Trump NFL Anthem Free Speech Protest and Willful Ignorance

One of the biggest things I dont understand is that many of the people upset with the protests are saying...

"I just want football, I dont want my entertainment to be diluted with social causes and protests, its not what they get paid to do. Rich spoiled brats talking about inequality.. blah blah blah.."

However these same people dont seem to have an issue when the NFL steps outside the realm of "Football" and supports..

Breast Cancer Awareness Month where all the players wear something pink.
Natural disaster relief campaigns and fundraising
NFL PLAY 60 through the UNITED WAY an effort to tackle lack of physical activity in our youth
Human Trafficking
NFL donations to political campaigns


Nobody seems to be in an uproar of those things

However when the "cause" or the "protest" is police practice reformation.... *in Joker voice" "Everyone loses their minds"

a reply to: PistolPete

I never knew anything about that. We all know he can't let go of a grudge.

Well, as an English man from the other side of the pond, I am trying to fathom a number of stupid things coming out of America at this moment in time. Can someone explain to me that if they are taking a knee to protest the systemic racism coursing through every inch of America and its people (because as everyone - who is a SJW in America - knows, that you are all 100% racist, and by not excepting you are racist proves that you are a racist ... and possibly a neo nazi) BUT, please enlighten this Brit:


1. This Maxine Waters (in relation to N.K.), did she honestly say "Im worried, if North Korea nuke us, Im worried that Trump will take us to war" because... da frig?

2. I understand that this oppressed professional athletes whom earn more than 99% of us will ever see in our lives need to take a stand (or a knee) against 'whitey' and the racist undertones that we all give off. But, do they also point out inner city crime and backup their claims with stats etc? Or is it, like most of the gibberish coming out of America based on feels.

Are they going to forfeit their pay to battle pay equality? No, because THAT doesn't get THEM money, where as taking the knee gets them free press, interviews and money.

Want to properly protest? Quit. Enough players quit, cripples a team. Have this done to every one of you and then people should take you seriously. Im sorry, Im getting bored of the "feels politics" that a lot of Americans and now unfortunately my own kinsmen are starting to vomit forth upon the world.

In short:

Rich man playing a sport takes a knee in protest, does not donate all pay from that game nor any other game (I may be wrong) to battle the bad guy. Everyone hails him a hero.

Men and Women protecting their country with their lives... who cares about these schmucks, they dont run around man handling other men on my TV

originally posted by: Lucidparadox
One of the biggest things I dont understand is that many of the people upset with the protests are saying...

"I just want football, I dont want my entertainment to be diluted with social causes and protests, its not what they get paid to do. Rich spoiled brats talking about inequality.. blah blah blah.."

However these same people dont seem to have an issue when the NFL steps outside the realm of "Football" and supports..

Breast Cancer Awareness Month where all the players wear something pink.
Natural disaster relief campaigns and fundraising
NFL PLAY 60 through the UNITED WAY an effort to tackle lack of physical activity in our youth
Human Trafficking
NFL donations to political campaigns


Nobody seems to be in an uproar of those things

However when the "cause" or the "protest" is police practice reformation.... *in Joker voice" "Everyone loses their minds"

politics are invisible when you agree with them, i guess... they don't seem to mind that entertainment has been force-feeding them political views since it was invented, pretty much.

a reply to: Lucidparadox

More so, not one of them is stating that they think all cops are bad or America is bad. There are a lot of people including cops, soldiers and vets that agree the justice system needs to be fixed specifically because of the disproportionate amount of broken that falls on minorities.

a reply to: Lucidparadox

Because the NFL isnt running a campaign to raise awareness to BLM. And none of the awareness campaigns you mentioned involve disrespecting our flag/ country. The only country in the world you can make that insane amount of money doing what you do.

You can say you are not disrespecting the flag when you do this, BUT YOU ARE and a whole lot of people feel like you are.

Use your twitter and facebook spend some of your millions making public service announcement commercials, go on speaking tours , wear purple effing socks any thing but disrespect our flag.

But nope we have to be unpatriotic idiots.

a reply to: thekaboose

It seems you're one of those that asks questions but doesn't bother with answers.

a reply to: thekaboose

If I may, Id like to tackle your second question and "In short"

-The player who started the protests a year ago, "Colin Kaepernick" a bi-racial football player who was actually adopted into a Caucasian family if im not mistaken.. Actually has donated millions since he started. He has begun alot of programs to assist inner city citizens with "changing the narrative"." Most recently he bought hundreds of poor homeless people suits to wear for Job interviews. It was really cool.

-The other players, and Kaepernick initially, although they are rich, are using their fame and the platform they have access to, to speak on behalf of those who are less fortunate, those who arent rich, and who face oppression every day. They have a spotlight they can use to showcase this problem that they care about, to get the rest of the country to hop onboard and find a solution.

Hopefully that answers part of your question

originally posted by: Lucidparadox
One of the biggest things I dont understand is that many of the people upset with the protests are saying...

"I just want football, I dont want my entertainment to be diluted with social causes and protests, its not what they get paid to do. Rich spoiled brats talking about inequality.. blah blah blah.."

However these same people dont seem to have an issue when the NFL steps outside the realm of "Football" and supports..

