Message to NFL: The appropriate time to take a knee

Time to take a knee without hurting veterans

Wounded Times

Kathie Costos

June 5, 2020

When Drew Brees took the position of defending the flag and the National Anthem for the sake of our veterans, he was supported. He was also attacked for doing it. Then he was forced to apologize for doing it.

What the hell is wrong with the NFL? Are any of you thinking at all? Protesting during the National Anthem hurts veterans and fans, along with tremendously patriotic people, but your players insist it is their right to do it.

How can you not see that it is not that they are doing it. It is when they are doing it?

It is one thing to demand the attention of the media coverage of the game and all the cell phones held in the hands of fans to make a statement, but it hurts too many people instead of getting them to support the movement.

We have seen how millions of Americans have joined in one the fight for justice, taking to the streets in protest. We have seen police officers join in by taking a knee in solidarity. 

The National Anthem is not the time to do it! Try letting the players do it during halftime and allowing them to kneel for 8 minutes 46 seconds. You want the fans to come back, especially when there is a pandemic? Then support both causes. Stop offending those who are emotionally attached to both sides and you will probably see the fans take a knee as well as the players!

Super Bowl Military moments

Demi Lovato Sings the National Anthem | Super Bowl LIV Pregame

Four 100-year-old World War II veterans honored at Super Bowl coin toss

MIAMI, Fla. (WZTV) — Four veterans who fought for their country in World War II received a special honor at Super Bowl LIV. It happened just before the coin toss Sunday night. Each veteran in 100 years old and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he wanted to honor them as the league celebrates its 100th year.

Riding Shotgun in a F-16 Super Bowl Flyover

The Art of the Flyover: U.S. Navy Blue Angels at the Super Bowl

Montana Veteran attacked teen and blamed Trump?

Army veteran pleads not guilty in assault on teen who failed to remove hat during anthem

read it here

He Attacked a Teen He Felt Disrespected the National Anthem. His Lawyer Says He 'Believed He Was Doing What President Trump Wanted'

From TIME

Police: Montana man assaults boy who kept hat on during anthem

ABC 13 News
by Ida Domingo
August 8th 2019

Officials say the child had blood coming from his ears, a concussion and a fractured skull...

SUPERIOR, Mont. (WSET) -- Police have charged a man with assault after a witness said he threw a 13-year-old boy to the ground because the boy didn't remove his hat during the national anthem at a rodeo.

CNN reports that Curt James Brockway, 39, was arrested and charged with felony assault on a minor, according to an affidavit filed in district court in Mineral County on Tuesday, Aug. 6.

The incident happened on Saturday, Aug. 3 at the Mineral County Fairgrounds in the town of Superior after the boy responded rudely when the man asked him to take his hat off, according to court documents.

Brockway told police the boy was wearing a hat as the National Anthem began, and he asked him to remove it because it was disrespectful to wear during the anthem, but the boy responded by saying "f*** you," according to the affidavit.

Brockway said he then grabbed the boy by his throat, lifted him into the air, before slamming the boy into the ground, the affidavit said.

Witnesses of the alleged incident confirmed most of Brockway's description of events, but one woman said she did not hear him ask the boy to take off his hat, according to records.

Officials say the child had blood coming from his ears, a concussion and a fractured skull,

The child's mother, Megan Keeler, told CNN affiliate KPAX that she received a phone call shortly after dropping off her son at the fairgrounds that he was being taken to a local hospital.
read it here

If you take a knee to National Anthem, you may want to think again

Children of fallen service members were sent off with a crowd at the airport singing the National Anthem. Yet we still have people in this country who think protesting during the anthem is OK and sends a message. Did they ever wonder what kind of message they were delivering?

"But when they announced them over the loud speaker and they lined up to board the plane the whole airport literally stopped and sang the national anthem with military present in salute. Most every person standing around, myself included was bawling at the sight of these kids and spouses who have paid so great a price for our country. To see all of this at Christmas time was so humbling. 

