Alejandro Villanueva has highest-selling gear in past 24 hours

[jwooten15]

The lone member of the Steelers to come out of the locker room during the anthem.

Says a lot about the pulse of the nation. I don't buy much NFL gear, but if I did, I'd buy something with his name on it. And I loathe the Steelers!

Will the NFL take this info and actually do anything???

Silent majority.

 

[superonyx]

I'd say its the not so silent minority.

Don't you just hate when you want to pretend everything is great for everyone in the world and some person has to remind you that life isn't so awesome for so many people.

Why can't these people just shut up and let so many suffer in silence..gawd..
Bootstraps right?
When you want to drink another beer, yell at your wife, kick your dahog on sunday and these guys have to actually make me think about the 40% of African American children who live in poverty.

Look man I am with you. Why can't the NFL recognize that some of us are angry and want to determine for someone else what they are protesting and then don't want to be bothered thinking about the oligarchy we live in or the trillions we spend invading countries or the 17 years we have been fighting in Afghanistan and still cant beat an enemy who has surrendered several times....an enemy that doesn't even own an airplane...

Come on NFL...

 

[TheCount]

Silent majority.

lol

 

[jwooten15]

Why can't these people just shut up and let so many suffer in silence..gawd..
Bootstraps right?
When you want to drink another beer, yell at your wife, kick your dahog on sunday and these guys have to actually make me think about the 40% of African American children who live in poverty.


Come on NFL...

How did I come from a family with an income below $15k/year, living in income-based housing to now, as an adult, making significantly more $$ and owning my own home?

Oh, I got a job and changed my circumstances of life??? You don't say!

Use your lame crutch of an excuse on someone else. Not going to work on me.

 

[whynot]

The lone member of the Steelers to come out of the locker room during the anthem.

Says a lot about the pulse of the nation. I don't buy much NFL gear, but if I did, I'd buy something with his name on it. And I loathe the Steelers!

Will the NFL take this info and actually do anything???

Silent majority.

You might want to wait and see if it outsells Kaepernick’s.

 

[superonyx]

How did I come from a family with an income below $15k/year, living in income-based housing to now, as an adult, making significantly more $$ and owning my own home?

Oh, I got a job and changed my circumstances of life??? You don't say!

Use your lame crutch of an excuse on someone else. Not going to work on me.

Crutch of an excuse? I am personally very successful so I am not sure what you are talking about.
So all it takes is getting a job and then someone should be alright.....hmm.... interesting.....
Until you educate yourself and realize who the top employers are and what they are paying.

United States Largest Private Employers (as of 2016)[1][2]
Rank Employer Global number of Employees
1 Wal-Mart Stores 2,300,000
2 Kroger 443,000
3 Yum China 420,000
4 International Business Machines 414,400
5 The Home Depot 406,000
6 McDonald's 375,000


Over half of all working Americans make less than 30K per year. So i guess this idea of bootstraps fails pretty hard.
I'm guessing you probably dont have the ability or at least desire to consider any perspectives which may actual challenge what you have come to accept as truth at this point in your life.

 

[DFWJC]

I was driving to the airport today and all the "sports" radio shows would talk about was this topic.
I'm thinking "please, I need my Cowboys football talk, not more of this"

 

[jwooten15]

Crutch of an excuse? I am personally very successful so I am not sure what you are talking about.
So all it takes is getting a job and then someone should be alright.....hmm.... interesting.....
Until you educate yourself and realize who the top employers are and what they are paying.

United States Largest Private Employers (as of 2016)[1][2]
Rank Employer Global number of Employees
1 Wal-Mart Stores 2,300,000
2 Kroger 443,000
3 Yum China 420,000
4 International Business Machines 414,400
5 The Home Depot 406,000
6 McDonald's 375,000


Over half of all working Americans make less than 30K per year. So i guess this idea of bootstraps fails pretty hard.
I'm guessing you probably dont have the ability or at least desire to consider any perspectives which may actual challenge what you have come to accept as truth at this point in your life.

Nobody is forcing people to accept positions with those employers.

I was the first in my family to gain a college degree. Anybody, if desired, can achieve the same. Regardless of ethnicity, economic status, or family income level.

If someone doesn't have the desire to get a job with a higher paying salary, that's on them. But the opportunity is there. For everybody. Nobody is telling minorities they can't go to college. Nobody is telling them that they can't get a "good" job (not saying your list is a bad job). This theory of systematic oppression is an absolute falsity.

Success is very rarely handed to anybody. Sure, the lucky 1% may live a luxurious life while never having to lift a finger. But for those other 99%, your life's outcome is up to you! And to me, that's the beauty of it.

A lot of people grew up under less-than-desirable circumstances. But using your past to handicap your future is not something I'll ever accept.

