The Polarization of Politics and Sports

Gwen Berry, the hammer throwing Olympian hopeful, recently drew some unwelcome attention to herself at the Tokyo Olympics trials in Eugene Washington, aside from her third place finish.  

During the playing of the National Anthem, the Missouri native turned her back on the flag, covered her head with a black "Activist Athlete"  shirt and display what can only be term as a "pissed off" expression and matching body language. Meanwhile, her two fellow athletes displayed a much more appropriate decorum which one expects from professional athletes. 

This isn't the first time Ms. Berry displayed a lack of professionalism. In the 2019 Pan American Games, Ms. Berry, who had won a gold medal, displayed a "Black Power" raised fist during the playing of the anthem reminisce of gold medal winner Tommie Smith and the bronze medal winner, John Carlos, at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City (they each wore a black and black socks to signify  black power and black poverty).

According to Ms. Berry, the National Anthem contains references to slavery. In addition, she insisted that she wasn't there to represent America, but to represent "those who died due to systematic racism" (and here I thought it was an honor and privilege to go to the Olympics to represent your country. Silly me).

There have been similar protests over the years, when athletes made political statements. Perhaps the most famous of all was Spartacus, the Thracian gladiator, who led a revolt against actual cruelty and dehumanization of Rome's economic and slave systems. Leading just 80 fellow gladiators, his ranks soon swelled to thousands as runaway slaves and those from Rome's lower class joined his cause.

For three years, they gave Rome all it could handle before finally being defeated by generals Pompey the Great and Crassus, the richest man in Rome. The survivors, an estimated 6000, were crucified along the Appian Way to the gates of Rome itself. For those who witnessed Rome's retribution, it must have overwhelmed the senses--the sight, sounds, and smell of the dead, dying, and those soon to be joining them.   Never again was there a revolt like this in Rome's history.

In more recent times, the great baseball player, Jackie Robinson, said, shortly before his death in 1972, that he could not bring himself to stand and sing the National Anthem as he had 20 years earlier; this, after becoming the first professional black player in Major League Baseball. 

During his ten year career, Jackie Robinson won the "Rookie of the Year Award" in 1947; was "All Star" from 1949 to 1954; won the "Most Valuable Player Award" in 1949; played in six World Series games, and contributed to the Brooklyn Dodger's World Series win in 1955. Despite all this, Jackie Robinson felt that he was only accepted so long as he won, otherwise, he was just a "Negro athlete". As an aside, it's worth nothing that Jackie Robinson also served in the U.S. Army during WWII as a Second Lieutenant.

Another black athlete of that time, Jesse Owens, won gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, competing not just against the world's best, but against Hitler's so-called superior "Aryan" super athletes.  Owens, who won four gold medals, felt that he was better treated by some of his competitors than by his fellow athletes and coaches. Even the accommodations for Owns and  teammate, Cornelius Johnson (also black) were equal to that of every other athlete competing.

The German shoe company, Adi Dassler (which became Addis) provided Owens and Johnson with special track and field shoes which enhanced his performance on the field. Leni Riefenstahl, the German actress, producer, and director, made sure Owens was included in her award winning film, "Olympiad" (Riefenstahl was also an impressive athlete herself).

It's worth noting that Owens disapproved of Tommie Smith's and John Carlos' "Black Power" salute. He said "the black fist is a meaningless symbol. When you open it, you have nothing but weak, empty fingers. The only time the black fist has significance is when there's money inside. That's where the power lies".  Owens also said that the Olympics was a break from war and should be above politics.

Boxing great, Joe Louis (aka "The Brown Bomber"), achieved hero worship status across racial lines, not just nationally, but globally, when he knocked out Germany's Max Schmeling in his second fight with the German legend in 1938. He was also key to integrating professional golf in 1952. Louis won 66 of his 69 fights; 52 of those by knockout. Impressive by any measure.

In 1934, he won the National Golden Gloves, the Chicago Golden Gloves, and U.S. National Championship. Not bad considering that his parents, both sharecroppers, were children of former slaves (his mother was also half Cherokee). Louis, who was born in rural Alabama, was also one of eight children and suffered from a speech impediment. As an aside, his father was committed to mental institution when Joe was just two years old.

Never known to back down from a fight, Joe Louis volunteer for the Army at the outset of WWII along with another boxing great, "Sugar Ray" Robinson. Instead, of being sent into combat, both were assigned to the Special Services Division (which also included a number of movies stars, celebrities, and performers like Glenn Miller and Mickey Rooney ) to help with the war effort by encouraging enlistment (especially among the black community) and buying war bonds. During his stent, he travelled over 22,000 miles and put on 96 boxing exhibitions. In 1945, he was awarded the Legion of Merit.

Louis never approved of politics of any sort in sports. When he died in 1981, President Ronald Reagan said "Joe Louis was more than a sports legend---his career was an indictment of racial bigotry and a source of pride and inspiration to millions of white and black people around the world".  In fact, his former opponent, Max Schmeling, not only served as a pallbearers, he also paid for Louis' funeral.

San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick won distain and condemnation from fans when he introduced kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem, which ultimately spread to many of teams (in a few instances, even coaches participated). As a result, teams, the NFL, and television networks lost millions in ticket sales, merchandising, and viewership as fans boycotted the games.

Starting in 2016, Kaepernick remained seated during the National Anthem to protest what he saw as "racial injustice" and "systematic racial oppression". To cut financial losses, Kaepernick was let go by the 49ers, and despite rumors of a return, remains unsigned (don't feel too sad for him. As of 2021, he was estimated to have a net worth of $20 million dollars according to the site "Celebrity Net Worth").

 Nevertheless, his protest spread to colleges, high schools, and "Pop" Warner league sports. In some instances, the playing of the national Anthem was suspended, which often led to impromptu singing of anthem by fans in attendance. As expected, attendance at games declined as did participation, and donations from sponsors, alumni, and parents.

However, none stand out any more than the self proclaimed "Greatest of All Time", Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Clay); better known at the time as "the Mouth from the South". Ali's fame (or notoriety) outside the ring came when in 1966 when he announced that he refused to be drafted (and, presumably, sent to Vietnam, though not necessarily), citing his religious beliefs and moral conviction.

Ali proclaimed himself a "conscientious objector", yet his explanation, belying a racial undertone, when he said "Man, I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong". He added "Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?". 

 There are stories about whether Cassius Clay, which was as Ali's birth name, tossing his Olympic gold medal, which he had just won in Rome, into the Ohio River over a alleged racial incident shortly after he returned home in 1960. As one story goes, Clay wanted to make a point, so he walked into a unnamed "white only restaurant", proudly wearing his gold medal, and asked to be served.

