Captain Nails It On Patriotism

[xxlt]

BELOW IS THE TEXT FROM KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR'S WASHINGTON POST OP ED:

During the Olympics in Rio a couple of weeks ago, Army Reserve 2nd Lt. Sam Kendricks was sprinting intently in the middle of his pole vaulting attempt when he heard the national anthem playing. He immediately dropped his pole and stood at attention, a spontaneous expression of heartfelt patriotism that elicited more praise than his eventual bronze medal. Last Friday, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick chose not to stand with his teammates during the national anthem. To some, Kendricks embodies traditional all-American Forrest Gump values of patriotism, while Kaepernick represents the entitled brattish behavior of a wealthy athlete ungrateful to a country that has given him so much.

In truth, both men, in their own ways, behaved in a highly patriotic manner that should make all Americans proud.

The discussion of the nuances of patriotism is especially important right now, with Trump and Clinton supporters each righteously claiming ownership of the “most patriotic” label. Patriotism isn’t just getting teary-eyed on the Fourth of July or choked up at war memorials. It’s supporting what the Fourth of July celebrates and what those war memorials commemorate: the U.S. Constitution’s insistence that all people should have the same rights and opportunities and that it is the obligation of the government to make that happen. When the government fails in those obligations, it is the responsibility of patriots to speak up and remind them of their duty.
Why didn't Colin Kaepernick stand for the national anthem?
Play Video1:52
To protest police killings, Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the national anthem before a preseason game on Aug. 26. Here's what you need to know. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

[How the white working class lost its patriotism]

One of the ironies of the way some people express their patriotism is to brag about our freedoms, especially freedom of speech, but then brand as unpatriotic those who exercise this freedom to express dissatisfaction with the government’s record in upholding the Constitution. Colin Kaepernick explained why he will not stand during the national anthem: “There are a lot of things that are going on that are unjust [that] people aren’t being held accountable for. And that’s something that needs to change. That’s something that this country stands for — freedom, liberty, justice for all. And it’s not happening for all right now.”

What makes an act truly patriotic and not just lip-service is when it involves personal risk or sacrifice. Both Kendricks and Kaepernick chose to express their patriotism publicly because they felt that inspiring others was more important than the personal cost. Yes, Kendricks is a national champion pole-vaulter, but every athlete knows that breaking focus and concentration during a high-pressure competition can be devastating to the athlete’s performance. The Olympics was filled with favorites who faltered because of loss of focus. Halting his run in order to honor the national anthem could have cost Kendricks his medal. He was willing to take that chance.

Likewise, Kaepernick’s choice not to stand during the national anthem could create a public backlash that might cost him millions in future endorsements and affect his value as a player on his team, reducing salary earnings or even jeopardizing his job. If team ticket sales seriously dipped as a result, he would pay for his stance.
Kaepernick says he will continue to sit through national anthems
Play Video2:37
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick says he plans to sit through the national anthem until he feels the American flag represents "what it is supposed to represent." (AP/ESPN)

We should admire those who risk personal gain in the service of promoting the values of their country. Both athletes are in fine company of others who have shown their patriotism in unconventional ways. In 1989, when a federal law prohibiting flag desecration went into effect, Vietnam Veterans burned the American flag as a protest to a law curbing the First Amendment. Their argument was that they fought for the freedoms in the Constitution, not a piece of cloth, and to curtail those freedoms was an insult to their sacrifice. Ironically, the original purpose of flag desecration laws between 1897 and 1932 wasn’t to prevent political dissent, but to prevent the use of flag imagery for political campaigns and in advertising.

[In 2016, Democrats have finally learned to stop worrying about their patriotism]

One sign of the maturation of American society is the willingness of those in the public eye, especially athletes, to openly take a political stand, even if it could harm their careers. The modern era of athletes speaking out began in 1967 with Muhammad Ali refusing to be drafted to fight other people of color. That year, I joined with football great Jim Brown, basketball legend Bill Russell, Muhammad Ali and other prominent athletes for what was dubbed “The Cleveland Summit.” Together we tried to find ways to help Ali fight for his right of political expression. I don’t know how much we were able to accomplish on a practical level, but seeing black athletes in support of Ali inspired others to speak out. The following year at the 1968 Olympics, African Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists during the medal ceremony as a protest to the treatment of people of color in the United States. In 2014, NBA players LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Jarrett Jack, Alan Anderson, Deron Williams and Kevin Garnett and NFL players from the Rams and Browns wore “I Can’t Breathe” shirts during warm-ups for a game to protest police killings of unarmed blacks.

