If your favorite NBA player pulled a Kaepernick?

[Nate505]

If people have a problem with this they need to get their heads checked. Kap is a smart man, he's exercising his right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression. I'm not sure this will do anything to help the things going on but it will keep people talking about it. Main stream media wants to sweep everything under the rug and for us to forget about it, instead lets worry about what Kim Kardashian and her fat fake ass wore today. Kaepernick is in a position where he can force people to discuss issues that really matter. This entire country needs a revolution.

Are they really talking about what Kapernick is bringing up, or are people more talking about how supposedly disrespectful he is.

For the record, I don't care one way or the other who stands or sits for the anthem, but I do find his reasoning to be a bit suspect. While there are definitely policies out there (like the drug war) that disproportionally effect minorities, I don't believe in the past 30 or 40 or so years there have been policies out there designed to hurt minorities. Institutional racism has existed for all this time, but it has been deeply entrenched in our society for centuries now. Removing it will just take a lot of time unfortunately. And I'm not sure what good he is doing with this, but whatever, it's not me.

[Nate505]

I wouldn't care one way or the other.

I think patriotism/nationalism are really stupid, but I'm happy to be born and living in the U.S. Notice I say happy, not proud. I had nothing to do with where I was born. It wasn't something I accomplished.

I think when people throw around the idea of "pride" for their country, they tend to mean it in the ideals they believe their country represents and of past accomplishments their country has been a part of.

Whether one believes those ideals are worthy of being proud of (or are the ideals the country actually stands for) or the past accomplishments are worthy of being proud of (or if they were actually accomplishments) is open for debate. But I don't believe people are actually proud they were born in one geographic location.

I personally am proud of much of the mythology of American values, even if the mythology and reality don't line up (and in many cases contradict).

[Pinkyring]

I truly think he is trying to remain relevant and its absurd to me. As a black man I'm sick of these athletes and entertainers talking, tweeting, marching, etc when you have the resources to really put things in place to make a difference and you don't. It's disgusting and it's simply for show, why now, why not when you were a starting qb and a budding superstar. Same way i feel about Jason Collins, you make your announcement after your done. Ditto for Michael jordan, these guys get the money first then try to take a side, no respect period.

[Johnny Bball]

The generation that is crying about this is really the older ones.

I just feel bad for my kids and their kids and there's not going to be a country left after all the new spoiled little brats finish destroying it while talking about how terrible they have it. Their poor wittle feelings are hurt and they want to make a fuss about everything.

New spoiled brats after they finish destroying it. Let me drop some information for you about the older generation. Due to the irresponsible actions and horrible spending decisions, our housing market nearly collapsed about 8 years ago and we went into a recession. Student debt and college costs has increased by 10s of thousands of dollars. Forcing people, to go into massive debt to even get jobs that don't really exist much anymore because you keep pissing off companies that go overseas. Social Security will be dried up long before we can even retire. The amount of terrorism that has increased due to the fact the past and current administrations keep going into the Middle East, starting pointless wars and pissing off their citizens by bombing them over and over again. Lets not forget the older generation is the one primarily electing morons like Trump and Clinton to office when most of us millenials cannot stand them or do not wish to vote for them. You want to to talk about us when we are not the ones even remotely responsible for today's problems. None of us are in any type of political power yet. When we do, you can bet we will clean up your problems. The older generation has already did a pretty good job of destroying what is left of it anyways. Remember you are the ones in power not us.

Yeah gen-x said the same thing about the boomers that actually started national debt, hyperinflation and high interest rates that lasted decades, housing that increased debt from these rates by hundreds of thousands not tens, an outright inability to borrow money for education for many, far higher taxes until the 90s when the budget was balanced in most countries, fighting pointless war like Vietnam that lasted far longer, government becoming for sale through runaway rubbish campaign finance rubbish laws ... Do I need to keep going? The one difference is you don't know this stuff about the generation one in front of you. Because you act like it's only your generation. And that's Because we weren't victims about it. If a generation that everyone describe as entitled, changes all this instead of talking about it endlessly like victims, I'll eat my shirt. My gen-x disco sucks 70s vintage shirt.