Given the "Jim Crow" laws of the time, he was refused and asked to leave. Angry, he walked over to the Second Street Bridge and threw the medal into the river. The stories surrounding what actually happened have changed over the years, with Ali even admitting at one point that he simply lost it during a move. The Olympic Committee later replaced the gold medal in 1996.                         

Though he would go on to win titles and become a legend in not just boxing, but in sports in general, was considered an "Ambassador to the World" and a Humanitarian. The black community saw in Ali a thorn to the "white establishment".  Many saw him as a "black man" willing to fight for what he believed, especially when it came to race and equality while others (including veteran minorities) expressed disappointment, citing his unwillingness to fight for a country which had given him much. Like him or hate him, Ali had the class and professionalism to keep his politics out of the sport he loved.

Balancing political expression and sports is a delicate matter. Corporations often pay these celebrity athletes many times more than they receive from their inflated multi-million dollars contracts. However, these same corporations, as well as players, their teams, and the league they play for can take a serious financial hit when these same athletes make unpopular political statements or get in trouble with the law.

Nevertheless, most Americans have no problem with athletes making political statements, even ones they disagree with. However, they need to do it on their own time, not the fans. People attend or tune in to sporting events for the enjoyment of the sport, not to be lectured or watch a political commercial on their time. If athletes want to be political, do it during the off season or before game or after game day. 

Ms. Berry was there to proved she was among the best America had to offer and to represent this country.  She was not there to air her political laundry to the world, nor to take attention away from the success of her teammates, DeAnna Price and Brooke Anderson, who won gold and silver respectively. This is twice she has done this. She knew better, and thus needs to be replaced.  If athletes want to be activists, then do it on their own time, not ours.

 

U.S. Olympian Turns Away From Flag, Covers her Head duringAnthem

Gwen Berry responds to critics of her flag protest: "I never said I hated the country"

Wikipedia: Gwen Berry

 

The Triumph of Evil as Good Does Nothing...Again: Protestors, Looters, and Reparations

The Irish born British political philosopher, Edmund Burke, is credited with saying "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing". The quote, taken from a letter he had written around 1770 to a friend named Thomas Mercer, dealt with political apathy. Right now, we have dozens of public officials throughout the United States guilty of just that. They are allowing their towns and cities (some of which having the population of small countries) to be trashed and looted.

We're seeing people assaulted or even killed by piss-ant punks in the name of their "right" to protest. We're witnessing businesses being robbed; property vandalized or worse, burned to the ground. Yet, these officials still do nothing. Why? Are they afraid of making some group mad at them for enforcing the law? Are they worried about name calling like little kids on the playground at school?

I don't understand it. I really don't. They hide in their offices behind walls of security and pretend nothing is happening. They go to their upscale homes with manicured lawns each afternoon, safe behind taxpayer paid police officers while neighborhoods are being burned and looted. These are exactly the type of people that Edmund Burke was talking about some 200 years ago. They are the ones who've chosen to do little or nothing while anarchy is allowed to run rampant; while people are being robbed, beaten or killed. Violence only begets more violence.

Meanwhile, city councils sit back and do nothing too. Sure, they pander to the local media, but what is that really accomplishing? Maybe building up some brownie points to pull out for their next reelection where they can claim to be "tough" on crime or "supportive" of the protestors, depending on which way the wind happens to be blowing? These too are the people that Burke spoke about.

Oh, for what it's worth, I've notice that the cities and towns where the protests and looting have been the worse also tend to have a Democrat dominated local government, including mayor. I don't know if that means anything as I suspect incompetence and cowardice are non-partisan attributes.

For decades, at least going back to when Bill Clinton was President and certainly through the eight years of Obama, we heard nothing but how militant and organized the Right was, especially the "Tea Party", which was the bane of liberals everywhere. Yet, here we are in 2020 and I'm not seeing much of a response from the mean ole nasty Right-wingers are you? Where are all those homegrown militias the Left Wing media warned us about when you need 'em?

Right now, it's privileged Far Left snot nose kiddies playing at being revolutionaries. We see individuals barely old enough to shave throwing rocks or bricks at people and cars and actually expecting no one to say or do anything about it! We see young blacks ganging up on mostly lone white kids who are either just going from point "A" to point "B" or worse, thinking they're going to be accepted as part of the "big change" just because they're out in the street protesting. In most cases the only thing being "accepted" is their ass whooping as seen on social media the world over.

We see spoiled truants smashing windows and setting fires to buildings with the only real results being that people have lost a job and paycheck while the owners simply collect their insurance money and move to someplace a little safer. How does that "empower" anyone? How does that bring improvement to neighborhoods, especially those on the economic bubble which needs those jobs?

We see whites on bended knee begging for "forgiveness" for something they never did. Some are demented enough to don manacles while others kiss or wash the feet of imaginary victims. It's nauseating. This behavior is no more than a form of self-loathing by the emotionally or psychologically weak. Some simply buy off their "sins" with cash, credit cards, or other things.

Perhaps worse of all is the removal of statutes, which marks our collective past for good or bad. But it's not just statutes, it's books, movies, flags, and everything else which we share in common. Trying to destroy or rewrite history doesn't work. It never has. Don't believe me? Look at the old Soviet Union. Look at Communist China or Cuba. Take a look at Nazi Germany or the old Communist Bloc.

Nowadays, we've got sports figures condoning disrespect to the flag and National Anthem by "taking a knee". I guess they don't see all the good this country has done for them or people like them. If it wasn't for all that flag represents, they wouldn't have those multi-million salaries. Hell, they wouldn't have gone to college on "full ride" scholarships. Most wouldn't have been able to afford to go to school period if it wasn't for the taxes paid by the citizens of this country who are represented by that flag.

They seem to have forgotten that sports is just that...a game. It's merely a form of entertainment no different than movies or video games. It's a form of escapism. It isn't necessary to our way of life. It's the fans, hard working men and women, who make their elitist lifestyles possible. These jocks might consider showing them a little respect and stand for the flag and anthem. If they want to "protest", they should do it on their time not ours.

By the way, that flag and anthem also represents the millions of lives that have been lost or altered in countless wars and conflicts in service to this country. Without those men and women, there's no telling where these coddled rich jocks and their ilk would be right now. Destroying or defacing the memorials and graves of these fallen heroes is a scar on the soul of this nation.

