TNK, I recently read several histories on Gen. George Custer, a Democrat, who supported slavery, but fought on the Union side in order to improve his chances at winning the presidency as the Democrat candidate, and he had a strong chance at the upcoming convention, but Little Big Horn did not propel him to office. I was surprised to read it but it was documented in several different histories.
So giving to charity and changing your protest from sitting to taking a knee (in compromise with someone else) both don't say anything as far as him being selfish.. but taking a deal offered by Nike proves it? How does that prove it anyway?
Kneeling to highlight your concern over perceived racial bias in the legal enforcement system is somehow disrespectful? You do know that he chose kneeling in order to continue to show respect to the flag while doing something noticeably different, right?
The comparison between kneeling NFL players and war-fighters is a strawman. The claim that kneeling before flag or during anthem is also strawman. Address the claim of social injustice, argue against that claim and defeat that. Otherwise you're using strawman arguments to defeat a cause for social justice and equal treatment, which is, by definition, racist.
Man, the lengths these guys go to just to improve the "wow" factor. I'm a firm believer that a lot of the ills of our society started with the 24-hour news cycle. Instead of getting solid reporting once or twice a day, we now have a non-ending stream of "latest" and "breaking news" reports that are in competition with each other for alarmism.
Nope, don't buy it. He chose kneeling as a sign of respect. Also, unless you're a dictator, one person doesn't have the power to change the meaning of something for an entire country. That's a ludicrous notion in and of itself.
I'm not saying you have to like or agree with Kaepernick. Personally, I think many of his examples of supposed racial prejudice in our legal enforcement system is]]are blatantly incorrect (although I'd also admit that occasionally the inexcusable does happen). Also, he's clearly not a very good QB (which I thought before he even started kneeling), so it makes sense to me that he's no longer in the NFL. Finally, I hate it when corporations get political, so the Nike thing irks me. But even so, THIS is a dumb thing to roast the man over, because he went out of his way to choose something that did respect the flag. Let's crucify people of crimes they're actually guilty of, shall we? Or is that too reasonable of a request?
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4 ups, 5y,
2 replies
And what exactly is he protesting? White cops killing black kids? Maybe all cops who kill black kids?
Maybe before he sold out to Nike, he should have looked into Nike's practice of use underage children to work their factories overseas being paid slave wages so he could be paid millions all based on a lie.
Perhaps he should be protesting black on black crime in the inner cities of Chicago and Detroit and every other large city in this country. If he truly cared enough about unjust killings he'd be protesting not only the bad cops (which in his twisted mind are all cops, especially whitey), but all the bigger issues like kids as young as 10 murdering each other in the ghettos because they want to be in a gang.
I don't buy your opinion that Kaepernick is protesting anything of worth. He's doing it for the publicity because he failed as a QB and his cop hating girlfriend filled his head with a bunch of bullshit.
Of course violence of any type is deplorable. You could pick "white" on "white" killings, serial killings, or a whole host of others. But what is the point of protesting those?
Seriously, answer that question in your head. Because, in the end, it's a pointless endeavor. No one in authority is instigating, endorsing, or otherwise perpetuating those evils. And in that critical difference lies the point of his actions.
Again, many of the cited situations are justified on the part of the officer shooting. However, there are several instances where someone loses their life in an unjustified manner, and it we would be morally remiss to treat that as inconsequential.
Is there plenty of crime in this world? Yes, there is. Does it matter when someone loses their life when they don't deserve to? Of course. The distinction he is making is when it happens by the hand of those who swore to serve and protect, then that something needs to be noticed.
White supremacist who 'shot a police officer' is believed to be on the run with a woman on 'most wanted list' - you are an ass... a real ass. tell it to the hundreds of families.
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5 ups, 5y,
3 replies
So you don't care about black kids killing each other in the hoods? Just about "racist" cops killing unarmed black men? Is that what you're telling me? Are you telling me you don't care about Kaepernick selling out to a company that forces children to work as slaves in their factories as he gets paid by said company millions? That doesn't matter to you, but me pointing it out does?
You want to claim that I don't give a shit about the civilians being shot down for no reason at all by cops because I care about bringing out the fact black on black crime is at an all time high in this country?
He does stand for nothing. And his selling out to Nike is proof of it. He doesn't give a shit about anyone. If he did, he wouldn't have taken the Nike deal....asshole.
I don't give a shit. I wear Nike. And I'll continue buying their shoes. But don't act all high and mighty and be a hypocrite at the same time. You don't seem to understand the issue I have with it so I'll stop talking to you.
Oh, and by the way, I didn't say that cops killing unarmed civilians is bullshit. I said that I believe Kaepernick is full of bullshit and that he is only protesting for himself.
Maybe not a strawman, but you still need to argue that there is nothing to be gained in the realm of social justice. And the available data overwhelming show that social injustice is rampant. The unavailable data is the data of police involved shootings that do not get reported anywhere and often get scrubbed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaD84DTGULo
You are 100% correct about learning respect. Maybe if their guardians or aunties would have taught them to respect authority, some of them might still be alive. In prison no doubt, but still alive. Typical rhetoric though, "I don't have to listen to no police, I knows my rights", "they just be profiling", "he was such a good boy, getting his life together, planning on going to school to take care of his eleventeen kids" blah, blah effing blah.
I understand and respect your point of view regarding the need to consider a person's intent, but I don't think it is accurate in this case. If the symbol is disrespectful and offensive to others, it is a hard sell that you are using it as a sign of respect. Another example might be the Confederate flag - to many it is a symbol of slavery and oppression, and to others a symbol of heritage and common suffering (Reconstruction). But worst of all, if K's kneeling was truly intended as a respectful dissent, he would not have continued this form of protest when he was accused of being disrespectful.
It is the right of others to say what they think I do/say means. However, it is not their right to supplant what I actually meant with what they think.
Their opinion is their opinion, to which they are entitled. However, that doesn't change the reality of my motivation.