The vacations for the Gold Star families were coordinated by the Gary Sinise Foundation's Snowball Express Program. According to a press release provided by the organization, the foundation will "host a five-day experience for 1,722 children of the fallen and their surviving parent or guardian. This therapeutic retreat will offer fun and inspiring programs, encouraging critical peer-to-peer support for these families." read more here from FOX

These children remember the flag that was placed over their parent's coffin. The one that folded and placed into their other parent's hands and then held tightly in their arms. They remember the flag that is on display in a case next to the picture of the parent they will never be held by again.

Much like all the following, the message they receive from the protestors is not as harmless as the protestors claim.

Boy from iconic wartime photo pays it forward at Christmas

'Taps' for Canadensis soldier: Military funeral honors Monroe's first death in Afghanistan war - News - poconorecord.com - Stroudsburg, PA

Danielle Huggins, widow of Army Staff Sgt. Jamie L. Huggins 

You can search for more images in case you are still wondering what the flag means to them...because if you take a knee the next time during the Anthem, they'll know what it means to you.

National Anthem, oh so much more than a song

Freedom, war and the flag
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 18, 2018

Bad way to wake up this morning, was reading this headline.

ESPN won't air anthem before Monday Night Football games, returning to prior practice

"New ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro said on Friday that the network will not show the national anthem during Monday Night Football broadcasts, which is a return to standard operating procedure and a recognition of fans’ desires."

Oh, no, not that the decision to not cover it was bad, but it was what else was in the article.

“ESPN is not a political organization,” he said. “It’s not our job to cover politics, purely, but we’ll cover the intersection of sports and politics. When something happens, when the Eagles are disinvited from the White House, when someone takes a knee, when we think it’s newsworthy we’re going to cover it.”

Reporters still fail to understand that patriotism has nothing to do with politics because no matter who is in charge, the National Anthem means more than just words. I guess it is just not news to us how we feel about this stunt, so ESPN must avoid mentioning how offended we are with all of this.

The basis of the anthem was the War of 1812. The words are about the flag still flying after Americans fought back.

In the War of 1812, the United States took on the greatest naval power in the world, Great Britain, in a conflict that would have an immense impact on the young country’s future. Causes of the war included British attempts to restrict U.S. trade, the Royal Navy’s impressment of American seamen and America’s desire to expand its territory.

The United States suffered many costly defeats at the hands of British, Canadian and Native American troops over the course of the War of 1812, including the capture and burning of the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., in August 1814. Nonetheless, American troops were able to repulse British invasions in New York, Baltimore and New Orleans, boosting national confidence and fostering a new spirit of patriotism.

The ratification of the Treaty of Ghent on February 17, 1815, ended the war but left many of the most contentious questions unresolved. Nonetheless, many in the United States celebrated the War of 1812 as a “second war of independence,” beginning an era of partisan agreement and national pride.

For anyone suggesting the National Anthem protest is not insulting the troops or the flag, that is exactly what it is.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” is the national anthem of the United States. By the time the song officially became the country’s anthem in 1931, it had been one of America’s most popular patriotic tunes for more than a century. The anthem’s history began the morning of September 14, 1814, when an attorney and amateur poet named Francis Scott Key watched U.S. soldiers—who were under bombardment from British naval forces during the War of 1812—raise a large American flag over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland.

In the almost 6 decades I have lived, there has been a lot of changes in this country because people stood up and refused to kneel to anything other than prayer.

I was raised by veterans willing to fight to keep this country free, but also, by 1st generations Americans. Yes, immigrants who came here from Greece, Italy and Canada. Members of my family and my husband's fought in three wars. WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

This country achieved the changes on rights because people also stood up, on their own time, and forced the politicians to do the right thing.

The football players are not doing either one. They are not taking a stand for civil rights and they are not doing it on their own time.

They use their fans paying money to enjoy the game, and stations like ESPN making money off covering this game. Using? Yes. They put on a uniform and then expect to be able to use the uniform to pull a stunt, as if that uniform entitles them to their personal views being displayed for the world to see.

Fans dropping support of these teams has nothing to do with Trump's tweets but has everything do to with disrespecting what we hold sacred.

If ESPN is really interested in what is "newsworthy" then they should give fans the same worth and attention they are giving the players. Let them cover how these stunts are pushing them away from the game they loved because they love the country, this imperfect country, and those who stood up to fight for it risking their lives, oh so much more!