As for blaming "white people" for slavery, that's pure BS. Slavery has existed since civilization began. It probably existed in one form or another since we fell out of the trees on some African savannah! Ever religion has condoned slavery. It's in virtually every religious text. Want to purge Confederate memorials, why not start with purging the Jewish and Christian symbols and religious texts first?

After all, those in the South and North who benefited from slavery saw it as a biblical directive. Even the Islamic Koran supported slavery. In fact, slavery is still practiced by some Muslim groups to this very day. You want reparations or apologies? Great. Start with God. After all, it's all written in his holy books.

Reparations presupposes that someone was "injured" and needs to be compensated in some way. Now, I don't know of any slaves in this country let alone slaveholders. In fact, no one's parents, grandparents, or even great grandparents either owned slaves or were slaves. There are damn few whose 2x great grandparents qualify. We also cannot apply the morals and values of today to events of a bygone era.

We need to remember that the United States was not responsible for slavery. We were, however, one of the first to end it. Slaves were prohibited from being imported into this country in 1807 and slavery was formally ended on January 1, 1863 with the "Emancipation Proclamation". Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, and the Dutch brought slavery to these shores long before there was a U.S. of A.

In addition, the native peoples of this continent engaged routinely in slavery and had for centuries. Even after the arrival of Europeans, they continued to use slaves. In fact, they even sold slaves to the Europeans. Eventually, Europeans were even captured and enslaved by native tribes just as they were in turn. Everyone was fair game!

Meanwhile, back in Africa, African tribes were attacking and capturing rival tribes and enslaving them (not to mention local troublemakers or those they were envious of). Later, they turned it into a business by selling them to other tribes, or European and Arab merchants. Many an African tribal chief became very wealthy thanks to the sale of human beings, but I don't hear the Left talking about this. Why do you suppose that is? Why isn't anyone asking them for reparations or apologies?

As for the Arab merchants (who also dealt in Asian slavery), it wasn't uncommon for them to capture ships with Europeans onboard and sale them into slavery. In fact, Boko Harem, al Qaeda, ISIS, al Nursa and others are still engaged in the slave business to fund terrorism. The big difference these days is that they prefer young Christian girls who are sold into sex slavery.

An interesting aside is that some Europeans sold other Europeans into slavery, albeit illegally. This was especially true of those individuals didn't speak the language or know the laws. I'm not talking about indentured servitude now. I'm talking about actual slavery. I should know. It happened to some of my ancestors. It was often the Irish, Welsh or Scots who were sold to the Arab merchants by the British who, in turn, sold them to other Arabs or Asians. Slavery was perhaps the first truly global business.

As for this country, it has done more than any nation to make up for the failings of its past, be it in terms of equal housing, voting or holding office, owning businesses, serving in the military, etc. Perhaps the greatest gift this country has bestowed is that of education. The minorities in this country are afforded the best educated in the world, and they receive the lion's share of scholarships and grants.

The ongoing protests in this country right now is over a perceived abundance of white police brutality toward blacks; not Asians, not Hispanics, and not Native Americans. Could it be that whites simply make up the majority of police officers in this country because they're largest demographic? As an aside, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, white males are actually now an official minority in this country.

Could there be a culture, especially among young males, which encourages a distrust of authority figures (including teachers), which in turn encourages them to ignore or flee from police officers, not to mention resisting or fighting with them? Play stupid games, win stupid prizes (including wooden boxes). Wouldn't it make more sense to just do as told and then take it to court with a lawyer? I rather be temporarily inconvenienced than permanently dead. Maybe too change should come from within.

As for the looting, that doesn't help their cause. It makes them into criminal punks looking for an excuse to steal and destroy property which simply reinforces the stereotype they claim they're trying to change. Lastly, playing in traffic. Yes, they have a right to protest; more power to them. But they don't have a right to block streets or highways. None whatsoever. Who among them is going to be responsible for delaying an ambulance with a heart attack victim, fire truck racing to save someone's home, a police officer going to an accident or a husband taking his expectant wife to the Emergency Room? Will those financially backing these protestors accept responsibility? I seriously doubt it.

Meanwhile, do motorists have an obligation to stop? Well, yes in the sense that they don't want to injure or kill anyone, even an idiot with a sign, if they can help it. But if they are surrounded or feel endangered or even threatened, do they have a right to protect themselves? I would think they would be entitled to the same rights as to when someone breaks into their home, but that's just a guess. I know what I would do to protect myself or others with me.

So, as Burke said, all that's required of good people is to do nothing for evil to triumph; evil, which I might add includes violence, looting, or the destruction of property. Meanwhile, mayors and other elected officials sit and twiddle their thumbs. Perhaps we should give them a reason to do something rather than to do nothing. Want to know more? Check out the links below.




These are all the cities where protests and riots have erupted over George Floyd's death


It's a cult: Thousands of Whites Grovel In Front of Blacks Begging For Forgiveness


Total Humiliation: Thousands of Whites Kneel in Front of Blacks asking for Forgiveness for being White Devils

The Bible and slavery

Yazidi sex slaves raped by dozens of ISIS fighters reveal five years of hell to charge abusers with war crimes


Slavery in 21st Century Islamism


The White Slaves of Barbary

African Slave Traders
https://www.thoughtco.com/african-slave-traders-44538

Reflections on Memorial Day

For perhaps the majority of people, Memorial Day is simply the "official " kickoff of Summer; a four day weekend. Public pools are opened in most communities while families and friends enjoy cookouts or start their vacations. All of that is well and good, but that was never the intent of Memorial Day. Memorial Day was set aside originally as "Remembrance Day".

Today, "Remembrance Day" as Memorial Day was originally called, is more about remembering to bring the charcoal, hotdogs and hamburgers, and sun screen than as a day of national and familial or even personal reflection on the lives lost in defense of this nation's freedoms. As a nation, many of us would go visit cemeteries to plant flags, attend some form of religious or even secular service, or even watch a parade honoring our veterans and first responders. Not so much anymore.

Nowadays, it's becoming harder and harder to find volunteers to place flags on the graves of the fallen; the only true heroes in my opinion. In the case of the Civil War, which was the bloodiest war ever fought by this nation (more lives were lost during the War Between the States than all other US wars combined), it has become "politically incorrect" to honor the Confederate dead. Many towns and cities have removed Confederate statues, while some are simply vandalized with little effort made to catch and punish the perpetrators.

At cemeteries, it has now become unacceptable to fly the Stars and Bars over the graves of Confederate dead, or even to place small Confederate flags on their graves. It's a shame really, and bit ironic that the graves of British dead as a result of the American Revolution or the War of 1812 are permitted a Union Jack to be placed on their graves. The Japanese aren't denied the red and white Imperial "Rising Sun" at US controlled sites in the Pacific (which are maintained by Japanese military associations).