[zeebneeb]

Nationalism at sporting events makes me want to puke. The national anthem shouldn't be sung. I don't stand and sing as a spectator at events and I wouldn't be standing if I was a player. I have respect for any player willing to go through the backlash of ignorant fans who will say stupid crap like "if you don't love America why don't you leave?". Unfortunately America is full of these people.

Why does it make you want to puke? It's an American league, on American soil, and they play the national anthem of the leagues home base. Loving your country is vomitous to you? It's not ignorant to be angry at someone who hates their own country, or does something that seems to belittle the country they love...

Daddy didn't phrase this too well, but patriotism doesn't make any sense: it makes sense to love your family and some people in your neighborhood and some other folks you know, and it makes sense to dislike and even hate things that seem to threaten it in idea or reality. But saying 'I love and would die for the country I happened to be born in' is a weird irrational thing. I'm sure you know there weren't really nations or countries before like the 1500s, and that countries developed as basically just economic and military entities; the idea of 'rights' for the non-ruling classes only came around in the 1700s, when the economy was getting much more complex and large amount of non-aristocrats started to have money, status, etc and started claiming that they deserved a say in government.

Anyway, point is that 'patriotism' for your country isn't a natural impulse or anything, and it makes a WHOLE lot more sense logically to say you like your family and friends and whatever else but are critical of what some other people in your country do. When most people say they 'love their country' they actually mean a certain vision or ideal of what it is, not that they love every part of the country and every person and system within it.

Also, I only heard about a minute of Kaepernick's lockerroom speech (it was pretty boring) but he was explicit about saying 'this country is supposed to stand for liberty and justice and it's not doing its job.' In other words, he 'loves' the ideas behind the nation and doesn't think the people in charge of carrying them out are doing their job. Not a super advanced critique but it's not unpatriotic, and it's exactly why the ideals behind the declaration and constitution exist.

It is absolutely not irrational to say "I live and would die for my country" as its a country your family and friends live in, and affords safety and a place to raise your family without fear. It's defending that which affords you and yours saftey.

Without borders and nations (this isn't the 1500's) we would have villages and warlords.

Nationalism is the heart of modern society and the very reason we are having a discussion on a messege board and not running from the next angry horde that would cut us down in the night. Does it have its problems? Yes, but let's not be disingenuous and pretend it's bad, or illogical to want to protect those rights, and safeties this country affords that many absolutely do not.

Modern liberalism has completely lost the plot, and pretending that the world would come together and sing kumbaya and not butcher each other mercilessly is pure and utter nonsense.

pure and utter nonsense.

[coachcav]

I just feel bad for my kids and their kids and there's not going to be a country left after all the new spoiled little brats finish destroying it while talking about how terrible they have it. Their poor wittle feelings are hurt and they want to make a fuss about everything.

New spoiled brats after they finish destroying it. Let me drop some information for you about the older generation. Due to the irresponsible actions and horrible spending decisions, our housing market nearly collapsed about 8 years ago and we went into a recession. Student debt and college costs has increased by 10s of thousands of dollars. Forcing people, to go into massive debt to even get jobs that don't really exist much anymore because you keep pissing off companies that go overseas. Social Security will be dried up long before we can even retire. The amount of terrorism that has increased due to the fact the past and current administrations keep going into the Middle East, starting pointless wars and pissing off their citizens by bombing them over and over again. Lets not forget the older generation is the one primarily electing morons like Trump and Clinton to office when most of us millenials cannot stand them or do not wish to vote for them. You want to to talk about us when we are not the ones even remotely responsible for today's problems. None of us are in any type of political power yet. When we do, you can bet we will clean up your problems. The older generation has already did a pretty good job of destroying what is left of it anyways. Remember you are the ones in power not us.

Yeah gen-x said the same thing about the boomers that actually started national debt, hyperinflation and high interest rates that lasted decades, housing that increased debt from these rates by hundreds of thousands not tens, an outright inability to borrow money for education for many, far higher taxes until the 90s when the budget was balanced in most countries, fighting pointless war like Vietnam that lasted far longer, government becoming for sale through runaway rubbish campaign finance rubbish laws ... Do I need to keep going? The one difference is you don't know this stuff about the generation one in front of you. Because you act like it's only your generation. And that's Because we weren't victims about it. If a generation that everyone describe as entitled, changes all this instead of talking about it endlessly like victims, I'll eat my shirt. My gen-x disco sucks 70s vintage shirt.

