I believe in the First Amendment. I also believe that actions have consequences, and that rights come with obligations. This being said, the controversy about sports players protesting the national anthem speaks volumes not only on those who think it fitting to spit on the graves of those who fought and died for our country, but on those who approve of such disrespect.
Anyone has the right to protest anything, as long as that protest does not involve destruction of property or injury to others. Your First Amendment rights end when those rights interfere with my right to my person and property. Even as despicable and odious as such “protests” that disrespect our nation and our Veterans are, they have the right to do it. They also have the obligation to face the consequences of their actions.
Today’s younger generations – starting sadly with Boomers and GenXers, and to a toxic extent among Millenials, have no sense of history because history is barely taught. The rudimentary “history” taught in today’s public schools is nothing more than a leftist diatribe that condemns traditional American values, throws on an unjustified white guilt trip (reverse racism) while lifting up globalism and socialism. Both globalism and socialism are failed and defeatist systems. The former USSR and present-day Venezuela are good examples of how leftist principles in government (don’t) work.
When one doesn’t understand history, and when the popular faux history that is widely taught demonizes American nationalism and American hegemony, and one mistakes celebrity soundbites for Gospel truth, any kind of poison and inanity can be easily spread around. All it takes is for one jackwagon who would be better off sticking to carrying a football to run his mouth without consulting the facts to create a controversy that should never exist.
We as a nation should know better than to entertain the race card, especially when the accusations of “oppression” come from someone who has never known it. I find it hard to believe that football players who make millions of dollars a year in the NFL are “persecuted” or denied opportunity due to their race.
It is true that equality of opportunity does not guarantee equality of outcome. One’s race is not a hindrance to education, employment or opportunities. One’s culture, upbringing and lack of personal ambition are hindrances to all of the above though, which should cause individuals to look at him or her selves first.
Before you scream “Oppression!” look in the mirror. It is necessary to ask, and not just of the black community but also of certain white communities as well who have bought into the governmental dependency cycle, to look in the mirror. If you expect the world or the government to give you everything without you having to earn it, you are the problem. Only you can fix it. Not the government, not “whitey,” but you. Rights have obligations. Get off the welfare dole and do some sort of meaningful work. Put down the crack pipe. Stop killing each other. Start working with law enforcement to clean up our communities.
Do you have the right to protest the national anthem and/or to disrespect our country and our flag. Yes you do. I also have the right to call you out for the despicable fool you are.
Pragmatism is my way of life. It keeps me from having too much faith in humankind. I may not be a Calvinist as far as my theology, but I go along with Calvin 100% regarding the Total Depravity of Man. Even though I intentionally try to avoid the news, because as far as I’m concerned mainstream news is nothing but proof that Orwell was right, I do have to go out and deal with people in places like Walmart. Devolution has been going on ever since the Fall, and there isn’t enough chlorine to fix the human gene pool.
Not everyone in this country is old enough to remember Ronald Reagan, the Great Communicator. He was the guy who had the balls to tell Gorbachev (the premier of the then Soviet Union) to “tear down this wall” between the two Berlins. He was the guy who didn’t back down from American hegemony. He called the Evil Empire (the USSR) out for what it was on the world stage. It’s a shame that most of today’s pussy-hat wearing snowflakes have probably never even heard of Ronald Reagan. Perhaps if they had, they would reconsider the “beauty of socialism” and perhaps even see why the gimme mentality is not really a good thing after all.
HAD. Thank God.
ELYSIANHUNTER, ALWAYS INCITEFUL: 