You kind of have to wonder just what the man was thinking. That being the President of the United States.
I'm non-partisan, so have no dog in this fight, but am a ferocious supporter of the rights and freedoms our Founding Fathers laid out for us once upon a time.
True, I always stood for the national anthem. And respected the flag. Even said the pledge of allegiance when I was a little kid, because we were "supposed" to.
But now as an adult, I don't want to hear anybody, including the Prez, telling me I HAVE to do it. Because if so dictated to -- I will resist and do the opposite. There's a difference between President and supreme dictator. A big one.
Not that long ago, one Colin Kaepernick made big news when he took a knee during the playing of the national anthem before an NFL game he was about to participate in. Did he have a right to do so? Absolutely. The fact that he remains unemployed ever since could perhaps be considered a consequence of that action. It was his choice, and he made it.
From my point of view, it's not so much about freedom of expression, which is a guaranteed right under the Constitution, but when it is exercised. As a former shop rat at GM, we not only had to obey the laws of the land, but there were also "shop rules" to abide by. Run afoul of any of those, and one could expect to be disciplined. Anything from a verbal or written warning, to time off without pay, up to and including being fired if the offense was serious enough.
In other words, all of my constitutional rights didn't necessarily apply while I was "on the job". It was their shop, their rules, and if I didn't like it, I was certainly free to "take my talents elsewhere". Not once was I ever told what to do or not do while on my own time. Seemed fair enough.
But Kaepernick opened up a huge can of worms when he first took a knee. Agree or disagree, the NFL has long been quite the patriotic bunch. This is why you see the giant flags on the field before so many games, color guards, and the fighter jet fly-overs. His original lone action flew in the face of all that, hence the controversy began.
I don't doubt for a minute inequities and injustices abound in America. And people, CK included, have every right to protest them and demand change. But on their own time. NOT when they're "on the clock" earning millions of bucks from their employers. It's a significant difference. And it doesn't get any more "on the clock" than game days in the NFL.
Whether CK is qualified through his physical/mental abilities as a quarterback to make a roster elsewhere can be debated forever. Yes, he was once a pretty good QB. But so were a lot of other guys that went bust for various reasons.
Thing is, other owners around the league put great stock in their team's "image". There is no doubt taking CK on would be a public relations problem with a great deal of their fan bases. Sure, they want to win, but at what cost? Likely alienating half or more of their fans (and media) could come back to bite them. At best, it would be a calculated risk. If CK came to town and lifted their team into being contenders -- great. But if he crashed and burned, the owner would be getting flak from both barrels. As the season goes on, and quarterbacks go down due to the inevitable injuries, it will be interesting to see if any team takes the plunge by signing CK.
Enter Donald Trump, the President of the United States. When CK first started this, it led to a handful of other players showing their support and mimicking his actions. Hardly a stampede. It likely would have quietly run its course over a few weeks, if not for the media continuing to stir the pot and throw fuel on what was then a very small fire. Anything for a story -- right?
But now the Donald himself has jumped in with more of his incessant, ranting tweets. By thunder, quoth the Prez, those sumbitches that dare to disrespect the flag/anthem should be drawn and quartered -- or at least fired. Well then. He's certainly entitled to his opinion as well.
Yet instead of rallying the troops around the flag/anthem, it appears to have backfired in a big way.
Shortly after his comments went public, that same handful of kneeling players turned into 150 or so. And the movement appears to be growing by the day.
Further, besides players, coaches, teams, and even Commissioner Roger Goodell are pushing back. Not just in the NFL, but around the entire American sports world.
This would appear to be an argument the illustrious Prez can't possibly win. The more he rants, the worse it becomes. And hey, this was none of his business to begin with. Lord knows, he's got enough problems trying to institute his own political agenda without crossing swords with so many people in the world of sports.
Whether one agrees with his take is beside the point. I personally like to think I can see both sides of the issue. Sure, I'm all for being a patriot in my actions, but that is my choice. Tell me I HAVE to and I'll push back as well.
There comes a time when one is well advised to just leave the proverbial sleeping dogs lie. Yes, they might pee here or chew something up there, but most times they'll get over it with little harm done. It will pass.
Rile them up at your own peril.
Things will likely only get worse.
And so they have.
Regardless of the "power" of their positions, some people need to get one thing through their heads.
You can set general overall policy, but you cannot dictate how others choose to think and act. They are people too, and have every right to act according to their convictions, as long as they're within the law.
Trying to do so will blow up in your face every time.
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