What should horrify Americans is not Kaepernick’s choice to remain seated during the national anthem, but that nearly 50 years after Ali was banned from boxing for his stance and Tommie Smith and John Carlos’s raised fists caused public ostracization and numerous death threats, we still need to call attention to the same racial inequities. Failure to fix this problem is what’s really un-American here.

[CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article said that Kaepernick’s protest took place last Thursday; it was actually on Friday, August 26. The version also said Muhammad Ali had refused to be drafted in 1966; it was 1967.]

HERE IS A LINK TO THE ARTICLE: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/08/30/insulting-colin-kaepernick-says-more-about-our-patriotism-than-his/?utm_term=.54efe248a657

I agree 100% with Kareem, aka "Captain" in his Laker days.

Doesn't reaction to these athletes reveal more about us than them?

[McC]

(08-31-2016, 05:10 PM)xxlt Wrote: BELOW IS THE TEXT FROM KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR'S WASHINGTON POST OP ED:

During the Olympics in Rio a couple of weeks ago, Army Reserve 2nd Lt. Sam Kendricks was sprinting intently in the middle of his pole vaulting attempt when he heard the national anthem playing. He immediately dropped his pole and stood at attention, a spontaneous expression of heartfelt patriotism that elicited more praise than his eventual bronze medal. Last Friday, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick chose not to stand with his teammates during the national anthem. To some, Kendricks embodies traditional all-American Forrest Gump values of patriotism, while Kaepernick represents the entitled brattish behavior of a wealthy athlete ungrateful to a country that has given him so much.

In truth, both men, in their own ways, behaved in a highly patriotic manner that should make all Americans proud.

The discussion of the nuances of patriotism is especially important right now, with Trump and Clinton supporters each righteously claiming ownership of the “most patriotic” label. Patriotism isn’t just getting teary-eyed on the Fourth of July or choked up at war memorials. It’s supporting what the Fourth of July celebrates and what those war memorials commemorate: the U.S. Constitution’s insistence that all people should have the same rights and opportunities and that it is the obligation of the government to make that happen. When the government fails in those obligations, it is the responsibility of patriots to speak up and remind them of their duty.
Why didn't Colin Kaepernick stand for the national anthem?
Play Video1:52
To protest police killings, Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the national anthem before a preseason game on Aug. 26. Here's what you need to know. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

[How the white working class lost its patriotism]

One of the ironies of the way some people express their patriotism is to brag about our freedoms, especially freedom of speech, but then brand as unpatriotic those who exercise this freedom to express dissatisfaction with the government’s record in upholding the Constitution. Colin Kaepernick explained why he will not stand during the national anthem: “There are a lot of things that are going on that are unjust [that] people aren’t being held accountable for. And that’s something that needs to change. That’s something that this country stands for — freedom, liberty, justice for all. And it’s not happening for all right now.”

What makes an act truly patriotic and not just lip-service is when it involves personal risk or sacrifice. Both Kendricks and Kaepernick chose to express their patriotism publicly because they felt that inspiring others was more important than the personal cost. Yes, Kendricks is a national champion pole-vaulter, but every athlete knows that breaking focus and concentration during a high-pressure competition can be devastating to the athlete’s performance. The Olympics was filled with favorites who faltered because of loss of focus. Halting his run in order to honor the national anthem could have cost Kendricks his medal. He was willing to take that chance.

Likewise, Kaepernick’s choice not to stand during the national anthem could create a public backlash that might cost him millions in future endorsements and affect his value as a player on his team, reducing salary earnings or even jeopardizing his job. If team ticket sales seriously dipped as a result, he would pay for his stance.
Kaepernick says he will continue to sit through national anthems
Play Video2:37
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick says he plans to sit through the national anthem until he feels the American flag represents "what it is supposed to represent." (AP/ESPN)

We should admire those who risk personal gain in the service of promoting the values of their country. Both athletes are in fine company of others who have shown their patriotism in unconventional ways. In 1989, when a federal law prohibiting flag desecration went into effect, Vietnam Veterans burned the American flag as a protest to a law curbing the First Amendment. Their argument was that they fought for the freedoms in the Constitution, not a piece of cloth, and to curtail those freedoms was an insult to their sacrifice. Ironically, the original purpose of flag desecration laws between 1897 and 1932 wasn’t to prevent political dissent, but to prevent the use of flag imagery for political campaigns and in advertising.