 

[toto1939]

I don't like the Steelers, but I'll give him a round of applause if he plays a game at Cowboys Stadium (or whatever they are calling it these days)

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

The lone member of the Steelers to come out of the locker room during the anthem.

Says a lot about the pulse of the nation. I don't buy much NFL gear, but if I did, I'd buy something with his name on it. And I loathe the Steelers!

Will the NFL take this info and actually do anything???

Silent majority.

I'm sure they'll happily accept their portion of royalties

Nice outcome, guess MSM can't hide that tidbit

 

[arglebargle]

Nobody is forcing people to accept positions with those employers.

I was the first in my family to gain a college degree. Anybody, if desired, can achieve the same. Regardless of ethnicity, economic status, or family income level.

If someone doesn't have the desire to get a job with a higher paying salary, that's on them. But the opportunity is there. For everybody. Nobody is telling minorities they can't go to college. Nobody is telling them that they can't get a "good" job (not saying your list is a bad job). This theory of systematic oppression is an absolute falsity.

Success is very rarely handed to anybody. Sure, the lucky 1% may live a luxurious life while never having to lift a finger. But for those other 99%, your life's outcome is up to you! And to me, that's the beauty of it.

A lot of people grew up under less-than-desirable circumstances. But using your past to handicap your future is not something I'll ever accept.

If there were equality of opportunity, I might buy this. Not even close to reality, sadly. But according to your reasoning (Anyone can do it!), we should all be billionaires, basking in the afterglow on our own private island.

 

[superonyx]

Nobody is forcing people to accept positions with those employers.

I was the first in my family to gain a college degree. Anybody, if desired, can achieve the same. Regardless of ethnicity, economic status, or family income level.

If someone doesn't have the desire to get a job with a higher paying salary, that's on them. But the opportunity is there. For everybody. Nobody is telling minorities they can't go to college. Nobody is telling them that they can't get a "good" job (not saying your list is a bad job). This theory of systematic oppression is an absolute falsity.

Success is very rarely handed to anybody. Sure, the lucky 1% may live a luxurious life while never having to lift a finger. But for those other 99%, your life's outcome is up to you! And to me, that's the beauty of it.

A lot of people grew up under less-than-desirable circumstances. But using your past to handicap your future is not something I'll ever accept.

Your viewing life through a micro lens. Often when people do this its to avoid the harsh realities of looking with a macro focus.
Its easier to say a person doesnt have to accept those jobs than it is to wrap your mind around the fact that millions of jobs in this country are now way too close to minimum wage jobs. So yes people do need to accept those jobs. I also have a degree as many of us here do. Imagine if every suddenly had a degree what that would mean. Cashiers at walmart would have degrees. You may be ignoring the reality that there is only so much money to go around and every dollar gained by the true rich is less that is spread through all levels of the economy.

Its easier to look down on the millions of people working who are making such low wages that they require government assistance to feed their children and provide shelter. No one who is working should be living in poverty in the richest country in the history of the world. Try examining the system that creates so much poverty and understanding it instead of looking down on the victims of this system.

 

[jwooten15]

If there were equality of opportunity, I might buy this. Not even close to reality, sadly. But according to your reasoning (Anyone can do it!), we should all be billionaires, basking in the afterglow on our own private island.

Give me concrete reasons as to why you feel there isn't equal opportunity.

All insults aside, I'm genuinely curious to know that answer. If you were to ask me, I'd say it comes down to culture. Some people are raised to believe that their life is stagnant and there's nothing they can do to change it. But really, I want to know your opinion since we are obviously on opposite sides of the fence on this.

And I never said anything about being billionaires, etc. Don't sensationalize my view in an attempt to dismiss it because you know that's not what I mean.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

How did I come from a family with an income below $15k/year, living in income-based housing to now, as an adult, making significantly more $$ and owning my own home?

Oh, I got a job and changed my circumstances of life??? You don't say!

Use your lame crutch of an excuse on someone else. Not going to work on me.

Why do people who have beaten the odds act as though everyone should beat the odds. If that's the case, then the odds wouldn't be against them. Maybe you had better parents, who at the very least encouraged you to do well in school. Not everyone has that, and it's unrealistic to expect children to make adult decisions that will effect them the rest of their lives. On top of that, there could have been tons of other factors, simply going to school in a district with teachers who care makes a big difference. No one is discounting the hard work that had a major factor in your success, but hard work simply is not the answer to everything.