It's odd to when you think about how much misinformation is put out about this greatest tragedy in American history; most of it in a coordinated manner with the sole intent on rewriting history; to create to new political narrative which is so foreign from the original issues that those who fought in this war over 150 years ago would never recognize. But historical politics aside, those who fought and died for the "Lost Cause" were, above all else, Americans.

They believed in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They believed that God was on their side, as was the Spirit of the Founding Fathers. They believed in individual freedom and personal responsibility. They believed in the rights of the States and in a limited federal government. As an aside, the majority of the descendants of the Founding Fathers living at that time supported the cause of independence for the Southern States. Yes, slavery was an issue, but not the sole issue and certainly not an issue limited to the South. It impacted the entire nation, but it was not the central issue as we've been misled to believe.

But slavery and its impact is not the topic of this article. Respect and remembrance of the fallen is. Never should we disrespect those who fought and died for this country, regardless of what color uniform they wore or our modern political sensibilities dictate. We have only a distorted understanding at best of what happened over a century ago. Don't forget that it's the victors who write the histories, which often changes as the political winds blows.

We should also never allow our fallen be dishonored regardless of our political beliefs. We are Americans first; before we are Independents, Liberals, Conservatives, whatever political party we belong to, or even our personal opinion about a given war, be it on US soil, the Pacific, Middle East, Europe, or the jungles of Southeast Asia and regardless of our skin color or ethnic background. Death doesn't make a distinction, why should we? We should honor them in the way they would want to be honored.

On a related note, I feel that I need to comment briefly about the recent NFL decision regarding kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem. For those of you who haven't heard, NFL owners have finally come together (due in large part to falling revenues as fans went elsewhere to spend their money) to ban kneeling by players during the anthem. The league has, in all fairness, left it up to the teams whether to remain in the locker room during the playing of the anthem, or come onto the field as they've always done (individual players may also elect to stay in the locker room).

However, if teams elected to come onto the field and one or more players kneel, that team will be accessed a 15 yard penalty on the opening kickoff. The league also approved an $89 million dollar "social injustice" platform to help address issues which allegedly underlined some of the protests. Sounds pretty fair to me. Nevertheless, as expected, many of the "talking heads" on the various talk shows oppose the policy, claiming that the team owners "caved" or were "cowards", which is complete hogwash.

First and foremost, football is a business. The overwhelming majority of Americans found the actions of these players disrespectful; disrespectful to active duty military, veterans, first responders, and finally, to America itself. As a result, the NFL lost millions of dollars in sports related revenue. Television ratings took a nose dive and stadiums were left with hundreds of empty seats. Advertisers started looking elsewhere to place their ads. Sports related merchandise sales also took a huge hit. Americans spoke with their most powerful weapon---not the vote (which has become increasingly meaningless anyway)---but their dollars. That's something business types understand well.

Fans told the NFL and everyone else associated with the games, "Don't disrespect our flag. We're here to watch a game---a game---not be subjected to someone's political rant", and they are right. Once players put that uniform on, they represent the team, the owners, and the NFL. Their decision to make a political statement on our time---the fans---has no place on that field. If they want to protest out on the street, in front of a courthouse, or wherever---on their own time, then so be it. Great. Have at it. But as players, they do not have the right to our time to air their political grievances. It was this kind of "look at me" behavior which killed professional baseball as America's unofficial national sport a few decades ago, and America has never forgotten. It would appear that neither have NFL team owners.

Americans are, by and large, a pretty relaxed and easy going bunch, but there are a few things we won't stand for. Disrespecting our flag, our nation, our military and veterans--both living and fallen---are just a few of them. So, as you and yours celebrate Memorial Day, take a moment or two to remember those who made this all possible, regardless of the war or color of their uniform. They were ordinary Americans, once full of life and dreams with families and loved ones...just like you and me .


New policy requires on-field players to stand for anthem



Remembrances on Memorial Day

Player's Kneel Down: Loss of Fans and Revenue for Team Players and the NFL

Well, here we go again. It's just about football season and rather than talking about a given team's prospects of winning their division, or who got picked up (or dropped), salary caps, stadium updates, fantasy teams and all that other fun "sporty" stuff, we're once again dealing with what appears to be a recurring blight on America's favorite sport, namely the refusal of some players to show America respect during the playing of our National Anthem.

Last year, this alleged "silent protest" directed at the United States, was initiated by San Francisco's QB, Colin Kaepernick among others who later joined in. The protest spread throughout the league like chicken pox. While most players stood to honor America, a decidedly few chose to either sit on the bench, kneel, or kneel with giving the old "Black Power" fist salute, which would seem to indicate that this "protest" was less about policy decisions and more about race. Last year, most NFL coaches, managers, and owners took the coward's way out and simply took no action (a few actually joined in) There were a few who told their player's that if they wanted to play, they were to stand; they could cover their heart with the hand or not, but they would stand. A tiny few number of players simply elected to come onto the field after the playing of the National Anthem, which, I guess, was ok too.

This year, the protest has been kicked off by Seattle Seahawks' Michael Bennett, who called on white players to join in order to play down the protest's racial aspect. Some players have elected to take a knee in a circle and (presumably) offer up some sort of football prayer which most likely included something about not getting cut or seeing their merchandise marketability decline. There's been a few who've been blatantly disrespectable by setting on an exercise bike, doing calisthenics, or pretending to be looking at a playbook. A few owners, coaches, and team managers have stepped up again and said they would not tolerate their player's disrespectfulness toward the flag and what it stands for. Naturally, there has been some who claim to stand by their players and respect their actions. As for the National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodall, he has publicly stated he disagrees with the choice of kneeling but supported the player's "right to protest".

Interestingly, after Kaepernick's protest began to spread, fans voiced their opinions too. The overwhelming majority of them booed those who dishonored the flag. Sales of player specific merchandise also plummeted. Teams with large numbers of kneeing players saw their attendance take a sharp decline. Tens of thousands of fans began switching channels, which apparently will continue to happen. While one would think that the teams owners, coaches, and the NFL would have gotten to together over the summer to address this as a financial issue and stop the hemorrhage of fans and money, but they didn't. I guess they thought (or hoped) that that 2016 season was simply an aberration. However, TV networks were a little quicker on the uptake. As viewership declined, so did advertising revenue. So, in a clever little move, several of the television networks simply stopped including the playing of the National Anthem in their broadcasts. Some also ignored or simply didn't address the topic when discussing those players; focusing strictly on their role as players.