I do realize that he probably did this as well in his time. However, if he wants to say **** about my generation and say we are destroying stuff, I will talk back to him. I have no problem with it. We do not act entitled. We simply have the right to just express our opinions just like he does. We work for a lot of things we have just as he does. Many of us do not expect handouts like he is simply misinformed about. He should stop listening to the media and actually get out and talk to my generation. Honestly he can go cry me a river because I am tired of hearing his generation complain about ours as well. It works two ways. Ironically he is complaining about our generation and he is whining like a little bitch creating a fuss. He is no better than the ones he is describing in his original post. If he wants to dish it out, he better be able to take it.

[Beffiosa]

With all these Patriotic people in America, Fisher House Foundation probably wondering how they haven't received more donations. The guy didn't burn or stamp on the US flag, he sat quietly and made a peaceful protest. Those same people who are very vocal about him disrespecting those who fought for him to have that right tend to be silent on other important issues of injustice.

[cammac]

By virtually every statistical measurement blacks have a better life in America than any other country in the world. Kap is just a weak mind who buys the left wing narrative that blacks live oppressed lives here.

God Bless America but sure the vast majority of Canadian blacks would disagree with you.

[LouisLitt]

If my favourite player did that, I'd just tell them to go live somewhere else.

America gave them the opportunity to make millions playing a game they love, while other countries are littered with poverty issues, or war.

Go live there pal, enjoy life.

[Chuck Everett]

By virtually every statistical measurement blacks have a better life in America than any other country in the world. Kap is just a weak mind who buys the left wing narrative that blacks live oppressed lives here.

God Bless America but sure the vast majority of Canadian blacks would disagree with you.

This is also the country that lynched, enslaved, beat, raped, murdered without justice (even today) and even bombed (Tulsa) blacks for hundreds of years, but yes they have it better than blacks in Angola. The problem with America is by and large the cognitive dissonance. Everyone knows the past was atrocious, but this is how we got to the present, so we have to accept it.

For a person to pull out statistical measurements as a means of showing how well off blacks are is interesting considering the descendants of the American slave trade are owed trillions of dollars they will never get for being forced to build a nation.

[jumpstart]

the worst are the people who speak out against saying its disrespectful to the military. Since when does one person's view point speak for everyone in the military.

Alex Boone couldn't be anywhere further form the truth.

Also, nationalism is so stupid in a world that is becoming more and more globalized. Its just dumb redneck that get all pissy about stuff like this.

[HeartBreakKid]

I wouldn't care...my favorite player is free to express his political views. I don't have any insecurity in my loyalty to my country.


I pledge and stand for the national anthem all the time, but I totally buy into someone sitting during those things out of protest. The anthem and pledge are just traditions, they're not some inaugural part of the nation.

[ChiCityHoops34]

the worst are the people who speak out against saying its disrespectful to the military. Since when does one person's view point speak for everyone in the military.

Alex Boone couldn't be anywhere further form the truth.

Also, nationalism is so stupid in a world that is becoming more and more globalized. Its just dumb redneck that get all pissy about stuff like this.

I'm nowhere near a redneck but having a family full of people who fought for what that flag and anthem stand for that gives Kap the opportunity to make 114 million dollars leads me to be disgusted by it, sorry.

[HeartBreakKid]

Why does it make you want to puke? It's an American league, on American soil, and they play the national anthem of the leagues home base. Loving your country is vomitous to you? It's not ignorant to be angry at someone who hates their own country, or does something that seems to belittle the country they love...

Daddy didn't phrase this too well, but patriotism doesn't make any sense: it makes sense to love your family and some people in your neighborhood and some other folks you know, and it makes sense to dislike and even hate things that seem to threaten it in idea or reality. But saying 'I love and would die for the country I happened to be born in' is a weird irrational thing. I'm sure you know there weren't really nations or countries before like the 1500s, and that countries developed as basically just economic and military entities; the idea of 'rights' for the non-ruling classes only came around in the 1700s, when the economy was getting much more complex and large amount of non-aristocrats started to have money, status, etc and started claiming that they deserved a say in government.

