Posted on Sep 7, 2018
Opinion | Nate Boyer: How my time as a Green Beret influenced my views on patriotismand Colin...
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Protest
National Anthem
Protest National Anthem
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I rather liked this article, particularly this from the author towards the end:
[begin quote]
Personally, I do not endorse Kaepernick’s method of protest but I absolutely support his right to do so. That is an unpopular place to stand these days, in the radical middle, defending someone you somewhat disagree with.
[end quote]
I come close to sharing that position but would make two observations. First, I don't think Kaepernick and those that followed his lead are being unpatriotic, disrespecting the military, or even protesting the anthem. The have simply picked a stupid and offensive-to-many way to call attention to what is (depending on how it is presented) a significant issue. There is a difference between patriotism and respect. Being disrespectful does not make one unpatriotic. Second, while I strongly support their freedom to protest free of government constraint, I also support the right of others to disagree, in effect, counter-protesting. I also support the right of the NFL to address the issue however they choose given that these protests are costing them … money. The NFL is not bound by the Constitution in the same way that the government is.
For anyone that wonders why I categorized their method of protesting as "stupid" … it is because (1) it distracts from the fundamental issue driving the protest - in effect, creating a separate and more visible issue; (2) It alienates a large segment of the population that the protest should be designed to attract; (3) It is causing potentially irreparable harm to the NFL.
[begin quote]
Personally, I do not endorse Kaepernick’s method of protest but I absolutely support his right to do so. That is an unpopular place to stand these days, in the radical middle, defending someone you somewhat disagree with.
[end quote]
I come close to sharing that position but would make two observations. First, I don't think Kaepernick and those that followed his lead are being unpatriotic, disrespecting the military, or even protesting the anthem. The have simply picked a stupid and offensive-to-many way to call attention to what is (depending on how it is presented) a significant issue. There is a difference between patriotism and respect. Being disrespectful does not make one unpatriotic. Second, while I strongly support their freedom to protest free of government constraint, I also support the right of others to disagree, in effect, counter-protesting. I also support the right of the NFL to address the issue however they choose given that these protests are costing them … money. The NFL is not bound by the Constitution in the same way that the government is.
For anyone that wonders why I categorized their method of protesting as "stupid" … it is because (1) it distracts from the fundamental issue driving the protest - in effect, creating a separate and more visible issue; (2) It alienates a large segment of the population that the protest should be designed to attract; (3) It is causing potentially irreparable harm to the NFL.
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MAJ (Join to see)
LTC (Join to see) I agree with you and the writer of the article. I too disagree with what Kaepernick and others were doing, but I support their right to do it. And while I support the NFL's right to handle it as they see fit, I also support the right for Americans to spend their entertainment dollars elsewhere if they so choose. Everyone gets what they want. And if enough people stop buying a product it will either go away or change.
To add to the list of why this particular protest was "stupid", at no time was I shown evidence to support his claim that there was even a problem to begin with. Granted, I'm a white man that lives far away from inner city violence, but I do respect human life. And if it's being taken unjustly then we need to do something about it. But all I saw these players do was kneel. I never saw them offer anything else regarding this matter. When I looked at the statistics for myself, I found nothing to support what he was saying. And like you said, instead of bringing attention to his protest, he simply created another protest. All of it looked like a flash and no bang. To me this looks like nothing more than a publicity stunt by a so-so football player.
To add to the list of why this particular protest was "stupid", at no time was I shown evidence to support his claim that there was even a problem to begin with. Granted, I'm a white man that lives far away from inner city violence, but I do respect human life. And if it's being taken unjustly then we need to do something about it. But all I saw these players do was kneel. I never saw them offer anything else regarding this matter. When I looked at the statistics for myself, I found nothing to support what he was saying. And like you said, instead of bringing attention to his protest, he simply created another protest. All of it looked like a flash and no bang. To me this looks like nothing more than a publicity stunt by a so-so football player.
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