to go to sports games a lot as a kid. Mostly baseball. Every time someone walked up to sing the national anthem, while all the players stood, maybe only 50% of the crowd ever actually stood up. They were too busy drinking beer, or inhaling those nachos, or getting ready to start hollering at the pitcher. No one seemed to care back then. Now we are seeing an influx of players not standing for the anthem and the world is collapsing around some people.

Guys, this is what the first amendment was designed for. The ability to protest our government at any time, for any reason, without fear of jail or persecution. I know for a fact that if this was some jackass kneeling in protest of something like Obama over half these people would be praising his strength in defying the president. (and that is ignoring the fact that until recently, it didn't even have anything to do with the government)
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Frankly I find the whole standing/sitting/kneeling/pogosticking during the national anthem kerfluffle tiresome and obvious political meaningless-waving-of-arms. It's more Trump-distraction.
 
It actually started before trump was elected. It's to protest police brutality. Trump did a great job of making it about him and ruining the message though. If he wasn't so stupid I'd say it was brilliant.
 
It actually started before trump was elected. It's to protest police brutality. Trump did a great job of making it about him and ruining the message though. If he wasn't so stupid I'd say it was brilliant.
I doubt it was his idea, but I don't doubt for a second Trump getting involved with the anthem-kneel was anything but a distraction.

I wish I could find the article again, but I few years ago I remember reading something by an ex-Romney staffer who said, off the record, Romney said something to the same effect about same-sex marriage: that it was a minor issue but so emotionally charged that politicians would use it to incite an emotional frenzy, and then they wouldn't be focusing on the important stuff. I'm not trying imply marriage equality or black lives aren't important, but Trump turning it into an "it's US vs. THEM!" moment was very, very intentional.
 
Trump has done so many completely stupid things that I don't believe he puts a second thought into anything he says or does.
 
What is with all this sudden vitriol over the national anthem?

You know, I used to go to sports games a lot as a kid. Mostly baseball. Every time someone walked up to sing the national anthem, while all the players stood, maybe only 50% of the crowd ever actually stood up. They were too busy drinking beer, or inhaling those nachos, or getting ready to start hollering at the pitcher. No one seemed to care back then. Now we are seeing an influx of players not standing for the anthem and the world is collapsing around some people.

Guys, this is what the first amendment was designed for. The ability to protest our government at any time, for any reason, without fear of jail or persecution. I know for a fact that if this was some jackass kneeling in protest of something like Obama over half these people would be praising his strength in defying the president. (and that is ignoring the fact that until recently, it didn't even have anything to do with the government)
Because enough of y'all still listen to Trump's idiocy. I don't just mean his base, either. Your President still sways the National Conversation.

Also, I find that certain a comment by Martin Luther King that was mentioned a little while ago still applies, the one where he said something like the real enemy to the rights movement are those who say "sure they have a right to protest, but they should pick a better time."[DOUBLEPOST=1507053409,1507052872][/DOUBLEPOST]
Frankly I find the whole standing/sitting/kneeling/pogosticking during the national anthem kerfluffle tiresome and obvious political meaningless-waving-of-arms. It's more Trump-distraction.
I don't know if you mean to include the original protest by Colin Kaepernick in that.

Because he is the source of this. His little gesture - which you could reasonably call a waving-of-arms - has proved to be meaningful. His intention was to say "hey, look at me! I've got this thing to say! Police Brutality sucks, let's talk about this more."

The conversation has indeed happened, and was happening before Trump got involved.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Because enough of y'all still listen to Trump's idiocy. I don't just mean his base, either. Your President still sways the National Conversation.

Also, I find that certain a comment by Martin Luther King that was mentioned a little while ago still applies, the one where he said something like the real enemy to the rights movement are those who say "sure they have a right to protest, but they should pick a better time."[DOUBLEPOST=1507053409,1507052872][/DOUBLEPOST]
I don't know if you mean to include the original protest by Colin Kaepernick in that.

Because he is the source of this. His little gesture - which you could reasonably call a waving-of-arms - has proved to be meaningful. His intention was to say "hey, look at me! I've got this thing to say! Police Brutality sucks, let's talk about this more."

The conversation has indeed happened, and was happening before Trump got involved.
It was old news falling by the wayside until Trump decided to make it about himself and throw gas on the fire.
 
It was old news falling by the wayside until Trump decided to make it about himself and throw gas on the fire.
I don't think so. It was still on the minds of most football fans, it was still part of the conversation in sports media, and it's going to continue being so while Kaepernick is sitting on the sidelines whenever a team goes looking for a quarterback.

it wasn't big news, but it wasn't old. Or what you really mean, it wasn't dead news. If you didn't notice it, it's only because you weren't looking where the story was.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
I don't think so. It was still on the minds of most football fans, it was still part of the conversation in sports media, and it's going to continue being so while Kaepernick is sitting on the sidelines whenever a team goes looking for a quarterback.

it wasn't big news, but it wasn't old. Or what you really mean, it wasn't dead news. If you didn't notice it, it's only because you weren't looking where the story was.
It forced it back from being sports news to national news. I hadn't heard Kaepernick's name in months until the story got Trumped.
 
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

For football fans, Kaepernick's been an ongoing story.

And what I really meant from the start is that in that regard, Kaepernick's protest has been meangingful.
 
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