Protesting that makes sense... if possible

[Jon Estes]

The protest happening in the NFL has lost its way.

Injustice is wrong. Making your stand against injustice should happen but in a manner that draws attention to the injustice.

You don't mistreat the flag... anthem... or do your thing in a manner which minimizes your cause and stirs up a bigger one. This is what has happened in the kneeling fiasco. By choosing the anthem/flag means to have your protest, the ones who you want to hear your position have been angered and you have made it less likely, if at all, to be heard.

You don’t get to slap my dad to get my attention that someone down the street treated you unfairly. If that is your means to make your point, It will not work and you will probably get smacked back with vengeance.

Let your protest make sense.

Making no sense may be what they want...

Stirring up the crowd may be the plan...

We need a Martin not a Malcom.

[JE Pettibone]

[Jon Estes]

[KeithE]

[William Thornton]

This is a loser for the NFL and Kape. Good old fashioned capitalism will make the former run from it. Coddled, millionaire athletes and billionaire owners aren't the most sympathetic bunch. I can live without the NFL but I did take in a soccer game at Arthur Blank's (Atlanta Falcons owner) new $1.5+ billion stadium. It is magnificent...and to think, taxpayers paid for a good chunk of it. I bought a couple of $2 hot dogs IN the stadium, along with a souvenir cup drink (free refills), nachos and cheese and bottled water...13 bucks total. Chic-fil-A sandwich and a drink at the UGA game costs about that much.

[KeithE]

[William Thornton]

If this continues follow the money. Polls are meaningless. Ask Hil.

[Sandy]

Well, let's see. Jon provides nothing but his own speculation regarding the NFL protests. William diverts. Keith finds facts and citations to support a different perspective. Factually, it doesn't seem to be much of a "loser" for the NFL, but Trump's tweets have sure turned it into one for him. Flap your lips all you want to, there are the facts that Keith cited, with plenty of evidence in support, and none of it from "left biased MSM sources."

https://cacoethisscribendiblog.wordpres ... look-like/

No one ever burned a cross in my yard, or torched my church. I was never turned away when I registered to vote because I could not pass an impossible test. I was never told I had to sit at the back of the bus. I was never turned away from a restaurant, or a bathroom, or a drinking fountain because of the color of my skin. I might think I’ve had a few employers who didn’t pay me what I thought I was worth, but I never had to take a lower wage because of my race or skin color. I was never turned away from the door of a school. On that basis, I think these NFL players have the right to protest in a manner that they, not we, decide will be effective. The rest of us need to shut up and sit down.

[Jim]

Regardless of how the NFL fiasco happened, it has been predictably co-opted as a race issue (especially by the MSM), as is almost everything in this nation that is afforded notoriety. K didn't protest anything in particular (no sign, etc.) until asked for a reason, which smacked of racism, white, of course. Any game in the pros or university system appears as a micro-NAACP convention. 74% of NBA players are black, as are 72% in the NFL. According to Forbes (15 December 2016), the average player-wages in the NBA and NFL are $6.2 million and $2.1 million, respectively. LeBron James makes $31 million per year, not counting the endorsements. Only 8% of Major League baseball players are black (avg. $4.4 million per year), with Latinos taking over that sport. Neither the flag nor the anthem has anything to do with the “knee-taking.” It's all about race and the evil white man who is the oppressor although probably 90% of all spectators are white while only 7% of the population is made up of black MEN, who play these sports. So, forget anything that has to do with patriotism regarding the “protests.” There is now the clamor for more dialogues, which, of course, only exacerbates the issue, never solves it...and never will.

[Sandy]

[William Thornton]

You knew this was coming: The Chicago Police Dept has replaced all sirens with the National Anthem, to force suspects to stop runnng when they hear sirens.

[Jim]

Is the rumor true that the protesters at the next Patriots game will have signs in bold letters: Black Quarterbacks Matter? Maybe that's what K should have been doing when he sat that first time. If he didn't mention anything until the third game as a reason, that might indicate something but I don't know what. K only made $17 million or thereabouts last year so he may have needed to advertise. The whole thing is much ado about very little. How many people have ever heard of K, his fellow knee-knockers or anything else having to do with the NFL? Oh yes, I am, of course, a racist, so this means no one will have to bother with a post calling me such.

[Sandy]

[Rvaughn]

[KeithE]

[Jon Estes]

[Rvaughn]

[Sandy]

[Rvaughn]

[Sandy]

[KeithE]

[Rvaughn]

A lot of the discussion in the media has been framed as if this is a case of First Amendment rights of free speech. But the first amendment is a restriction on the government, not private employers. There are other issues of labor laws, contracts and such like that may come into play, but the football players have no "first amendment right" of free speech to protest while on the job. But Sandy is right, the players are higher paid, higher profile and more important than the coaches or owners, so the owners will handle it with kid gloves. They know where their bread is buttered. If the fans protest were to become so strong they come not ignore, then they would do something. But folks are going to buy tickets, pay for parking, buy concessions, buy jerseys and other memorabilia, and as long as they do the owners aren't worried. Its the economic reality that drives the situation, not philosophical views on either side of the protests.

Where I work, folks who are under contract basically can't be fired unless they violate the contract. But if they anger the wrong people they can certainly be reassigned, even to a closet (at the same pay, of course). That's just not going to happen to a really good player in the NFL, at least rarely happen.

Keith, you are right that a lot of this has been redirected toward Trump and maybe a lot of people will forget what was all about in the first place. But we can't blame all that on Trump. Those who responded to Trump instead of the original focus are also guilty of having a part in the misdirection. If you strike me on the cheek, I can choose to strike back or I can choose to turn the other cheek. When I strike back that is my decision, even if you hit me first.

[Dave Roberts]

Frankly, the issue seemed dead until the Tweeter in Chief reactivated it. The NFL season started with little note of this issue and a few kneeling players. When Trump needed to divert attention from the failing Trumpcare plan and from his HHS Secretary's private jet trips, he stirred this. It has gotten more headlines than even the PR devastation. It's sad how we Americans fall for this trickery.

[Sandy]

Put a little different perspective on it. Had the players been white, and had the injustice involved gun rights, would the same people be whining about disrespecting the flag or the anthem?

[Rvaughn]

And another matter of perspective could be that if Donald Trump had supported the players kneeling, would some of the same people who are supporting the players now be against them instead?