  

Beef O Brady's takes stand when football player kneel

Florida restaurant cancels NFL package over national anthem protests
FOX News
Ryan Gaydos
August 7, 2018

The restaurant will save more than $5,000 by canceling its package and instead will offer veterans 40 percent off on food Sundays during game days, the station reported.

Beef O'Brady's felt the protests showed a "lack of compassion and gratitude" for service members. (Google Street View)

A Florida restaurant decided to cancel its DirecTV NFL package over the controversy about players kneeling during the national anthem to protest social injustices.

Curtis West, who co-owns Beef O’Brady’s in Brooksville with his wife Janet, told FOX13 Tampa Bay on Monday there will be no NFL games shown because of the “disrespect” the players have shown.

“Last year, with the kneeling and the disrespect to our veterans and our flag and our country, I was very upset,” West told the station.
read more here

NFL needs to stop holding fans as captive audience!

Time for NFL to respect fans!
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 3, 2018

Why is it that so many think you have to be a Trump supporter to find kneeling during the National Anthem reprehensible?

This has nothing to do with one political party but it has everything to do with the fact that Americans watch, or watched, football games. 

That is what they paid for. A football game! Not to be held captive so some millionaire can use his 'free speech" to expose his own political views on their dime!

No one wants to take that right away from anyone but no one gave them the right to disrespect their fans. Let them protest on their own time, just like every other American WITHOUT THE PUBLIC ATTENTION THEY ARE GETTING FOR A FOOTBALL GAME PEOPLE PAID A LOT OF MONEY TO SEE!

Too bad Mark Lazarus doesn't seem to get it! 
Super Bowl ratings jeopardized by anthem protests, fan outrage

“I do believe the protest narrative turned some people off,” Mark Lazarus, NBC Broadcasting and Sports chairman, told Yahoo Sports. “And I think it’s unfortunate the players did not articulate what exactly they are doing very well at the beginning, and they let other people define the narrative.”

No, Lazrus it isn't too bad. What is too bad is that too many are using something that means too much to too many willing to die for this country. You know, unlike the football team, real patriots.

Let's talk about immigrants. My Grandparents came to this country because it offered a better way of life. Not a perfect one, but more opportunities than Greece and Canada offered them.

My husbands Grandparents left Canada and Italy for the same reasons.

The thing is, their children were willing to lay down their lives for this nation they loved so much.

My Dad and Uncles, husband's Dad and Uncles along with my husband and his nephew, all served in the military during wars. WWII, Korea and Vietnam. By the way, all Democrats and I am an Independent, just like most of the members of the military and veterans. 

PEW Research Center

Let's talk about the fact the National Anthem was written after the War of 1812, because people were willing to lay down their lives to defend this nation.

If someone wants to call it "racists" that doesn't mean it is true. It means they have no clue what it actually means.

Protests are necessary to make changes in this country. I do not dispute that at all. Considering that veterans had to come back to protest the way they were treated by the government going all the way back to the Revolutionary War, people have to take stand against something that is clearly wrong.

That is exactly what I, and a lot of Americans have been doing. We've been taking a stand against the NFL deciding it was ok to show disrespect for what others were willing to die for.

By the way, any idea how much the flyover is going to cost the taxpayers since it comes out of the military training budget? Any thoughts on who is flying those jets?

If you respect them then #StopTheKnees and protest on your own time.

Airman Took a Knee, After Anthem

If you still think that taking a knee during the National Anthem is not disrespecting the troops, read this story. This Airman not only stood for the anthem of the US and the UK, he was slammed for taking a knee instead of fainting!

Maybe now you'll understand how the stunt the football players are doing hits the troops and veterans. The National Anthem was written for them after the war of 1812, when yet again, the troops defended this country and united a nation after the Civil War. Want to protest? They gave you the right to do it. So why protest against them?


Outrage sparked after airman takes knee during ceremony; Air Force says he felt faint

Stars and Stripes

William Howard

November 14, 2017

An airman, while part of a ceremonial detail from RAF Mildenhall, stepped out of the formation and took a knee when the music to reveille began playing during a Remembrance Day ceremony in Mildenhall, England, on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017. Air Force officials said the airman felt faint, but others on social media interpreted the photo as a protest. The airman previously stood and saluted during the U.S. and British national anthems.COURTESY PHOTO

RAF MILDENHALL, England — An airman attacked on social media for appearing to take a knee in protest during a Remembrance Day service near the Mildenhall War Memorial on Sunday morning was just feeling faint, Air Force officials said.