As an aside, colleges, high schools, and in a few cases, junior high schools and unaffiliated leagues saw their players starting to emulate what they were saw on TV or read in sports columns. In many cases the players were copying what they had seen and or heard about without any real understanding as to the meaning beyond witnessing their favorite player(s) do it. Of course, it brought them some attention and what jock didn't like attention, especially if it came from the opposite sex? Touchdown! Shall we go for two extra points or just one?

So, here we are, at the start of a new season with another chance to get back to watching football and talking about stats. But it looks like it's not be folks. I know that some you have no problem with the players taking a knee during the National Anthem. Most of you are probably still in the kitchen looking for the bottle opener or chips and dip, so it's over by the time you get into the TV room anyway. As I said earlier, some networks are simply opting out of even showing the opening salute, so the issue actually becomes a nonstarter for all concerned. As for the players, almost everyone who participated in the protests saw their marketability drop, meaning that they lost money...big money, as did the teams who permitted it, the NFL, and the television networks. Kaepernick, whose stats were never all that great to begin with, was cut by San Francisco, and has yet found a team willing to pick him up. Actions always have consequences.

Seattle's Michael Bennett, who has evidently picked up the preverbal sword Kaepernick fell on, is calling for more white players to join in the protests in order to give it "more legitimacy", and hopefully, more support from the fans. I don't think that's going to happen (I need to stress that Seattle isn't the only team doing it this season. At this point, it seems that all of the teams will be affected). Let me tell you why. This so-called "protest" was originally tied to the Black Lives Matter movement and "social injustice" within the black community (with the increasing violence of BLM, there has been an obvious distancing between the "protesting" players and BLM). White players don't have a dog in this fight, and really neither does anyone else.

The fact they are playing a sport for a living, making six or seven figures salaries, lifetime health coverage and having to play...err..."work" for a decade or two tops. Yeah, there are injuries, but they are covered by the best hospitals and doctors in the business. I would also find it hard to believe that many of the black players within the NFL support the action of the BLM. I would imagine they would rather see improvements in the quality of education and creation of more minority owned businesses. As for those players who are on the fence about what to do, they've all seen what happened to the finances of other players (the Bronco's Brandon Marshal lost a very lucrative endorsement deal) not to mention their decline in popularity among fans and coaches.

Now, I'm sure there are some who say these players have a "right" to free speech, and that includes a right to freedom of expression. Well, normally, I would agree. I think that the First Amendment is perhaps that most important "right" we have. But, just like you can't scream "fire" in a crowded theater, there are restrictions to that freedom. NFL players are just like many of you---you're an employee. That means you likely work for a corporate business of some sort. Now, most people don't realize that that the Bill of Rights, where we find the various Amendments, are not automatic.

That's right, your "rights" are restricted by your corporate employer. These players were signed to do a specific job, just like you were. When these players put on their uniform and walk out on the field, they cease being ordinary citizens. They are hired employees retained to do a job. Their personal opinions or beliefs are really of no interest. They represent their team, their fellow teammates, their coaches, managers, and, of course, the owners, as well as the National Football League. So, when they come out on the field and decide to make a political statement---regardless of their intent---it is reflected back on all those just mentioned.

To put it another way, when these "employees" come out in their "business attire" and make a political statement which is seen by the ticket buying public and the viewers at home (and indirectly, the advertisers) as offensive, it's not just bad business, but it reflects on the entire team all the way up the chain to Mr. Goodall. For better or worse, kneeling or pretending to be doing something else (or even not pretending), during the play of our National Anthem is like giving America-- especially the military, veterans, and first responders, including emergency room doctors and nurses, and the rest of America (and especially the fans who shelled out big bucks to watch a sporting event, not a political event) "the bird".

If you, as an employee, want to protest something that's not work related, you don't do it on company time, in the company's uniform, and in front of their customers. If you, as an player, have a political gripe that's great. I'm glad you're interested in something other than financial portfolio, arm candy, or avoiding jail during the off season. However, do it on your own time---not your teammate's or the coaches and owners, not the NFL's, and sure as hell not on our time as fans.



Roger Goodall said a bunch of nothing about players kneeling during National Anthem



NFL's Michael Bennett said a White Player Needed to Kneel During the Anthem


Browns players kneel in prayer during National Anthem

The First Salvos Of America's Next Civil War: Is Charlottesville the New Fort Sumter?

There's an old expression I'm rather fond of. It goes like this, "history doesn't repeat, but it often rhymes". What's happening in America right now seems to bear that out if we look back at history. For instance, many people like to compare America with ancient Rome, and there's something to it. Rome started off as a small trading community, dominated by the powerful and still mysterious Etruscans. In time, Rome obtained its freedom and continued to grow, eventually incorporating other smaller, and sometimes larger communities until it reached the point where even Etrusca couldn't contain them, and it too finally succumbed to the might of Rome. During this time period, Rome went from being a vassal to kingship, and eventually to a republic. Ultimately, the republic became corrupt and bloated. Its system of government failed; it seems that only the wealthy or those with access to those with wealth had any influence. Rome became an oligarchy; a plutocracy with power concentrated in the hands of a few very wealthy and powerful families.

During the latter half of the late republic, there were several peasant and slave uprisings, including the most famous of all thanks mainly to Hollywood. I'm talking about the Third Servile War, or as we now know it, the Spartacus Revolt. Spartacus was most likely Thracian and a possible son of a local Thracian chieftain. He appears to have fought in one of Rome numerous auxiliary units. Historically, this was an excellent career option for a non-Roman, however, something happened. Historians aren't sure what, but Spartacus was branded a criminal and instead of being killed outright or put in chains as a rower on some Roman galley or put to hard labor in some far off mine with the prospects of a very short life. Instead, he was made a gladiator. Although his prospects weren't much better, he at least had the possibility of earning his freedom. He chose rebellion instead, and so with 70 fellow gladiators, he challenged the might of Rome while building a small army along the way. Of course, he eventually lost, but in the doing so, became a legend for all time.

Rome's republic fell shortly afterward. The result of a popular strongman by the name of Gaius Julius Caesar. Caesar led a civil war against the corrupt republican oligarchy, and won. However, he didn't hold power long. He was soon assassinated, and a second civil war ensued. This time led by those who wished to reinstall the old republic and those who wanted to create a new government where merit define who would rise, not family ties. This faction was led by Caesar's great nephew, Octavius; better known to us a Augustus Caesar. Augustus won, and a new republic was established, led by a strongman in what would increasingly become a military dictatorship. This was how Rome would be run until the fall of Constantinople in the 1461; conquered by Ottoman Muslims. It keep the peace internally by offering citizens "bread and circuses"; that is, it encouraged entertainment and ensured there would be ample food to keep its citizens from growing hungry. They knew that if the bellies of the peasants didn't grumble and they were sufficiently distracted, the people would ignore much of the corruption.