Breast Cancer Awareness Month where all the players wear something pink.
Natural disaster relief campaigns and fundraising
NFL PLAY 60 through the UNITED WAY an effort to tackle lack of physical activity in our youth
Human Trafficking
NFL donations to political campaigns


Nobody seems to be in an uproar of those things

However when the "cause" or the "protest" is police practice reformation.... *in Joker voice" "Everyone loses their minds"

actually people did have an issue with some of those things. the thing is with each one of those your getting something out of it either through fund raising which goes towards research or helping out whichever group is affected. what this protest stands for is some non existent ideal cause the statistics themselves dont back up the claims for the protest. so its not something that you can really quantify or get a real handle on. everyone can agree that cancer is bad, victims of a natural disaster need help, etc but its hard to convince someone who knows otherwise through their own personal experience that what is being pushed forward in the protest doesnt really exist or is a possibly a sympton of a deeper rooted problem. its just really hard to know. what people do know is that the national anthem stands for everything the protest is supposedly fighting for in a way so to hold the protest during that moment is kinda hypocritical.

originally posted by: Lucidparadox
a reply to: thekaboose

If I may, Id like to tackle your second question and "In short"

-The player who started the protests a year ago, "Colin Kaepernick" a bi-racial football player who was actually adopted into a Caucasian family if im not mistaken.. Actually has donated millions since he started. He has begun alot of programs to assist inner city citizens with "changing the narrative"." Most recently he bought hundreds of poor homeless people suits to wear for Job interviews. It was really cool.

-The other players, and Kaepernick initially, although they are rich, are using their fame and the platform they have access to, to speak on behalf of those who are less fortunate, those who arent rich, and who face oppression every day. They have a spotlight they can use to showcase this problem that they care about, to get the rest of the country to hop onboard and find a solution.

Hopefully that answers part of your question

Thank you for your reply, I take this on board and retract my question in part. But can someone please set me straight on Maxine?


I understand the need for protest, it does bring to light injustices in the world, but to spit in the face of everyone who died so these men could through a ball around and touch others? I just couldn't imagine disrespecting my countries Armed forces past and present.

originally posted by: TheScale


the moment they hitched their protest onto the national anthem was the moment this protest went wrong. many people were raised saluting the flag and reciting the national anthem from the day they entered school and some earlier. its a time where u put away any and all differences and stand as one to honor the sacrifices others have made so that liberty and freedom is afforded to every individual. so by holding the protest during the national anthem they instantly have offended a good many people who are not rascist, have never been rascist, and fight for equality and are constantly striving to improve this world. this is the key thing that most people miss and if they had avoided there would be little controversy over their protest and far more support from the vast majority of people.

Don't interrupt their anti-Trump echo chamber with logic, now. They don't want to hear something so obviously true, it's just not anti-Trump enough!!

if protesting didn't get somebody upset, nobody would pay attention.

that's kind of the point.

originally posted by: fiverx313
if protesting didn't get somebody upset, nobody would pay attention.

that's kind of the point.

Cant argue with that

originally posted by: TheScale

originally posted by: crimsongod21
Here is the thing right or wrong these players have the ability to inspire and promote change. The people that argue against them using this platform either don't want change or want to remain blind to it.

I have seen a bunch of this across my news feed the last few days and honestly it's sad. I have seen comments such as " I watch football to get away from xyz..." Or "these rich ungrateful xyz's no respect, have it good why are they protesting" and so on and so forth ranging from comicly ignorant to racist garbage.

The reason these high profile players are protesting is for the people without a voice that cannot be heard. Its not that they are disrespecting America it's troops or even the law enforcement community as a whole, but that they are doing something that is all honesty is as American as baseball and Apple pie all out together, they are fighting g for the rights of a minority group that is being subjugated and treated as second class citizens.

While it is true we have came a long long way in the last 100 year's, it is also true that we still have a long way to go before we as Americans are all treated equally without regards to the color of our skin, the God we pray to or who's hole we want to poke.

Was this the best platform? Maybe maybe not but it has gotten people talking so it is working.

the moment they hitched their protest onto the national anthem was the moment this protest went wrong. many people were raised saluting the flag and reciting the national anthem from the day they entered school and some earlier. its a time where u put away any and all differences and stand as one to honor the sacrifices others have made so that liberty and freedom is afforded to every individual. so by holding the protest during the national anthem they instantly have offended a good many people who are not rascist, have never been rascist, and fight for equality and are constantly striving to improve this world. this is the key thing that most people miss and if they had avoided there would be little controversy over their protest and far more support from the vast majority of people.

THis.. Exactly how I feel.



And fyi I 100% believe black people are treated very unfairly by police and the system in general and rarely get justice.

And I believe people need to be made aware. But dont disrespect that flag that I pledged allegiance to every day.

a reply to: notsure1

Kapernik originally started his protest by sitting he realized that it upset a lot of people so he stated that from now on he would kneel out of respect but would continue not singing until the anthem represented everyone equally.

Also I have to ask... why are you so angry at the players that protest and now the entire NFL when it was Trump that reignited all of this?

originally posted by: Kali74
a reply to: notsure1

Kapernik originally started his protest by sitting he realized that it upset a lot of people so he stated that from now on he would kneel out of respect but would continue not singing until the anthem represented everyone equally.

So?? He is still protesting our flag/anthem/country.. There is alot of ways to protest Kali you dont have to disrespect our flag anthem.

Its very dear to our hearts.

a reply to: Kali74

I bet its a white tissue

originally posted by: dashen
a reply to: Kali74

I bet its a white tissue

Most likely, it must be because we all used to be slave owners and are so upset that its now against the law to do so! Also why we are on the subject,

I would like to protest black and black killings, I would like to protest against Muslim terrorist attacks, whites and asians need a helping hand to kill each other more be it on a local or international level! /s

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all."

Maybe them not making kids say this in school every day was the first step in dividing us?

originally posted by: notsure1
Its very dear to our hearts.

it's dear to you because you believe that promise of the land of the free, but they protest it because they believe it's not free for everyone. that's what the point of the protest is, for you to realize that what you're holding dear is not true for everyone.