[In 2016, Democrats have finally learned to stop worrying about their patriotism]

One sign of the maturation of American society is the willingness of those in the public eye, especially athletes, to openly take a political stand, even if it could harm their careers. The modern era of athletes speaking out began in 1967 with Muhammad Ali refusing to be drafted to fight other people of color. That year, I joined with football great Jim Brown, basketball legend Bill Russell, Muhammad Ali and other prominent athletes for what was dubbed “The Cleveland Summit.” Together we tried to find ways to help Ali fight for his right of political expression. I don’t know how much we were able to accomplish on a practical level, but seeing black athletes in support of Ali inspired others to speak out. The following year at the 1968 Olympics, African Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists during the medal ceremony as a protest to the treatment of people of color in the United States. In 2014, NBA players LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Jarrett Jack, Alan Anderson, Deron Williams and Kevin Garnett and NFL players from the Rams and Browns wore “I Can’t Breathe” shirts during warm-ups for a game to protest police killings of unarmed blacks.

What should horrify Americans is not Kaepernick’s choice to remain seated during the national anthem, but that nearly 50 years after Ali was banned from boxing for his stance and Tommie Smith and John Carlos’s raised fists caused public ostracization and numerous death threats, we still need to call attention to the same racial inequities. Failure to fix this problem is what’s really un-American here.

[CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article said that Kaepernick’s protest took place last Thursday; it was actually on Friday, August 26. The version also said Muhammad Ali had refused to be drafted in 1966; it was 1967.]

HERE IS A LINK TO THE ARTICLE: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/08/30/insulting-colin-kaepernick-says-more-about-our-patriotism-than-his/?utm_term=.54efe248a657

I agree 100% with Kareem, aka "Captain" in his Laker days.

Doesn't reaction to these athletes reveal more about us than them?

If it had come from a different guy, it might have been a different story.  But it came from a doofus.  Nothing noble about it.

It was neither awful and disgraceful nor noble and profound.  It was just goofy, like a child refusing to eat broccoli.   A guy fading into obscurity trying to keep the fires burning.

You know what it was really disrespectful to?  Protest.

[xxlt]

(08-31-2016, 06:20 PM)McC Wrote: If it had come from a different guy, it might have been a different story.  But it came from a doofus.  Nothing noble about it.

It was neither awful and disgraceful nor noble and profound.  It was just goofy, like a child refusing to eat broccoli.   A guy fading into obscurity trying to keep the fires burning.

You know what it was really disrespectful to?  Protest.

Since I know none of our resident Bible thumpers are gonna jump in and say it, I will. You know who likes doofuses (or is the plural doofi?)? God. Specifically, the God of the Christian Bible, who never chose a prophet or leader who wasn't a doofus. Who cares - I really don't, but it is fun to point out some times.

But seriously, I don't care if if was Johnny Unitas or Brett Favre or Jerry Rice or AJ Green - dude took a stand. Good for him. I still agree with the Captain's take.

[Rotobeast]

I'm waiting to hear what Sir Charles Barkley has to say.

Sent from my SM-S820L using Tapatalk

[McC]

(08-31-2016, 06:52 PM)xxlt Wrote: Since I know none of our resident Bible thumpers are gonna jump in and say it, I will. You know who likes doofuses (or is the plural doofi?)? God. Specifically, the God of the Christian Bible, who never chose a prophet or leader who wasn't a doofus. Who cares - I really don't, but it is fun to point out some times.

But seriously, I don't care if if was Johnny Unitas or Brett Favre or Jerry Rice or AJ Green - dude took a stand. Good for him. I still agree with the Captain's take.

Moses was a doofus?

So, now CK is a prophet?

[xxlt]

(08-31-2016, 08:28 PM)McC Wrote: Moses was a doofus?  

So, now CK is a prophet?

I didn't write the Bible, but I read it. Moses and every other hero in the Bible is a "warts and all" hero with plenty of warts. They are otherwise known as doofuses or doofi. And, they were all reluctant to take up the mantel of leadership, too. Just like that reluctant young man in SF, who waited so long he was almost no longer standing in the spotlight that is the NFL.

[GMDino]

(08-31-2016, 08:28 PM)McC Wrote: Moses was a doofus?  

So, now CK is a prophet?