However, Rome fell in the truest sense long before the Ottomans. It produced weak, ineffective leaders, corruption returned with a vengeance with factions creating divided camps, a crumbling infrastructure, and the Empire was constantly overrun by those seeking to either attack cities or those seeking protection, land, and opportunity. All this was occasionally interspersed with individuals of brilliance and some impressive engineering technology. Meanwhile, others could obtain status through enrollment in Rome's military. Others entered enmasse, albeit illegally, taking jobs wherever they could find them, but always with their handout. In time, Rome became a mere shadow of its former glory, though its military remained strong until near the end.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? It should. America, as most of you know, forfeited its democratic republic by ignoring what was happening in Washington and in our state capitals. We have since become an Oligarchy; a plutocracy, while we were distracted with video games, sports, celebrity gossip, and so forth. The government is now just a partnership between the corporations, wealthy elites, and the political mechanisms of government. We, the People, are continually distracted by manufactured events designed to pit us against each other and to keep our eyes diverted from what's really happening. Just a few weeks ago, we were focused on North Korea's "imminent" nuclear attack on the island of Guam. Before that, it was on Russia's (alleged) involvement in Trump's campaign, issues with the FBI director, or Hillary's treasonous acts involving unsecured servers, but then there was the rigging of the Democratic Primary, and then its convention, illegal immigration, Benghazi, cops on a murder spree against blacks, and so on and so on. Of course, if you prefer something else, they can serve up all sorts of scandal on Trump's new administration, about who's leaving, secret backroom deals, someone leaking this or that "earth shattering" morsel of gossip.

Right now, the latest distraction is over historical statues, neo-Nazis, fascists, Antifa (which ironically stands for "Anti Fascist"), Communists and Socialist wannabes, BLM, the police, racism, gender identification, white apologists, and so forth. The most recent round began in Charlottesville, Virginia over a statue of a Confederate General. However, there was several run ups to this with North Carolina removing the Confederate battle flag from the state capital, Louisville Kentucky removing a memorial to Confederate war dead, the removal of the bodies of Confederate General Nathan B Forrest and his family from a public cemetery, removing all Confederate markers in public cemeteries, banning the sale of any Confederate items at public museums, parks, etc. Now, demands are being made to remove all statues and memorials that relate to anyone or anything associated with the Confederacy; a final humiliating act of Reconstruction....albeit over a century late. But we're not done yet.

No, we're not done yet by a long shot. These same groups---Antifa, Communists and Socialists wannabes, BLM, and white apologists, are protesting for the removal of statues of our Founding Fathers (if they owned slaves or for simply being white) as well as other notables such as Supreme Court Justice Rodger Taney, whose vote upheld Dredd Scott, keeping slavery legal. Some of the statues are being vandalized and destroyed illegally (and a few, like one of Lincoln, was damaged apparently by someone who was history illiterate). There are also demands to defund the memorials of Thomas Jefferson and closing down all public support for his residence, as well as that of Washington, Andrew Jackson, U.S. Grant (yes, a Union general and President, but one whose family owned slaves), and the rest. Gone too will be Henry Clay's home and that of John C. Calhoun. They want the names of all schools that bear the name of these individuals removed and renamed. Plus they want to change all streets and highways which bear their names erased too. We can add
to our list of national debasement, the destruction of Mount Rushmore and Georgia's famous Stone Mountain.

On the other side of the political coin, are a mixture of conservatives of various stripes such as Constitutionalists, Republicans, Centrists/Moderates, Libertarians, not to mention far Right supporters or as they're sometimes called, Alt-Right, which include neo-Nazis, Fascists, Uber Conservative Christians, Confederate supporters, and even the KKK (as an aside, I'm becoming a bit annoyed with those on the Right claiming that the Nazis and/or Fascists were actually Left Wing or Liberals. They weren't, so stop it. You're embarrassing yourselves). The majority of these are pro-Trump supporters and they want to keep the statues, memorials, funding and names. At the "free speech" rally and support for a Confederate statue in Charlottesville recently, some of the neo-Nazis and KKK types showed up in full regalia, including former Grand Dragon David Duke. As a result, the corporate media has tried to own this story by labeling these neo-Nazis, "White Nationalist" or "White Supremacist" marches. The Conservatives had a permit to gather, the Left did not. Ultimately a violent fray broke out. The Charlottesville Police were order to stand down by the Democrat mayor. Later, after State Police showed up on orders from the Governor, the Conservatives (the ones with the legal permit) were chased off by the troopers. The same story seems to be reported across the country with the corporate media repeating the label they've assigned to it, a neo-Nazi and/or Fascist, or Trump Supporters event. Note how the repeated use of these terms, while ignoring the Left's role--- Democrats, BLM, Communists or Antifa---creates a certain impression in your mind. Now imagine what it does after being repeated thousands of times daily. As an aside, the Left has consistently outnumbered the Right at these events.

We also should forget that a few are calling for a national apology from all whites, Asians, Hispanics, and, I suppose, Native Americans for their part in slavery (not sure how it would work with Native Americans since sometimes they owned slaves of all races and sometimes they were the slaves of all races) plus they want financial compensation (you can always be sure that money is there somewhere). I'm not sure how they'll do this. Mail out a prewritten apology to be signed and returned? Who pays for the postage? Maybe the "guilty parties" should forfeit a portion of their income tax? Western Kentucky University is waving tuition costs. I'm not sure if that's for all blacks or those who can prove they had an ancestor who was a slave. If that's a case, can that apply to descendants of Scots, Irish, Native Americans, or even Germans who were slaves? What about blacks who owned slaves? There was a lot of them you know. How does that play out? What about those whose ancestors owned slaves but fought for the Union---especially if they were wounded or killed? Do they get a break? What about those who fought for the South but didn't own a slaves? That could be a problem since only 4% of the entire South owned any slaves at all---the average was three. Just 2% owned more than ten slaves. Finally, what about those of us whose ancestors were elsewhere---Europe, Asia, Latin America, Pacific Islands---while all this was going on? Surely they deserve a break.

