re: Mike Hilton - Foot Locker to Steeler Starter

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The young men exercising their absolute right to peaceful protest

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True, they have every right.

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We know what it's like in countries where the citizens are forces to blindly idolize their nation - not good.

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Standing for the national anthem with your hand on your heart isn't blind idolization of a nation state, it's respect. They have every right to disrespect it and I have every right to dislike them for it.

Frankly, I find it hilarious that they are doing this because it literally plays into the hands of the right.

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Oh well since we are going to not let it go. If you are watching the game at home, do you stand up and put your hand on your heart? Hell no. You arent showing disrespect. This has absolutely zero to do with the flag.

My father fought in Vietnam. He has no issue with the kneeling. Why? Because that's the damn reason he fought for this country was to protect our rights and civil liberties. How can one argue military members risking life and dying under that flag for our rights, then be pissed about someone EXERCISING those very rights???

If only Americans shared the same vitriol for rogue cops...you know the actual reason for the peaceful protest.

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I know you want to let it go. I'm trying to, but I feel like there is something in all of this that can be constructive. If everyone will just let go of the emotion involved in this (why the whole issue is a complete loser), we can see it has zero to do with the flag. The flag and the anthem represent different things to different people and carries a lot of emotion with it. So it's easy to see why people get upset.

It's also easy to see (if you remove the emotion), that the players aren't protesting against the flag. The media has done a wonderful job of making this an emotional issue. They've done this by pouring countless hours of coverage into any unarmed black person being shot by cops. If you didn't know any better, you'd assume that this is almost a weekly occurrence. Again, remove the emotion. Cops kill unarmed white people, unarmed hispanics, etc. This is a problem. You can debate how large of a problem it is when you get into the statistics of shootings/deaths etc, and you can also recognize this will never completely be eliminated. We should all be in favor of more life.

No honest discussion will ever be had until we remove the emotion. The media is interested in one thing. Ratings. They also know that the way to drive up ratings is through triggering peoples emotions. The media doesn't generally lie in what it does tell you, it's more of a lie of omission in the things they don't tell you to actually put things in perspective.

The over militarization of police is a big issue. Dores, I'm honestly just trying to find some middle ground and get through all the BS of people slinging hot takes back and forth. You obviously have strong opinions and I understand why it seems like a fruitless endeavor to talk about these things.

I agree with you that these players have a right to protest. I think it's not the right place during the anthem, but that's because the message gets completely lost due to things I've said already. I also think those players need to be clear about their intention and stated goal or purpose. We can't say we're fighting "institutional racism" or something vague like that because interested parties change the meaning of things on a whim. We have to be really clear about what we mean and just be open to dialogue. Listening is really the most important thing. On both sides of an issue. Say your piece, but then listen. Find common ground. Go from there. Free choice and individual liberties and such. Not everyone has to agree on everything, but we have to have these discussions on the playing field of reality.


Ok shite. Got it out of my system. Sorry for the bull shite and wall of text. Let's just be decent to each other.

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He has no issue with the kneeling. Why? Because that's the damn reason he fought for this country was to protect our rights and civil liberties. How can one argue military members risking life and dying under that flag for our rights, then be pissed about someone EXERCISING those very rights???

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Defending civil liberties and believing in the right to exercise them does not mean you can't be pissed about the way they are exercised. Example: Muslims using the 1st amendment to demand Sharia law.

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If only Americans shared the same vitriol for rogue cops...you know the actual reason for the peaceful protest.

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fricking lol. Muh rogue cops narrative. What do "rogue" cops have to do with the anthem? I thought this was about an overall issue with America.

Question: Do you think the owners of the teams have a right to fire the players who voice their political opinions?

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Oh well since we are going to not let it go. If you are watching the game at home, do you stand up and put your hand on your heart? Hell no. You arent showing disrespect. This has absolutely zero to do with the flag.

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You are right. This is about some dumbass that said the United States oppressed black people, wore pig socks and a Che Guevara t-shirt because he respected him. Then is completely shocked that he is treated like radioactive waste. Newsflash: nobody is being oppressed in the United States. I have been to plenty of countries where ther has been obvious oppression and the USA isn't one of them.

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My father fought in Vietnam. He has no issue with the kneeling. Why? Because that's the damn reason he fought for this country was to protect our rights and civil liberties. How can one argue military members risking life and dying under that flag for our rights, then be pissed about someone EXERCISING those very rights???

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How can they? Because I am one of those and think it is absolute bullshite anyone would do that. Granted it is their right and I served so they could. However, freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences. If I did something that brought discredit upon my company, on or off the "clock", I would be fired immediately. The NFL handbook actual states that the standard is to be on the field, stand and place their hand over their heart. For an organization that routinely fines players for violating uniform rules I am shocked they couldn't enforce their own rules!

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If only Americans shared the same vitriol for rogue cops...you know the actual reason for the peaceful protest.

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This is complete and utter bullshite! You honestly are so stupid to think that there is this huge group of cops that run around and do extrajudicial executions? Most of the shootings are legit and/or the result of bad training. The only ones that stands out is the whachadoodle NYC choking cop and that SC cop....they deserve the jail. Also if there are these "rogue cops" why do cops kill twice as many white people even though black men commit over 50% of the violent crimes. Yes ~7% of the population commits over 50% of the violent crime in the USA and are 19 times more likely to kill an LEO.....and yet people wonder why cops are extra vigilant when interacting with black men. Some call that "profiling". The Military calls it force protection. So until their own leadership addresses these issues, along with the epidemic of black on black murders (+6,000 last year), I think this whole "rogue cop/oppression" narrative is some bullshite smoke & mirrors to distract from the real issues that only the guilible would fall for.

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This isn't about flag disrespect, this is about a issue a segment of white America doesn't believe actually exist (police brutality) and once again a message to athletes to shut up and play. The very same message relayed to Muhammad Ali, Chris Jackson (Abdul Rauf), John Carlos and Tommie Smith.

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I think you'd be foolish to think it doesn't exist....just like you would be foolish to think it only exist to one segment of the population as BLM basically would like us to believe. Police brutality occurs to every color and is caused by a combination of perpetrator's attitude and piss poor police training. The whole BLM movement is a smoke screen and racist in its intent. Facts aren't racist and they don't lie!

The real issue I have with the NFL is if you violate their rules by writing on your shoes or twerking you will be fined....unless you disrespect the flag or anthem...I guess they succumb to thier "white guilt".

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ABearsFanNMS

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I came here to read about Mike Hilton and you and others had to frick it up with the damn kneeling nonsense. Frick you man.

I think Hilton had an interception in their game on Sunday btw.

I know he had a sack.

Dude is balling out.