He was a stutterer or "slow speaker".

http://biblehub.com/exodus/4-10.htm

[xxlt]

(08-31-2016, 11:01 PM)GMDino Wrote: He was a stutterer or "slow speaker".

http://biblehub.com/exodus/4-10.htm

Not sure who the author of this article is but this is a fairly good overview of Moses. Yes, like other biblical leaders God tapped he was not a great speaker, but there were some other issues...

https://leewoof.org/2013/05/23/why-didnt-moses-lead-gods-people-into-the-holy-land/

[McC]

(08-31-2016, 08:44 PM)xxlt Wrote: I didn't write the Bible, but I read it. Moses and every other hero in the Bible is a "warts and all" hero with plenty of warts. They are otherwise known as doofuses or doofi. And, they were all reluctant to take up the mantel of leadership, too. Just like that reluctant young man in SF, who waited so long he was almost no longer standing in the spotlight that is the NFL.

 OMG.  You have stepped outside your senses.  Funny how  the new prophet of our times wasn't so worried about social injustice when he was riding high.

Mose was raised as an Egyptian prince.  He was far from a doofus. 

[GMDino]

(09-02-2016, 12:03 AM)McC Wrote:  OMG.  You have stepped outside your senses.  Funny how  the new prophet of our times wasn't so worried about social injustice when he was riding high.

Mose was raised as an Egyptian prince.  He was far from a doofus. 

Funny how Moses wasn't a prophet while being raised as an Egyptian prince.

[Bengalzona]

(08-31-2016, 08:28 PM)McC Wrote: Moses was a doofus?  

So, now CK is a prophet?

I'll have to interject here. Yes, Moses was indeed a doofus. The dude led people wandering around in the desert for 40 years and when it came to to enter the Promised Land, he wasn't allowed to go because he got mad decades earlier when the people were complaining they didn't have any water. 

The whole point of the Bible is that we are all doofuses in our own way. Everyone, that is, but Jesus. 

[xxlt]

(09-02-2016, 12:03 AM)McC Wrote:  OMG.  You have stepped outside your senses.  Funny how  the new prophet of our times wasn't so worried about social injustice when he was riding high.

Mose was raised as an Egyptian prince.  He was far from a doofus. 

The above post is quite revealing.

When Moses was raised as an Egyptian prince, was he not "riding high?" And was he not ignoring Israel? The parallel is so obvious - how can you simultaneously point it out and not see it?

And your assertion that royalty or those raised with royalty can't be flawed? Please tell me that was tongue in cheek! Or are you going to tell me Paris Hilton, Charlie Sheen, the Krazy Kardashian Klan (sorry, couldn't resist going KKK) - none of these people are doofuses because they were raised as princes and princesses? If this is honestly your worldview how can you stand to live in America? Wouldn't you be happier in a country with a monarchy and a caste system?

[xxlt]

(09-02-2016, 09:03 AM)Bengalzona Wrote: I'll have to interject here. Yes, Moses was indeed a doofus. The dude led people wandering around in the desert for 40 years and when it came to to enter the Promised Land, he wasn't allowed to go because he got mad decades earlier when the people were complaining they didn't have any water. 

The whole point of the Bible is that we are all doofuses in our own way. Everyone, that is, but Jesus. 

Precisely. And given that the Jesus story is such a departure from the rest of the book, I really question its authenticity. I am not saying it is apocrypha, but I am not ready to fully embrace it. And so, I camp with the Doobie Brothers on this issue: Jesus is Just Alright With Me



I'm not for him, not against him. He's just alright.

[GMDino]

(09-02-2016, 10:22 AM)xxlt Wrote: The above post is quite revealing.

When Moses was raised as an Egyptian prince, was he not "riding high?" And was he not ignoring Israel? The parallel is so obvious - how can you simultaneously point it out and not see it?

And your assertion that royalty or those raised with royalty can't be flawed? Please tell me that was tongue in cheek! Or are you going to tell me Paris Hilton, Charlie Sheen, the Krazy Kardashian Klan (sorry, couldn't resist going KKK) - none of these people are doofuses because they were raised as princes and princesses? If this is honestly your worldview how can you stand to live in America? Wouldn't you be happier in a country with a monarchy and a caste system?

Watch a movie like "The King's Speech".  Sometimes people who do great things do it more because it is thrust upon them than because they are great people or great leaders.

[xxlt]

(09-02-2016, 10:28 AM)GMDino Wrote: Watch a movie like "The King's Speech".  Sometimes people who do great things do it more because it is thrust upon them than because they are great people or great leaders.

Great film, and I agree. (Assume the comment was general and not directed at me.)