I want to touch on another related topic. Dishonoring America and Americans, as well as those who've fought, died or been injured in the defense of this country, plus the first responders who protect us every day. Last year, several so-called "professional" football players refused to stand for the playing of the National Anthem. The fans booed these individuals and many stopped attending their games or buying their merchandise. It cost the NFL millions. Worse, young adults in college as well as those in high school mimicked the behavior with little or no idea as to what the gesture meant. They just knew that their football idols were doing it and it would get them some attention. Unfortunately, many team owners took the cowards way out and did nothing. Now, it looks like the "middle finger to America" is back, with at least one black player demanding that white players join him in disrespecting this country. It sounds like they're trying to cover their butts by getting white players involved.

If these individuals want to express their hatred of America, or the military, its veterans, as well as first responders, I have no problem with that. However, while they wear their team's uniform, they represent the team. Therefore, their actions reflect the other team members, the coaches, managers, owners, and even the sponsors. What they do on their own time is their business and I encourage them to take advantage of that opportunity. But wearing the team's uniform and standing in a stadium where ordinary people shelled out a lot of money to watch a football game, not watch these player's express their political opinion---especially when it's a big ole "F*ck You America while I make more money in a year than you'll see in a lifetime".

The removal of these memorials, monuments, and so forth as I mentioned above, is a dramatic slap in the face of every American, dead or living. It's more than just trying to erase or rewrite our collective history. Its message is that we no longer value the lessons of our history. We no longer accept that our differences, even in politics, has made us stronger as a nation. These actions by a tiny few merely reflect the weak kneed response of administrators, university presidents and board members, as well as politicians. In recent years, males in this country have been conditioned to be more feminine. We now get to pick a gender preference the way some of us pick peaches. We are suppose to be kinder and more supportive; have "safe places" away from people who call you names or whose opinions disagree with yours. For that matter, speakers get jeered, threatened, or attacked if their point of view isn't Left enough. What happened to respect or common courtesy? Hell, what happened to the First Amendment? We've continually dumbed down our education system to create a nation of compliant employees in exchange for everyone getting to pee in the same restroom, a safe place to quiver with your safety blanky, a self-anointed refusal to extend freedom to speech and expression to others. Oh joy.

Yes, we have problems as a nation, but it isn't just these. It's a failed government who proclaim victory is their approval ratings break 18%! It's a Wallstreet-Capital Hill partnership which uses our military to back up threats about who controls what resources or assets. It's about improving our education system so that the average high school graduate's functional academic level exceeds the 8th grade and who has developed little or no critical thinking skills. It's about repairing a crumbling infrastructure, tax reform, prison reform, reevaluating drug laws, and many more. Let's not forget that 96% of all media is owned by just six corporations, each of whom have a political agenda which is remarkable the same---to keep us confused, frustrated, and divided. As such, they control the message; manufacturing names, events, and spin. Finally, I won't apologize for being white...or male... or straight...or for what my ancestors may or may not have done over a century and half ago.

I am an American and as independent as they come. I have no tolerance for bigotry or hatred on any side. I truly don't care what your race is, or your sexual preference, or your religion, or anything else. If you show me respect, I will return the act in the same measure. If you act like an ass, I will treat you like ass. Unless you're some type of worm, you are born a male or female. That means you are either Y-DNA or mt-DNA dominant. I will not change the use of my appropriate pronouns until I'm personally shown a hermaphrodite human, and then I will change it accordingly. Language. Unless you're just visiting, try to have at least a general conversational knowledge of the native language. In this case, that would be English. I don't care what you believe or don't believe. I do, however, care if you try to impose that belief on someone else with the use of threats or violence. As for your political beliefs, I have no issue so long as you give others the same opportunity.

Lastly, I have a low tolerance for ignorance, especially willful ignorance. What do I mean? I mean the intentional refusal to use reasonably proper grammar (don't "ax" me either), to dressing yourself properly (I have no interest in seeing your underwear or your bare bottom), refusing to speak our language despite being here for decades, or simply a refusal to learn from your mistakes; to accept the facts and modified your position accordingly. Lastly, try learning actual history before you set out to rewrite it or destroy its monuments before you end up burning books, or worse.

Is There No Respect Left? The Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem

I remember growing up in Florida during the 1960's, attending a public school which was as about as diverse as it could be. I had classmates who were dirt poor and very well to do; they were blacks, whites, Greek, Italian, Irish, Native American, male and female, and so on. While most of my teachers were white, there were black teachers (I had one in the sixth grade). There were Protestants, Catholics, Greek Orthodox, and who knows what else. But despite the diversity, or perhaps because of it, and regardless of all the turmoil happening not just in America, but throughout Vietnam (we all seemed to know someone touched by that war), the Middle East, the Cold War, we seemed to get along quite well. One of the things which seemed to unite us was that despite all of our differences, we were Americans. We were taught American history and an American Worldview (yes, I have no doubt that it was sugarcoated and likely distorted to reinforce the notion of "American Exceptionalism" , but it also gave us a framework of national pride and a foundation for further study).

One of the most important things that we were taught to help instill that sense of national pride and national unity was standing and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The Pledge had only recently been modified by the time we were being taught it. You see, the Pledge of Allegiance had been modified in 1954, on Flag Day, at the behest of President Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower with the inclusion of the two words, "under God". The reason given by President Eisenhower was, as usual, direct and simple. The former World War II General wanted the words inserted in order to acknowledge America's uniqueness among the nations of the world by our belief in freedom, individuality, and belief in a divine power which has blessed our nation in countless ways as opposed to our Cold War enemies who were officially atheist and looked to their leaders as their all omnipotent national saviors.

The Pledge itself was originally written in 1887 by Colonel George Balch. It was later revised in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist and Christian Socialist from New York. Bellamy was a champion of worker's rights and equal (or at least equitable) distribution of economic resources, ending racism, promoting women's equal rights (which included voting), ending child labor and expanding equal education to all genders and races. Ironically, Bellamy favored strong immigration laws to ensure that only those whose social values and work ethics matched ours. Further, but minor changes, were made in 1944 and continued to be made through 1954 ("under God" were first applied to the pledge by the Daughters of the American Revolution and then by the Sons of the American Revolution in 1948, and then by the Knights of Columbus in 1952). The Pledge of Allegiance was, of course, recited in English since that was accepted as our sole national language.

However, and perhaps, sadly, the pledge, which has as served as national bond of the American People, is no longer required; students have the option of not standing, or reciting it. Teachers even have the option to ignore the pledge all together. Some have complained that it's in English, and they don't speak or want to even learn English. Some claim that it "imposed" loyalty where none is intended or deserved. They claim that their loyalty is to another country, or ethnic group, or religion which prohibits duty and responsibility to any nation, even if that nation follows their same faith. In fact, many of the this latter group has tried to go further by "demanding" that the flag as well as copies of the past presidents, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights be removed from the classroom. A few have gone as far as to demand that the flag in the school yard be removed too (as few have demanded that the US flag be taken down everywhere---government buildings, private residences, sporting events, and so forth). Atheists want the words "under God" removed.

