Our President has thrown off the players of the NFL, and whom is he? He wants to make people think he is patriotic, but a man that has had so many deterrents from the draft, he would rather let other people fight and die because he is a coward.
But I see the people that put up their flags, sing the “Star Spangle Banner,” and say the “Pledge to the Flag”, are they a patriot? How many men and women that have given up their life for this, that only has a maker.
Some politician will give a speech and say great things about the fallen, but do they care? Are we fooling ourselves about being patriotic?
I don’t know what patriotic is, but I fought on the battlefields of Vietnam and even have a Purple Heart - am I a patriot? Who in my memories belongs as patriot, my dead buddies, the ones that survived with all the problems war can created. Are we patriots?
Some say bad things and people like Richard Petty say he will fire anyone of his employees that will not honor the flag. And I like many draftees what fought in Vietnam and other wars, we were nothing but slaves for this ungrateful nation. If we were not slaves, why was the pay so great? I make about $450 for the first six months, and if you went AWOL you went to jail. And you did not have freedom to say I will not go, unless you wanted to go to jail.
Randy Reneau
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I am most proud of this country with a but... I was a child during the war with Japan and Germany but can remember air raids, rationing and the patriotism of the citizenry. Evident nearly everywhere that we were not only going to win but would win with the support of all of America. I felt the pride then and still do when I see our flag flown.
Our flag has been dirtied some because of wars fought not for altruism, but for profit or fame. Korea, Vietnam and a few skirmishes that took American lives. One hundred thousand lives lost just in those two wars. The question has never been answered fully why this country got involved in Korea and in Vietnam. Oops, almost forgot Iraq.
Our flag has been, my opinion, used to cover wars like the three mentioned. The loss of life and treasure and now debt come back to us the taxpayer and the many innocents harmed by war because of the pretense of politicians waging war for political gain or is it monetary gain? Which ever reason, both are wrong.
The symbol, the flag, represents the very best of this country but hard to hide from the unfairness of racial divide. Those NFL or NBA athletes that do make a lot of money and then will driving home get stopped by the police because they are black.
That same young man wanting to serve his country and gives his life in war might be black or yellow, brown and white. Those same guys joined up to help. I was one of those guys that just joined up.
Politicians like Trump who did not serve and instead got multiple deferments ought to zip it when he complains about the football players that will not stand. I would be willing to bet that those same guys not honoring the flag would be available for the military if needed. Where is Trump's support and words of healing not dividing?
Robert Brooks
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Let me toss this little tidbit of information out there.
Black Lives Matter started a movement based on a false narrative that there is systematic racism and violence perpetrated by police officers against young black men.
Do your research for yourselves and don't take my word for it. Look at the studies done by the New York Times, Washington Post, Harvard and the FBI statistics.
It's not an epidemic of racism rooted in law enforcement as being reported by the left leaning media.
The NFL players have picked up the torch and run with the false narrative. They are protesting for the wrong reasons.
In Chicago during 2016 there were 4,331 shooting victims. There were 762 murders there during the same time frame in Chicago. Nationwide during the same period there were 963 police involved shootings. Nationwide. Of those law enforcement shootings the vast majority were white. That number includes all shootings, even justified ones.
Now, tell me where the real problem is?
The majority of the shootings in Chicago were black on black crime. Where is the protest from the NFL, Black Lives Matter, Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, the liberal Democrats and Barrack Obama? It doesn't exist. It doesn't exists because it doesn't fit into the liberal false narrative created and perpetuated by the very ones protesting at NFL games and in the streets.
Where is the protest for the police officers who have been ambushed leaving their families grieving? I'm sure it's just not important enough for those overpaid disrespectful crybaby athletes to be bothered with. The Dallas Cowboys attempted to put a sticker on their helmets to pay respect to the fallen officers in Dallas but the NFL said no. It's hypocritical and wrong.
Let's stop blaming the President because these protest started before he was elected.
Freedom isn't free folks. Your freedom has been bought and paid for with the blood of Christ and the patriots who laid down their lives for you.
The freedom of speech granted to us all by our constitution isn't free from consequences.
There are millions of upset Americans (myself included) who will not watch another game until the problem is corrected. I will not spend a single dime for anything to do with the NFL.
I challenge you to boycott all professional sports that condone the disrespect of our flag and national anthem.
They are free to protest but not free from the consequences.
Mike Cox