American Legion and Veterans of foreign wars condemn the NFL

[boller4president]

“There is a time and place for civil debate, and wearing team jerseys and using sporting events to disrespect our country doesn’t wash with millions of military veterans who have and continue to wear real uniforms on real battlefields around the globe,” said VFW leader and Vietnam War veteran Keith Harman

“I stand for our flag and anthem, and I kneel for our fallen,” he said. “That’s what patriots do. We rally around the flag of our country, not use it and our Constitution as both shield and sword.”

American Legion National Commander Denise Rohan called the NFL’s behavior “misguided and ungrateful.”

“It wasn’t political when it was written and it shouldn’t be political today,” Rohan said. “Having a right to do something does not make it the right thing to do.”

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/...ainst-nfl.html

[boller4president]

This is pretty big news these are the two biggest veteran organizations in the united states.

[usmccharles]

I just don't get any of this anymore...the hypocrisy

[BigPlayReceiver]

Whatevs. I never thought much of these organizations, and I think less of them now.

[ravenmaniac4life]

Whatevs. I never thought much of these organizations, and I think less of them now.

HAHAHA. They aren't lining up with your opinion are they?

It's disrespectful anyway you look at it.

[boller4president]

HAHAHA. They aren't lining up with your opinion are they?

It's disrespectful anyway you look at it.

Look I respect those who aren't bothered by it whether they be veterans or otherwise but it bothers me and it bothers many of my friends. It bothers my dad and it would bother my grandfather.

It's just amazing to me most of their responses is well f them. Well then f you too I guess. I'm sure this protest is changing a ton of minds about whatever issue they took a knee for

[BigPlayReceiver]

HAHAHA. They aren't lining up with your opinion are they?

It's disrespectful anyway you look at it.

*sigh*

Try not to laugh at what you don't understand.

Vets, non-vets can feel however they feel, but vets are generally supposed to know better; and vets claiming to represent hundreds of thousands, should definitely know better.

Telling any US citizen 1)how and when to exercise his/her 1A rights, and 2) hypocritically, deciding what constitutes disrespect in the context of "the anthem" and "the flag", is false-patriotism.

Throughout any of our lifetimes, the flag and anthem have been constantly disrespected in America, and nary a peep from the so-called "patriot" crowd.

This country is so full of isht right now...smh.

[NCRAVEN]

*sigh*

Try not to laugh at what you don't understand.

Vets, non-vets can feel however they feel, but vets are generally supposed to know better; and vets claiming to represent hundreds of thousands, should definitely know better.

Telling any US citizen 1)how and when to exercise his/her 1A rights, and 2) hypocritically, deciding what constitutes disrespect in the context of "the anthem" and "the flag", is false-patriotism.

Throughout any of our lifetimes, the flag and anthem have been constantly disrespected in America, and nary a peep from the so-called "patriot" crowd.
This country is so full of isht right now...smh.

My guess would be that was because it wasn't front in center plastered across all of our tv screens on the most watched thing in America.

Also I think it's because people are not directly protesting the flag/anthem, but using the flag/anthem as a time to protest. IMO, I don't think that's necessarily disrespectful, but it's at least insensitive.

[blah3]

Throughout any of our lifetimes, the flag and anthem have been constantly disrespected in America, and nary a peep from the so-called "patriot" crowd.

Yeah, I'm calling BS on this statement. The 'patriot crowd' has always defended the flag. It's not some new thing. The primary cases I recall of disrespecting the flag involved flag burning. There was a huge outcry against. Heck there were even calls for a law against it. So let's not act like the 'patriot crowd' is somehow new, or somehow just deciding to go after these NFL players.

[ravenmaniac4life]

Throughout any of our lifetimes, the flag and anthem have been constantly disrespected in America, and nary a peep from the so-called "patriot" crowd.

You might be right. With that being said...I dont ever remember seeing the largest and most popular sports conglomerate in the world openly supporting/encouraging/promoting disrespect to the very foundation of what affords them the right to have their platform. This is different.

This country is so full of American pride right now...smh.

fixed it for you :)

[ravenmaniac4life]

From Chris Kyle's wife:

Dear NFL,

You were doing your part to bring people together and heal the world. That’s really how healing works. We heal by loving each other and leading by example; showing people what is possible when we love each other just as we are and not only recognize our differences but celebrate them and look at how we can use them together to make us jointly better than our separate parts. You were doing your part celebrating each other based on skills, talent and a joint vision without regard to color and religion.


You were doing your part and we were doing ours. We showed up cheering and groaning together to as one. We talked in the concession lines and commiserated and celebrated our team together. Did it ever occur to you that you and we were already a mix of backgrounds, races and religions? We were already living the dream you want, right in front of you.


Your desire to focus on division and anger has shattered what many people loved most about the sport. Football was really a metaphor for our ideal world -- different backgrounds, talents, political beliefs and histories as one big team with one big goal -- to do well, to win, TOGETHER.

Your desire to focus on division and anger has shattered what many people loved most about the sport. Football was really a metaphor for our ideal world -- different backgrounds, talents, political beliefs and histories as one big team with one big goal -- to do well, to win, TOGETHER.

You are asking us to abandon what we loved about togetherness and make choices of division. Will we stand with you? Will we stand with our flag? What does it mean? What does it mean if we buy a ticket or NFL gear? What does it mean if we don’t? It is the polar opposite of the easy togetherness we once loved in football.



It was simple – we loved you and you loved us – with all of our races, religions, different backgrounds and politics. Simplicity in a crazy world was pretty awesome.

You dear NFL, have taken that. You have lost me here.

If you ever want to get off your knees and get to work on building bridges, let me know. I have found screaming about the problems in service marriages or even standing in silence in front of them, hasn’t healed even one of them.

On the other hand, funding the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, building a team and rolling up my sleeves to get in the trenches during my “off time” -- volunteering there outside of my paying jobs -- has proven to make real change.

You have a lot of strong guys, I am sure in the off season a lot of them could build some pretty big bridges if they care enough to do the hard work. That would involve getting off their knees and getting to work though. If I can do it while I raise two kids as their only parent and work through the greatest pain of my life, let’s see if they can do it for the issues they say they care so much about.

Go Longhorns and Sic ‘Em …

Sincerely,

Taya

[BigPlayReceiver]

Yeah, I'm calling BS on this statement. The 'patriot crowd' has always defended the flag. It's not some new thing. The primary cases I recall of disrespecting the flag involved flag burning. There was a huge outcry against. Heck there were even calls for a law against it. So let's not act like the 'patriot crowd' is somehow new, or somehow just deciding to go after these NFL players.

1) Once again, burning the flag, which I don't particularly like, is a free expression protected by 1A. The SC has ruled as such, thus nullifying silly local laws against free expression. So while defending the flag in such instances may fill one with patriotic ferver (and I get that), such folks are also freely choosing to completely ignore 1A.

2) I'm pretty sure the 'patriot crowd'--as a mass--hasn't ever had anything to say about the millions of merchants that use the flag and snippets of the anthem to make a buck. Where have they been in our lifetimes?