Recently, there has been a spreading movement in some sporting venues---professional and amateur---who refuse to stand for the National Anthem. Instead of standing and placing their hand over their heart as tradition calls for, they've decided to sit, or kneel. A few foolish ones have decided to stand, but bow their heads and produce the "black power" fist complete with a gloved hand. There seems to be a myriad of reasons, ranging from claims of police racism and violence against blacks (or as they claim, in solidarity with "Black Lives Matter"), US involvement in the Middle East (specifically, against terrorists groups like ISIS, Al Qaeda, as well as unintentional deaths of Muslim civilians caught in the combat zones---many used as human shields by terrorists groups), demands for "slave reparations" from a war which ended over 150 years ago and affected them in no way. Some of these protests have been started by recent converts to Islam (and there is none more zealous than a convert) while others are outward magnifications of suppressed racism, though the corporate media won't call it since it creates the wrong image for the minority group involved.

The "fist in the air" image has long been seared in the memory of the of over 50 crowd thanks to two black Olympians, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, during the 1968 Olympics. Smith had won the gold medal while Carlos won the bronze in the 200 meter race. Both athletes raised their black gloved fists during the playing of the National Anthem (both also were shoeless but wore black socks to symbolize black poverty). While both athletes went on to some limited success after the Olympics, they were sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee and the US sporting associations. Later, they received some recognition from a smattering of colleges and universities. Both won the 2008 Arthur Ashe Courage Award. A similar protest during the infamous 1972 Olympic Games in Munich by Wayne Collett and Vince Matthews. However, the results were slightly different as both athletes were banned by the IOC; all four athletes were publically scorned by the media for being "disrespectful" to the nation which paid for their training, housing, and sent them to the Olympics all expenses paid.

As for the amateurs, they are primarily high school student athletes. I personally believe that these kids are simply imitating what they're seeing on TV without the slightest understanding of what's going on. As for the coaches and school administration, I fail to understand why they have failed to take action or be replaced. I would imagine that the parents are highly upset and would hope they have the backbone to set their kids down and explain the cold hard realities of what they are seeing on TV and the failures of the corporate media to remain silent or worse, to encourage and/or promote such behavior. For that matter, I'm a bit surprised that the various school boards haven't acted as well. Another failure of academic and professional leadership as well as parental responsibility? Thus far, it would appear so.

Well, there you go. What do you think? As for me, I guess I'm a bit old fashioned. I believe in certain national traditions such as standing up and saying the Pledge of Allegiance---in English. You, as a student, regardless of your gender, race, origin, or religion, have being afforded a very rare privilege of have a "free" education, and even the opportunity to learn job skills for those who don't want to go to college. Now, when I say "free", I don't exactly mean as in nothing paid. That seat you plant your butt in was paid for with the blood; with the loss of limbs; and with the loss of life by the US military so you can have an opportunity to succeed. It was paid for by every first responder out there; every cop, fireman, EMS personnel, as well as by every union member, every professional, and by everyone who gets up and goes to work. Its paid for through money they worked hard for in the form of taxes. The least you can do is show respect for those people by pledging allegiance to this country which made your education possible (and by the way, those teachers aren't there to be your personal butt wipers and babysitters. They are there to teach you what you need to know in order to be a successful productive adult). If you have a problem with the language, too bad. English is what we speak. It's what we will always speak. Learn it, use it, or leave. It's just that simple.

Say you're here just for the "free" education and you have no interest in becoming a US citizen or any loyalty to America. No problem. Note the previous sentence and follow the same directions. Atheist? Don't like "under God"? Not a problem either. Don't say those two little words. Say your religion prohibits a pledge or oath of allegiance? Then why are you here? How do you plan of getting past various forms which require a oath or pledge like a driver's license, an employment application or voting form, from you based on your personal honor? Lie? Refuse? Hide from it? Sorry, but that's not going to work for long. Even those American apologists will want some sign of loyalty.

As for those rich spoiled jocks, I have no patience for their faux-indignation of America and their multi-million dollar annual contracts. Many---though not all---had pampered lives, and as jocks were treated like royalty in high school and college with lots of "perks" when it came their academics among other things. If they have a beef, then get directly involved; spend some of that money. However, I strongly suggest they remember that as foolish as their actions are, they are regarded by some as role models. When they refuse to stand for the National Anthem, they are sending a message to their young fans that disrespect to their nation, the military, teachers, first responders, and to professionals like nurses and doctors is acceptable (which, again, is ironic given the millions these athletes are paid while thumbing their noses at the system which has made that possible).

Naturally, some will want to wag their fingers and claim First Amendment rights. I won't argue that they do have the protection of free speech and free expression...as individuals. However, once they put on that uniform, they no longer represent themselves. They represent the team, it's owners, their fellow teammates, and the sports league (or school as the case may be). But more importantly, they represent the fans sitting in those seats who've paid out hundreds of dollars and the millions watching on TV or listening on the radio. So, when they blow off the National Anthem, they are blowing off their teammates, the owners, the league, as well as their fans and the nation itself. It's no different from those who put on a police uniform or a military uniform. While you're in that uniform, your deeds and words reflect on the larger whole. But I can sort of understand the other side too. These jocks are often arrogant and pampered; they are used to getting whatever they want when they want it. So, instead of seeing themselves as part of the whole, they see themselves as the center of their little cosmos; they are the "franchise" itself. Wrong. They are merely one player among many. They may be talented athletes, but no more so than anyone else who has earned a place on the team; each in their own niche. It's all the players, coaches, owners, supporting staff (and even shareholders in some cases) and the fans who are the franchise, not a single individual or even a couple of individuals. As an aside, the media should stop covering these individuals and giving the free publicity they're after.

As for those with the "black power" salute, they should pull their heads out of their butts. There is no "black power" or "white power" or "Hispanic power" or whatever. There is only "people power". We are Americans and we're in this together. We either succeed together or we fail together. There are those who want to divide us into as many pieces as possible. The more we are at each other's throats, the less they have to worry about. They can sit back and pull our strings. While they get richer and control more and more, we get poorer and weaker. As long as we are fighting each other, they have nothing to worry about. What scares them the most is that we refuse to play their game, and focus our energy and efforts on removing this Oligarchy and their proxy political partisans and restoring our Constitutional/democratic republic.