And the parallel between Kapernick and literally every hero in the Bible is unmistakable, which is why as a pagan and a minority voice on this issue I could not resist pointing it out. Who is to say that Colin was not knocked off his horse like Paul or spoken to by a bush like Moses or refusing to do what was thrust upon him for years before finally accepting the task? And like every single hero in the bible, his deficits were in plain view when he spoke out (at the behest of God or his own conscience) and he paid a price as many heaped scorn on his head - just like literally every person called by God in Ta Biblia.

I am glad some people find the comparison so funny. I do too. It is almost funny enough to make me think Dante was right - there is a God and the name of his/her creation is The Divine Comedy. Almost.

[Bengalzona]

(09-02-2016, 10:27 AM)xxlt Wrote: Precisely. And given that the Jesus story is such a departure from the rest of the book, I really question its authenticity. I am not saying it is apocrypha, but I am not ready to fully embrace it. And so, I camp with the Doobie Brothers on this issue: Jesus is Just Alright With Me



I'm not for him, not against him. He's just alright.

The story of Jesus does fit into the Old Testament. The main problem in understanding how is that you have to have a working and somewhat detailed knowledge of Judaism (from its inception to the 1st century AD) and the history of the Jewish people (even beyond what is in the Bible). Jesus was, after all, first and foremost a Jew. Few Christians in our society take the time to look into those things, which is problematic. 

For example: At the time Jesus was reportedly born, Judaism was split into three major and a multitude of minor sects. The three major sects were: the Sadduccees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes. The events in the New Testament and many of the lessons attributed to Jesus deal with the interaction of these sects in addition to Hellenistic and Roman influence in the area at that time. 

[Mike M (the other one)]

(09-02-2016, 12:03 AM)McC Wrote:  OMG.  You have stepped outside your senses.  Funny how  the new prophet of our times wasn't so worried about social injustice when he was riding high.

Mose was raised as an Egyptian prince.  He was far from a doofus. 

I tend to blame it on his Fiance/girl friend/wife or what ever Nessa Diab is.

[McC]

(09-02-2016, 10:22 AM)xxlt Wrote: The above post is quite revealing.

When Moses was raised as an Egyptian prince, was he not "riding high?" And was he not ignoring Israel? The parallel is so obvious - how can you simultaneously point it out and not see it?

And your assertion that royalty or those raised with royalty can't be flawed? Please tell me that was tongue in cheek! Or are you going to tell me Paris Hilton, Charlie Sheen, the Krazy Kardashian Klan (sorry, couldn't resist going KKK) - none of these people are doofuses because they were raised as princes and princesses? If this is honestly your worldview how can you stand to live in America? Wouldn't you be happier in a country with a monarchy and a caste system?

This might be the stupidest post I've ever read.  Paris Hilton and Charlie Sheen?  And the Kardashians?  Being on TMZ doesn't make you royalty.  You really are outside your senses.  And now you're comparing Colin Kaepernick to Moses.  That is just nutty.

[GMDino]

(09-02-2016, 03:46 PM)McC Wrote: This might be the stupidest post I've ever read.  Paris Hilton and Charlie Sheen?  And the Kardashians?  Being on TMZ doesn't make you royalty.  You really are outside your senses.  And now you're comparing Colin Kaepernick to Moses.  That is just nutty.

He looks more like Moses than Charlton Heston probably did.

[xxlt]

(09-02-2016, 11:55 AM)Bengalzona Wrote: The story of Jesus does fit into the Old Testament. The main problem in understanding how is that you have to have a working and somewhat detailed knowledge of Judaism (from its inception to the 1st century AD) and the history of the Jewish people (even beyond what is in the Bible). Jesus was, after all, first and foremost a Jew. Few Christians in our society take the time to look into those things, which is problematic. 

For example: At the time Jesus was reportedly born, Judaism was split into three major and a multitude of minor sects. The three major sects were: the Sadduccees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes. The events in the New Testament and many of the lessons attributed to Jesus deal with the interaction of these sects in addition to Hellenistic and Roman influence in the area at that time. 

I feel like I may have shared this before with you but you may enjoy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Forgetting-Root-Emergence-Christianity-Judaism/dp/0809127784

Dr. Callan is a Yale grad if I remember correctly, and he taught me at a small school in Cincinnati. I always find it funny when other posters assume since I do not brand myself as a Christian that I know nothing of the Bible. In their minds it must be like the moment you see one on a coffee table you have to submit to its truth, but not necessarily open it. I studied it quite a bit over the years, and your knowledge of it is evident and refreshing, hence mentioning the book you might enjoy. NB it is an academic book, not a novel (doubt I needed to point that out, lol).