 

[jwooten15]

Your viewing life through a micro lens. Often when people do this its to avoid the harsh realities of looking with a macro focus.
Its easier to say a person doesnt have to accept those jobs than it is to wrap your mind around the fact that millions of jobs in this country are now way too close to minimum wage jobs. So yes people do need to accept those jobs. I also have a degree as many of us here do. Imagine if every suddenly had a degree what that would mean. Cashiers at walmart would have degrees. You may be ignoring the reality that there is only so much money to go around and every dollar gained by the true rich is less that is spread through all levels of the economy.

Its easier to look down on the millions of people working who are making such low wages that they require government assistance to feed their children and provide shelter. No one who is working should be living in poverty in the richest country in the history of the world. Try examining the system that creates so much poverty and understanding it instead of looking down on the victims of this system.

I totally agree with what you're saying here. I really do. We face a near-impossible balancing act there. We obviously can't pay everyone $15/hr (reference the NW for how well that's working). We're in a position where most employers don't pay enough for its employees to support themselves on the salary they're being paid. But there is so much competition for that job that the employer doesn't have to be negotiable -- someone is always willing to take the position. I'm not debating anything there. It's a messed up system and I don't know if there is any great answer for it.

But it absolutely irks me when race is brought into the discussion. No individual race is being oppressed or forced to stay in their life situation. If anything, the lower socioeconomic class is "oppressed" for lack of a better term. Poor people have to work very hard to get themselves out of the hole they're in. BUT, there are poor people of all races and skin colors. Poverty doesn't discriminate.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Poverty doesn't discriminate.

Yeah, it kinda does:

Among racial and ethnic groups, African Americans had the highest poverty rate,27.4 percent, followed by Hispanics at 26.6 percent and whites at 9.9 percent.

 

[jwooten15]

Why do people who have beaten the odds act as though everyone should beat the odds. If that's the case, then the odds wouldn't be against them. Maybe you had better parents, who at the very least encouraged you to do well in school. Not everyone has that, and it's unrealistic to expect children to make adult decisions that will effect them the rest of their lives. On top of that, there could have been tons of other factors, simply going to school in a district with teachers who care makes a big difference. No one is discounting the hard work that had a major factor in your success, but hard work simply is not the answer to everything.

Well then in that circumstance, it comes down to the environment that person grew up in. The culture in which they were raised.

No governmental entity systematically prevented them from getting out of that situation.

But I already know your response to that... Well, their family was oppressed all the way back to slavery days, so of course they can't do anything anymore. Big bad wolf is there to make sure they stay down. This is why I try my hardest to not engage in this type of discussion.

 

[jwooten15]

Yeah, it kinda does:

Among racial and ethnic groups, African Americans had the highest poverty rate,27.4 percent, followed by Hispanics at 26.6 percent and whites at 9.9 percent.

And you think the government or the white man, or both, are responsible for that? Honestly?
It has nothing to do with the choices those individuals (or their family members) made?

 

[superonyx]

I totally agree with what you're saying here. I really do. We face a near-impossible balancing act there. We obviously can't pay everyone $15/hr (reference the NW for how well that's working). We're in a position where most employers don't pay enough for its employees to support themselves on the salary they're being paid. But there is so much competition for that job that the employer doesn't have to be negotiable -- someone is always willing to take the position. I'm not debating anything there. It's a messed up system and I don't know if there is any great answer for it.

But it absolutely irks me when race is brought into the discussion. No individual race is being oppressed or forced to stay in their life situation. If anything, the lower socioeconomic class is "oppressed" for lack of a better term. Poor people have to work very hard to get themselves out of the hole they're in. BUT, there are poor people of all races and skin colors. Poverty doesn't discriminate.

The problem with a higher min wage in 1 city is that the businesses can choose to move their operation out of the city to avoid paying this wage which hurts the local economy. If this living wage was country wide then the businesses would have no where to run and the impact on a local market wouldnt be so significant. The income inequality gap is continuing to widen in this country. The McDonalds worker in Norway who makes $22 per hour doesnt crush their economy or lead to mass inflation like the rich try to scare us with here. In fact putting money into the hands of poor and middle class workers is the key to growing the economy because poor and middle class spend the money they have where the rich can only buy so many pants, food, and yachts.

Its not just about race i agree. Poverty is the problem....its just poverty disproportionately affects some communities more than others. We can debate many reasons why.
Try asking why your government keeps us in a state of perpetual war and spends more than the next 12 countries combined on "defense" when we have no real enemies..the only enemy we even has doesnt even have a plane. That money would provide housing for many vets and education to so many people. Yet we dont even ask why we are spending almost a trillion of dollars each year blowing up sand and fighting an enemy that doesnt even have an air force.

 

[Denim Chicken]

And you think the government or the white man, or both, are responsible for that? Honestly?
It has nothing to do with the choices those individuals (or their family members) made?

Wow, you really can look at something like this and believe that it has nothing to do with outside factors? You must think that these races are just inferior somehow then, right?