"They need to protest differently!" is what all the comments boil down to. The complaints are that they are blocking traffic, or that they are too rough in having their faces dent the riot batons of police, or they are interfering with those who wanted to get to work in 12 minutes instead of 17, or when they avoid all that and instead just kneel, that they are disrespecting the flag and our veterans.
This last makes me say, "Quit it".
First off, let me re-iterate the absurdity of claiming that your problem with black protestors is their "method" of protesting. I've yet to hear of any method of a black person protesting that doesn't have some conservative - non-racist, of course - telling me why that way of protesting is bad.
Apparently, to protest appropriately, a black person needs to remain at home, preferably under his bed, duct tape over his mouth, quietly thinking - well, thinking good thoughts, that in no way would disrespect anything.
Second off, I'm tired of this whole, "We stand because of this" thing, where they then drag in a photo of a dead veteran. Really? Really?
So the flag of any nation must always be stood for? Never protested? Nazi flag, Soviet flag, North Korean flag? There is never any freedom for any in those nations to refuse to honor those flags, because to do so would dishonor the soldiers who fought under those flags?
But let us leave aside the flag for the moment - which is but a piece of cloth, and cannot be "disrespected" - and focus on the soldiers.
Can we examine - without laughing - the absurdity of claiming that soldiers who in theory fought for freedom are somehow upset with blacks exercising freedom? Can we also examine the absurdity - and disrespect - of millions of non-veteran sports watchers claiming to take offense on behalf of the soldiers dead and alive?
I have two words for all non-veterans who attempt to silence black people out of "respect" for me:
Quit it.
I didn't serve so you could sit through the National Anthem at home while complaining about a black guy not standing. I didn't serve so you could tell me what I served for. I didn't serve for the "freedom" to shut up and never offend you. I didn't serve so that black people could be killed by the police and the rest of us make excuses.
And I didn't serve so you could go on and on about your great love of a flag you never bothered to fight for, or even offer to fight for. Don't tell me what you'd do in a "Red Dawn" situation, I can clearly see what each of you non-veterans did when you were 18 and had every chance to show that fire, that fierceness and that fondness of the flag.
Jack crap.
And as for my fellow veterans - well, I know you know better. There was never a platoon or squad yet that ever was unified in political views, nor was it even about that. We served - and some fought - so that we could all be as wrong and as dumb as we cared to be back home.
So if you care to - I'd be the last to insist - why not lay off those guys who kneel? I personally think that we all served and fought to defend corporate interests and make rich bastards richer, but if you truly came away from your term of enlistment thinking that it was all for freedom, then here's a novel idea - let those guys have their freedom to kneel.
You'll find that your body, your mind and your soul are made of sterner stuff, and they kneeling will do no lasting damage to you.
Finally, quit pretending - veterans and non-veterans - that this is over some employment contract or how they are "on the clock". There's not a one of you that doesn't spout off your dumb political opinions - and everyone else's opinions on politics are always dumb - every break, every lunch, and oft times every hour.
If you can stand at a water cooler and blather about why Hillary sucks - and yes, we all know she does - then some guy pre-game can kneel during a song.
Police are killing minorities in disproportionate numbers. Your kids are going to remember you being upset by that - or being upset at how a black person displays grief over that.
Leave me out of it either way.
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