I wish I knew the person to which I should attribute this painting, but I can’t find who did it. But I’m glad they did.
I will make this brief. We have enormous freedoms and rights in the U.S. In premise, I support a person’s right to publicly demonstrate policy.
However, when I go to football games, basketball games, etc., etc., I can sit next to someone with whom I disagree about some sort of policy and it never comes up, because we are there to enjoy the game. Why are people insistent upon bringing ANY kind of political rhetoric into a football stadium??? That’s a place where we rally behind our teams and have good time with one another.
So, not to drag this out. I am absolutely offended when a player takes a knee during the National Anthem. If you want to disrespect your flag, your country, your other players, and fans – you can. I would simply ask you to go somewhere else and do it.
Here are my suggestions.
1- Start your own website, get on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, all the platforms. Hire someone to be your online presence. Your celebrity status will bring you tons of readers. Then say whatever crap you wanna’ say. If I can do it, surely you can.
2- Put your views on a magnetic sign on your $500K Lamborghini. People WILL look at that. The people you are insulting can see it all around town.
3- Rent one of the billboards on the interstate close to your 10 million dollar home and put your message up there. People break their necks to look at the next cow on a Chick-Fila billboard. So, learn from real businesses like that. You might figure out a way to get YOUR message out.
4- Go to the VA hospitals – look those sick and dying men and women in the face and explain your message to them. I dunno, maybe you will talk a few of them into agreeing with your primary objection. But, they dang sure won’t agree with you disrespecting their country and flag. However, you will find that they will show you enough respect to listen to you. They fought hard so you could be free enough to be so disrespectful. Those men and women will give you more respect than you’re giving anyone.
5- Or, how about just taking some flyers with your viewpoint to the tiny homes of widows who put their husbands in the ground so you even have the right to act like a fool on TV.
6- If you are protesting police brutality or anything of the kind, fine. Then act like the rest of the world. Lobby your legislators, fill their mailboxes with mail and voicemails with messages. Get involved and bring your case to the public discourse. Don’t mess up our sporting events. You have enough $$ to get your message out in other ways. Even though I don’t agree with you, heck, I will show you how to protest with integrity. Don’t disrespect the men and women who actually fought to give you what you have.
7- If you don’t agree with Donald Trump, then take that up with his political party or the White House. You CAN get in touch with Washington lawmakers. I EVEN KNOW HOW TO DO THAT! I can tell you how to get in touch with people at the Congressional level and make your point. And I don’t have your resources. But it’s easier to showboat, take a knee and disrespect the country rather than respectfully protest in a way that takes a little bit more effort, and is not so high profile.
So, if you want to protest, I stand for your right. There are a thousand ways to do so. But…
STOP DISRESPECTING THOSE WHO FOUGHT SO YOU WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE ON THAT TURF IN THE FIRST PLACE!
brian sloan
NOTE: I am a “fan” of the “FANATICS” fan wear company that you see in the banners on the right. If you want a cheap $10 t-shirt, don’t bother with them. They are the real deal with real goods. NFL, NBA, College sports – they have it all. My comments in the above post are personal and are not comments related to “FANATICS.” However, when they put out the FANGEAR honoring our soldiers, I respected them even more.
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