Cleveland police refuse to participate in Browns’ national anthem

[LocimusPrime]

 

[Dodger12]

So, what of the veterans that agree with Kaep? Or the veterans who feel they fought for his right to do that, and see no issue? Is their service considered less than those who did serve but are offended? Is it less than those who haven't served and are offended?

I actually agree with you. Folks can burn the flag and protest all they want. I don't agree with it but it's their right. I don't agree with what the players are doing because of the forum and the instance they choose to "protest." Now, I'll say this; the NFL is an employer. If they agree with what the players are doing, then they need to publicly come out and say so and let the consumers (ie: the fans) decide if they want to buy their product.

 

[Dodger12]

The people are choosing not to be disrespected by idiot police as well. It goes both ways.

I don't paint everyone with as broad a brush as you. I don't blame the whole NFL for the conduct of a few that get arrested, for example. The incidents of police misconduct are relatively small in comparison the number of interactions they have with the public. Having said that, I don't disrespect the service of those who have sacrificed because of the few bad apples.

 

[TheFinisher]

The players partaking in these protests are doing so deliberately to disrespect law enforcement.

I'd tell them to **** off too.

 

[Melonfeud]

It's made the Drudge Report!,,, the League should definitely be concerned about this as it's clearly in the " conduct unbecoming " category, damaging the league's image and values it so diligently enforces,,, pretty sure the non-action taken by the League so far puts them in violation of it's own governing rules

 

[haleyrules]

It's made the Drudge Report!,,, the League should definitely be concerned about this as it's clearly in the " conduct unbecoming " category, damaging the league's image and values it so diligently enforces,,, pretty sure the non-action taken by the League so far puts them in violation of it's own governing rules

The league FO are gutless hypocrites.

 

[Melonfeud]

The league FO are gutless hypocrites.

 

[haleyrules]

I think the League is afraid to offend some fringe, nutty group that might show up at one of their events and cause havoc of some kind.

 

[TheCount]

You seem to want to change the narrative during our discussion. If you want to compare cancer awareness with disrespecting the national symbol, then that's on you. You're defending a guy who's taking a stand against social injustice while wearing a Fidel Castro t-shirt. You can't even see how ridiculous your stance looks.

I don't even think you know, understand or care to understand, what my stance is.

If all you've taken from this that I'm defending Kaepernick, then you're not even trying.

And you can't seem to understand that the cops are not required to participate.

What is this, the Twilight Zone? Are you just typing words into the reply box without bothering to read what you're replying to?

 

[Melonfeud]

I think the League is afraid to offend some fringe, nutty group that might show up at one of their events and cause havoc of some kind.

Ha! Like a police union?
After reading on some of the background with the people involved in this Elliott colossal goat *uck
And how they've came up thru the ranks and made their marks it's pretty clear to me they operate in a closed environment where their not to be questioned, Sheese, the one dude was appointed to some position by a New Jersey Governor whose been labeled as being one of the most corrupt politicians ever,,, I know there's not much honesty and integrity around anymore.

 

[ShortRound]

I wish these coaches would have the balls to bench players who don't stand for the ******* flag.

 

[ShortRound]

Every time I think of this issue I get so upset. I understand the players wanting to protest. I think they deserve that. But disrespecting the flag hurts their message.

The flag conjures up images of firefighters dead tired raising a flag in the rubbles of the twin towers. Little kids saluting the flags of their dead fathers from war. It just makes me so obnoxiously pissed off.

Wear a patch to protest, write an op ed in the papers. Organize a rally, but stand for the ****** flag.

Edits. Sorry I need a smoke now.

 

[NIBGoldenchild]

Well, if I had the demographics and actually gave a flying crap what they exactly were, I would've posted them.
Was just stating the obvious; that a major city's police force is obviously racially diverse.

Are you actually stating otherwise, or just trying to argue for no reason?
What was the point if your statement?

-----
Just wasted a minute to appease...
2013 stats...again, as if it matters
52% white
48% non-white

5,557 African Americans in the Cleveland PD.
Fwiw

No, I was just asking where you found the data.

EDIT: Furthermore, if you make a statement saying something don't get your panties in a bunch when someone asks where you got your information from(which you still haven't provided, but it's fine). It's not as if your opinion or statements are somehow infallible. There are some major cities that don't have a very diverse police force, not that color has mattered much in regards to a difference in behavior once someone puts on the blue.