The airman first class from RAF Mildenhall, while participating in a ceremony detail in dress uniform, stood and saluted during the U.S. and British national anthems, according to photos contributed to Stars and Stripes. He stepped backward out of the formation and fell to a knee when the music to reveille began playing.

Feeling faint after locking the knees during formation “can be a common occurrence for airmen participating in these types of events and at no time did this airman display or intend any disrespect to either the U.S. or U.K. servicemembers the event was honoring,” the base said in a statement on Monday.

The airman’s name is being withheld because of threats he has received and concerns about his safety, the base said.

read more here

Fact Redemption for Veterans Day

Fact Redemption for Veterans Day
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
November 10, 2017


Tomorrow is Veterans Day, but if you think about it, they are veterans everyday of the year as well. We fail to see the difference between them and the rest of us.

It is about time the rest of us delivered some fact-redemption.

Football players think it is ok to take a knee during the National Anthem. Others can't understand how it insults the flag, the troops and all those who served this country. Guess they never heard the words to the Anthem, or read that it was written as a tribute to those who defended this country. The Star Spangled Banner was "Written by Francis Scott Key on September 14th, 1814."

War of 1812

In the War of 1812, the United States took on the greatest naval power in the world, Great Britain, in a conflict that would have an immense impact on the young country’s future. Causes of the war included British attempts to restrict U.S. trade, the Royal Navy’s impressment of American seamen and America’s desire to expand its territory. The United States suffered many costly defeats at the hands of British, Canadian and Native American troops over the course of the War of 1812, including the capture and burning of the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.,

Then again is seems as if most need a history lesson considering what has been passed off as "all there is" to know about what they want to share. Veterans don't need a history lesson on PTSD, since it is because of them the book itself was written.

History of PTSD in Veterans: Civil War to DSM-5

Matthew J. Friedman, MD, PhD
Senior Advisor and former Executive Director, National Center for PTSD

Exposure to traumatic experiences has always been a part of the human condition. Attacks by saber tooth tigers or twenty-first century terrorists have likely led to similar psychological responses in survivors of such violence. Literary accounts offer the first descriptions of what we now call posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For example, authors including Homer (The Iliad), William Shakespeare (Henry IV), and Charles Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities) wrote about traumatic experiences and the symptoms that followed such events.

Early attempts at a medical diagnosis

Accounts of psychological symptoms following military trauma date back to ancient times. The American Civil War (1861-1865) and the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) mark the start of formal medical attempts to address the problems of military Veterans exposed to combat. European descriptions of the psychological impact of railroad accidents also added to early understanding of trauma-related conditions.

Nostalgia, Soldier's Heart, and Railway Spine

Prior to U.S. military efforts, Austrian physician Josef Leopold (1761) wrote about "nostalgia" among soldiers. Among those who were exposed to military trauma, some reported missing home, feeling sad, sleep problems, and anxiety. This description of PTSD-like symptoms was a model of psychological injury that existed into the Civil War...

Shell Shock

In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11th as the first observance of Armistice Day, the day World War I ended. At that time, some symptoms of present-day PTSD were known as "shell shock" because they were seen as a reaction to the explosion of artillery shells. Symptoms included panic and sleep problems, among others. Shell shock was first thought to be the result of hidden damage to the brain caused by the impact of the big guns. Thinking changed when more soldiers who had not been near explosions had similar symptoms. "War neuroses" was also a name given to the condition during this time.During World War I, treatment was varied. Soldiers often received only a few days' rest before returning to the war zone. For those with severe or chronic symptoms, treatments focused on daily activity to increase functioning, in hopes of returning them to productive civilian lives. In European hospitals, "hydrotherapy" (water) or "electrotherapy" (shock) were used along with hypnosis...