Anyway, point is that 'patriotism' for your country isn't a natural impulse or anything, and it makes a WHOLE lot more sense logically to say you like your family and friends and whatever else but are critical of what some other people in your country do. When most people say they 'love their country' they actually mean a certain vision or ideal of what it is, not that they love every part of the country and every person and system within it.

Also, I only heard about a minute of Kaepernick's lockerroom speech (it was pretty boring) but he was explicit about saying 'this country is supposed to stand for liberty and justice and it's not doing its job.' In other words, he 'loves' the ideas behind the nation and doesn't think the people in charge of carrying them out are doing their job. Not a super advanced critique but it's not unpatriotic, and it's exactly why the ideals behind the declaration and constitution exist.

It is absolutely not irrational to say "I live and would die for my country" as its a country your family and friends live in, and affords safety and a place to raise your family without fear. It's defending that which affords you and yours saftey.

Without borders and nations (this isn't the 1500's) we would have villages and warlords.

Nationalism is the heart of modern society and the very reason we are having a discussion on a messege board and not running from the next angry horde that would cut us down in the night. Does it have its problems? Yes, but let's not be disingenuous and pretend it's bad, or illogical to want to protect those rights, and safeties this country affords that many absolutely do not.

Modern liberalism has completely lost the plot, and pretending that the world would come together and sing kumbaya and not butcher each other mercilessly is pure and utter nonsense.

pure and utter nonsense.

We still do have villages and warlords, what the **** are you talking about?

Your sentence about us not having message boards and being gigantic savages without nationalism is so unbelievably ignorant. Like seriously, if you took a basic undergrad class in history or anthropology you would see that your statement is dead wrong. You do realize that there was middle ground between the time we were cavemen and the invention of the nation-state, right?

[Bertrob]

I'd like him even more. What Kap did is great, and if my favorite player (Rondo) did the same thing I'd be even happier with him

[SK21209]

I'm personally a bit uncomfortable with athletes taking social stances since they have no more enlightened perspective than you or me but their platform gives their stances a little more weight, mostly among kids. But I'll never say an athlete shouldn't be sociopolitically active, that's democracy at work.

Kaep said he plans to keep sitting during the anthems, but I can't imagine he'd do it Opening Day which happens to be September 11th. But it looks like he'll probably get cut, so we'll get to avoid that firestorm.

[E-Balla]

I don't have a favorite NBA player but if I did I'd be more mad that they aren't doing what Kap did. Why pledge allegiance to a country that won't protect the lives of your people?

[ChiCityHoops34]

I don't have a favorite NBA player but if I did I'd be more mad that they aren't doing what Kap did. Why pledge allegiance to a country that won't protect the lives of your people?

Wow. Just wow. The liberal media can declare victory.

[E-Balla]

I don't have a favorite NBA player but if I did I'd be more mad that they aren't doing what Kap did. Why pledge allegiance to a country that won't protect the lives of your people?

Wow. Just wow. The liberal media can declare victory.

Yeah media are the ones that enslaved a whole race, treated them as less than human, took away their rights to vote, gerrymandered districts and added laws to suppress their rights to vote, emprisioned and demonized generations of this race, and allowed legal government killings of this race.

I know my history and I know what's going on now. Media had nothing to do with why the Panthers thought they needed to follow officers armed and they have nothing to do with why I know the police killings are going too far.

Keep trying to find a scapegoat for what's happening but that's not going to work anymore. The media didn't make me believe that Tamir Rice and Keaton Charles were shot unjustly the videoes of the shootings did.

[AndroidMan]

God this new generation of cry babies is just beyond annoying. "My feelings hurt", "I need a safe zone", "Everyone is racists".

The crybabies are the ones who get all upset because some dude doesn't want to participate in a nationalistic ritual. "Spitting in their faces" and all of that crap.

Get over it, it's his right.

And I'm probably older than you are.

It's about respecting the country that you're a citizen of. If he doesn't like America, there's always Canada.