 

[NIBGoldenchild]

I actually agree with you. Folks can burn the flag and protest all they want. I don't agree with it but it's their right. I don't agree with what the players are doing because of the forum and the instance they choose to "protest." Now, I'll say this; the NFL is an employer. If they agree with what the players are doing, then they need to publicly come out and say so and let the consumers (ie: the fans) decide if they want to buy their product.

Great response. Probably the best post in this thread IMO.

 

[Ranched]

Love your Woodson pic. He's a bad dude[/QUOTE
LOL. Thanks. Yes he is.

 

[Ranched]

lol, If that is what you got from my post your bubble is a little off center....I never mentioned anything regarding DV, and where you got that is an unkown.
I'm a veteran and don't understand or agree with the method of his agenda that kneeling during the anthem in front of a national TV audience is the way to do it. We have much more pressing issues in this country than the agenda of a spoiled overpaid below avg QB.

Preach it Woody. I get excited when you do.

 

[TheCount]

Every time I think of this issue I get so upset. I understand the players wanting to protest. I think they deserve that. But disrespecting the flag hurts their message.

The flag conjures up images of firefighters dead tired raising a flag in the rubbles of the twin towers. Little kids saluting the flags of their dead fathers from war. It just makes me so obnoxiously pissed off.

Wear a patch to protest, write an op ed in the papers. Organize a rally, but stand for the ****** flag.

Edits. Sorry I need a smoke now.

You might be the only one in this thread to make an argument actually based on what you believe the flag means to you and not that you believe the players' cause is invalid. Kudos.

There are plenty of others in here hiding behind "pride of the flag" when what they are really mad at is the reason the players are protesting.

 

[Melonfeud]

I'll tell you something. I stopped watching the Network News, I stopped watching ESPN and if this continues I'll stop with the NFL too. If it isn't enjoyable anymore I'll leave it to rot. I did it with baseball and boxing and don't even miss them. Sports is supposed to be an escape from everyday life. Everybody's talking about everything but the game itself.

lol, okay Mr "What if the Browns were ****'s". You sure figured me out.

Hilarious

The league needs to grow a pair and shut the little idiotic protests down. They have the ability but not the backbone. The league doesn't have to allow it, they can enact a policy that all their employees will stand and respect the flag and anthem. It's not within the rights of the players as long as they are on company time in company uniform acting as a company representative. Players can do ANYTHING they like "off the clock". I'm most insulted personally by how idiotic the protest is to begin with....disrespect the anthem to protest racism...? Disrespect the nation's symbol, the one that literally tore itself apart to end racism and allows the players to make millions to play a game? Seems misguided at best.
Rest assured the league would grow some backbone and institute an immediate ban if a bunch of white players decided to dis the anthem for white supremacy.

Excellent post (IMO)

 

[DFWJC]

It's disrespectful because of the reason they're taking a knee, is what you mean.

If a guy took a knee because his sister died of cancer and he wanted to use that as a moment to bring awareness, no one would be offended.

Not so sure about that, Count

You can bring attention to something in different ways....regardless of the cause.
Where a patch or whatever.

One brings awareness while the other insults millions.

On a personal note, the kneeling doesn't set me off. I think its dumb and misplaced, but if they wish to do it, so be it.
Kap and his Pig Socks, Castro teeshirts, etc? That undermined him, imo.

 

[TheCount]

Not so sure about that, Count

You can bring attention to something in different ways....regardless of the cause.
Where a patch or whatever.

I agree there are other ways, but I think if the league was going to issue a patch about these sorts of things, they would have already.

Any player that modified their uniform without league approval would have just been fined.

One brings awareness while the other insults millions.

On a personal note, the kneeling doesn't set me off. I think its dumb and misplaced, but if they wish to do it, so be it.
Kap and his Pig Socks, Castro teeshirts, etc? That undermined him, imo.

Context matters.

Kaep had no idea what his goal was when he started kneeling, but I'd say the Browns kneeling in prayer after Charlottesville is not the same thing.

That was my point. It's one thing for the police to say we won't carry the flag because Kap is wearing pig socks. It's another to say, we won't carry the flag because black and white players knelt in prayer and then stood and held hands, following Charlottesville – an event that had nothing to do with hating or protesting cops.