Battle Fatigue or Combat Stress Reaction (CSR)

In World War II, the shell shock diagnosis was replaced by Combat Stress Reaction (CSR), also known as "battle fatigue." With long surges common in World War II, soldiers became battle weary and exhausted. Some American military leaders, such as Lieutenant Gen. George S. Patton, did not believe "battle fatigue" was real. A good account of CSR can be found in Stephen Crane's Red Badge of Courage, which describes the acute reaction of a new Union Army recruit when faced with the first barrage of Confederate artillery.Up to half of World War II military discharges were said to be the result of combat exhaustion. CSR was treated using "PIE" (Proximity, Immediacy, Expectancy) principles. PIE required treating casualties without delay and making sure sufferers expected complete recovery so that they could return to combat after rest. The benefits of military unit relationships and support became a focus of both preventing stress and promoting recovery.

Development of the PTSD diagnosis

In 1952, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) produced the first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-I), which included "gross stress reaction." This diagnosis was proposed for people who were relatively normal, but had symptoms from traumatic events such as disaster or combat. A problem was that this diagnosis assumed that reactions to trauma would resolve relatively quickly. If symptoms were still present after six months, another diagnosis had to be made.Despite growing evidence that trauma exposure was associated with psychiatric problems, this diagnosis was eliminated in the second edition of DSM (1968). DSM-II included "adjustment reaction to adult life" which was clearly insufficient to capture a PTSD-like condition. This diagnosis was limited to three examples of trauma: unwanted pregnancy with suicidal thoughts, fear linked to military combat, and Ganser syndrome (marked by incorrect answers to questions) in prisoners who face a death sentence.In 1980, APA added PTSD to DSM-III, which stemmed from research involving returning Vietnam War Veterans, Holocaust survivors, sexual trauma victims, and others. Links between the trauma of war and post-military civilian life were established.The DSM-III criteria for PTSD were revised in DSM-III-R (1987), DSM-IV (1994), DSM-IV-TR (2000), and DSM-5 (2013) to reflect continuing research. One important finding, which was not clear at first, is that PTSD is relatively common. Recent data shows about 4 of every 100 American men (or 4%) and 10 out every 100 American women (or 10%) will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime.

Learn more here and then remember, whenever trauma strikes anyone, it was our veterans who taught the experts.

Veterans are our history and this country wouldn't have been able to give anyone the right to protest or show how little they know without them.

Number of Medal of Honor Recipients

3,518

---

Medals of Honor Presented to Date

748

---

Medals Awarded to Members of the US Navy

299

---

Medals Awarded to Members of the US Marines

18

---

Medals Awarded to Members of the US Air Force

1

---

Medal Awarded to Members of the US Coast Guard

Add to that 

Meet Dr. Mary Walker: The only female Medal of Honor recipient

But some want to view women as new to the military. Sorry but, they have been participating all the way back to the Revolutionary War.

Soldiers:Although women were not allowed to join the military at the time, many women still served as secret soldiers during the Revolutionary War. These female soldiers usually disguised themselves as men by cutting their hair, binding their breasts with bandages and adopting masculine names.

Everything you think you may know about suicides, is not even close to true, but far too many on social media must have given up on caring enough to wonder.

So when you read a bunch of stuff online about veterans, do them a favor, either spend the time to learn about the subject before you share it, or go back to taking selfies and make it all about you again. 

Over 500 People Placed 8,000 Flags to Honor Veterans

Veteran invites public to take a different kind of knee while placing 8,000 flags at veteran graves

WDRB News

Fallon Glick

November 4, 2017

“Because we claim the flag as our symbol,” Moore said. “I do feel like there is a lack of knowledge of what it means to serve."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) –  For weeks NFL players have been taking a knee during the singing of the national anthem. It’s a form of protest for the players, but a sign of disrespect to many veterans and military members. Saturday morning one veteran invited the community out to Cave Hill Cemetery to take a different kind of knee.

It started by placing an American flag at every veteran’s grave inside the cemetery.

“We had 503 people show up at the cemetery to put out 8,000 flags,” said a Fred Moore, a Navy and Marine Corps veteran who founded Flags for Vets.  

It's done out of honor for those who have died in past wars and those who have died more recently.

