Patriot

For our government leaders who don't know otherwise, Marvin Boatright expresses what America is truly about.

As a veteran, and as an African-American, we have already and we continue to serve for God and country. But you can have a love of God and country and still be against social injustice. You don’t have to separate one from the other.

For the commander in chief to call our citizens ‘sons of a bitches’ was totally wrong and beneath the dignity of the office that he holds.

Update (September 30):  David Masciotra summarizes what got us here.

More anger is visible in reaction to players kneeling during a song than after video emerges of police officers executing innocent, black men. A large segment of whites, including the 50 percent who told pollsters that they will now boycott the NFL over the protests, demonstrate greater respect for “the flag” — a symbol of cheap cloth — than the lives of their fellow citizens with dark skin.

His prescription may seem a bit over the top.

Progressives lose at the ballot and across the culture because they consistently overestimate the intelligence and decency of the American people.

Progressives will make political gains when they stop assuming that the majority of Americans operate according to rationality and compassion.

And yet, even a Tea Party member of Congress can realize what's really going on with voters.

I thought they were voting for libertarian Republicans. But after some soul-searching, I realized when they voted for Rand and Ron [Paul] and me in these primaries, they weren't voting for libertarian ideas. They were voting for the craziest son of a bitch in the race. And [Fuckface von Clownstick] won best in class.

If a white Christian kneels, it's an act of faith. But black protest is treason. And white people are freaking out about it.

Flag worship is a much more recent phenomenon than having respect for the flag. And Amanda Marcotte explains how the "religious freedom" conservatives push is not the same as upholding free speech.

Lower courts have found that the battle isn't really over free expression. A wedding cake — or a flower arrangement or a photography contract — for a same-sex couple is no different, as a product, from the kind you make for an opposite-sex couple. The choice to discriminate, then, has been found to be about who the customer is, which puts such a case into the realm of discrimination law rather than free speech law.

[W]hen the president makes ugly statements against private citizens for expressing their political opinions, especially when he calls on their employers to fire them, that's a lot more serious than a cranky old racist screaming at the TV. It could be read as a threat.

Update (October 29):  One owner showed his true colors.

Houston Texans owner Bob McNair's off-the-cuff remark comparing NFL protestors to "inmates running the prison" had consequences. A majority of Texans players knelt Sunday during the national anthem, an act of unified dissent against their owner.

Update (May 23, 2018):  The NFL has adopted a policy to suppress player's freedom of speech.

The measure mandates that players who are on the field must stand for the national anthem but can remain in the locker room if they choose.

Teams could be fined by the league if their players sit or kneel, as many have done in protest of racial injustice and police brutality in recent seasons after NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s initial kneeling protest in 2016 earned nationwide attention.

Update (June 6, 2020):  It took another police killing and mass protest across the country, but Roger Goodell does admit a mistake.

We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black people.

We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black lives matter.