“I have a great appreciation for the fact that a lot of people didn't come home,” Moore said. “And in these last few years with Iraq and Afghanistan we've added another 4,000 to the list.’

Moore invited the public to take a knee to pray and give thanks at the graves of the unknown soldiers. It's a different kind of knee seen from the National Football league.

“I'm a strong advocate of freedom of speech, but I want people to know that I have freedom of speech as well. And now that you've done this thing and you take a knee, I don't think you have the foggiest idea what veterans have sacrificed for,” Moore said.

Pro football players have been kneeling in protest during the national anthem. It's an action Moore says is disrespectful.

read more here

Commander John Wells Stood Up to NFL, Turned Down Award

Retired Naval officer and military veteran's advocate turns down award at Saints game
USA Today
Paul Murphy
November 2, 2017

Wells, a disabled veteran claims protestors are dishonoring the military and the flag.

"They can do it," Wells said. "They have that right, no question. I've got the right to turn it off. I got the right to not go into an NFL stadium and I have the right to decline the award."

A retired Naval officer and military veteran's advocate has declined to be honored at the New Orleans Saints-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game in the Mercedes Benz Superdome on Sunday.

Commander John Wells was to receive the Peoples Health Champion award for exceptional achievements after age 65.

"I admire them for what they're doing," Wells said. "I admire the award. I'm just sorry that the circumstances are such that I could not ethically accept it."

Wells added he won't walk into an NFL stadium while players continue to protest during the national anthem.

Some players around the league are taking a knee during the anthem to shine a light on social injustice.
read more here

And exactly how did they respond?
New York Daily News

"Unfortunately, he has chosen very publicly not to accept this honor and refused the opportunity to promote the very cause for which he was being honored and distract from awareness we hoped to build throughout our community."

Guess they didn't notice the Veterans Community has been very aware of how the NFL actually feels about veterans. When a 'PUBLIC STUNT' allowing players to take a knee during the National Anthem has been more acceptable THAN A VETERAN TELLING THEM NO THANKS! The damage done between fans and the owners may never be repaired. 


UPDATE

I tried to get back to work on something I'm working on for Veterans Day, but I could not get my mind to focus on it. Before this story makes my head explode, I need to go on a rant, so if you want to stop reading now, it is ok. I don't blame you.

I've read too many times on social media that some people do not see it as disrespecting the men and women serving this country. They can't understand how it is disrespecting the flag. 

Unlike when their Moms told them they are special, the protestors seem to think they simply deserve respect for being born. Anything they want to do should be acceptable to the rest of us without ever earning any of it other than getting thousands of people to follow their postings.

I wonder if they ever listened to the words of the National Anthem?

The Star-Spangled Banner

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight'

O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.

And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen, thro' the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream;

'Tis the star-spangled banner: oh, long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion

A home and a country should leave us no more?

Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand,

Between their loved homes and the war's desolation;

Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued landv Praise the Power that has made and preserved us as a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust";

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Written by Francis Scott Key on 

September 14th, 1814.

Are there some police officers who should not have joined the force? Sure, but the protestors seem to want to blame all police officers. The thing is, the good ones are the majority and they still show up to put their lives on the line for people who hate them.

Now the NFL is being grouped because a minority of the players seem to think it is ok to disrespect the Anthem that was written in tribute to the men and women who put their lives on the line in defense of this country. 

If they cannot understand what those words mean, or why they have the right to protest, then how would they know what respect is when they see it? If they cannot see what disrespect is to others, perhaps they never will.

Should people fight for justice? Absolutely! That is the foundation of this nation when it began in Massachusetts and has not stopped because brave people stand up and risk everything for the sake of others.

Taking a knee during a football game informs the public of how little they matter when players seem to believe their opinion matters more than what the fans may personally think about a subject. 

It is like going to a deli and hearing someone behind the counter defending the livestock. Really bad for that business! 

The right to protest is theirs but it also the right of those who disagree with them to also protest in a way the NFL will understand. They are taking their money, and their limited free time, to do something other than support the NFL.

 

Amputee 94-year-old World War II Veteran Stands for National Anthem!

Missing leg won't keep 94-year-old veteran from standing for national anthem

The Buffalo News 
By LOU MICHEL 
October 5, 2017

Marian Morreale, a Coast Guard veteran, was honored during the national anthem at the Buffalo Sabres home opener on Friday, October 6 2017.SCREENSHOT VIA NHL

Marian Morreale has been practicing how to stand for the last three months. She is a 94-year-old World War II veteran and her left leg was amputated last year.

But she practiced standing so that she could when the national anthem  opening game of the Sabres tonight.

She is trying to make a point.

"I think for these young athletes and the salaries they make, they should stand for the national anthem," she said. "But I don't think our president should use that word, SOB." 
read more here

If the NFL Cannot Respect the National Anthem--Stop Playing It!

NFL Should Stop Playing Games With National Anthem
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
September 29, 2017


Aren't these guys supposed to be rough and tough? So why are they whining before they play their games because POTUS sent out a nasty tweet? (As if that is anything new) Then show disrespect for the National Anthem in "protest" over something that has nothing to do with the job they get paid to do?

They do not think of their fans paying a lot of money to watch them play instead of just watching on TV. They want to show up and give their favorite teams support. Too bad too many players are not willing to reciprocate on the support side.

What gives them the right to assume they can do whatever they want in front of the fans who just paid to be there?

NFL Military Flyovers

The NFL does not even respect their own rules! Stop the military flyovers, the claims of "respect" for the Armed Forces and they should stop playing the National Anthem. 

That way, we won't have to see how little they respect anything, or anyone, other than themselves!


If one more person claims this has nothing to do with disrespecting the flag or troops, they need to learn the history of the Anthem itself. 

When Jocks Take a Knee to Anthem, Real Patriots Take a Stand

It was bad enough when the American public discovered that all the patriotism shown during games was actually paid by the Department of Defense...

Report: Defense Dept. paid NFL millions of taxpayer dollars to salute troops

And now it seems that these players do not respect the anthem and the owners don't respect it or their own rules.

The Kansas City Star has the rule from the NFL on the National Anthem...

“The NFL doesn’t follow their own rules. The specific rule pertaining to the national anthem is found on pages A62-63 of the NFL League Rulebook. It states: “The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.

“During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition...

“...It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.”

Do they understand that they are paid to play a game but others are paid so much less to risk their lives defending their rights to prove they cannot respect any of it?

My Dad fought in the Korean War and my Uncles fought during WWII. My husband fought in Vietnam and so did his Nephew. My Father-in-law and his brothers fought in WWII and one of them was killed in Saipan. Both of us are only second generation Americans! Our families came here because of what this country stood for and now these jocks cannot even stand for what families like ours fought for?

If the New England Patriots cannot stand for the anthem, then they should change their logo as well as their name because they do not deserve to have either of them associated with their stunts!

They are not acting like patriots but these football players are!

As His Team Planned to Protest the Anthem, Green Beret Veteran Player Hit Them With a Brutal Message

“That anthem means different things to us. America means different things to us. I love my country and I love what that flag and that anthem means to me and what it represents. I would love more than anything for everyone to feel that pride for the country that I feel.”

As almost one-third of the entire NFL planned on protesting during the national anthem in response to President Donald Trump calling out those who “disrespect the flag,” one green beret veteran, who became an NFL player after six years of service for the U.S. Army in both Iraq and Afghanistan, isn't having any of it.

And he stood up!

So did he!

(Sickening update: "This national anthem ordeal has sort of been out of control, and there's a lot of blame on myself," Villanueva, Pittsburgh's starting left tackle, said Monday.

"I made coach (Mike) Tomlin look bad, and that is my fault and my fault only. I made my teammates look bad, and that is my fault.")

(And back to when I thought he deserved praise for standing up to pressure to bow down!)

Villanueva’s career in the NFL didn’t begin until 2014. Prior to that, he served three tours of duty in Afghanistan, where he served as a Captain in the army, as well as being an army ranger.

Villanueva was critical of Colin Kaepernick’s anthem protest in August of 2016, when he said:

"I don't know if the most effective way is to sit down during the national anthem with a country that's providing you freedom, providing you $16 million a year ... when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for less than $20,000 a year."

 And so did some of them!

This isn't about what POTUS had to say to most of us. This is about what that Anthem means to us!