Would you guys still be able to support the Rockets if they disrespected the flag by kneeling?

The luxury of separating entertainment from politics died when we elected a reality TV star to be president. At that point, we as a nation conceded that this should be a thing. Unfortunately, the less we work together, the more of this we will see.

With that said, I've seen a lot of meaningful discussion of race actually come from this. I see good in this, regardless of how I feel about the method of protest.

 

I think the lower bowl has been protesting for some time now.

 

Trump has been a lightening rod of racism publicly for many years now.
- Father was in the Klan
- DOJ discrimination lawsuit
- Birtherism
- Central Park 5
-"On many sides"


While the "hands up-don't shoot" may have been blown out of proportion, it can't be argued that that particular police officer was completely in the right.

"The Justice Department announced the findings of its two civil rights investigations related to Ferguson, Missouri, today. The Justice Department found that the Ferguson Police Department (FPD) engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the First, Fourth, and 14th Amendments of the Constitution."

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/just...civil-rights-investigations-ferguson-missouri


If the bar we're holding police to is "only violating citizens 1st, 4th, and 14th Amendment Rights" then we're doing it wrong.

 

I'd still watch... just like I watched NFL this past weekend...

Reason being, I think the whole kneeling thing means different things to different people... I don't think these guys are kneeling to disrespect the memory of people that have died to make this country great... I think the 'protests' while well intended (to call attention to the real issue) are misguided....

On a somewhat related note... I don't view the confederate flag as a sign of racism - even though many racists have wrapped themselves in it... I've always viewed it as more of a southern pride thing and rebelling against the Washington bureaucrats dictating how other people live...

I try to base how I deal with people as by their intentions... If they're trying to be a dick or disrespectful - screw 'em... if they're misguided but well intended - have a dialogue and increase both sides understanding...

jus my opinion...

 

What are you talking about? How do you get his "reluctance to stand for something"? How do you know his "cowardice"? And how do you "help people" by talking crap in a sports forum? This is the kind of sensational rhetoric that fans division and create mob mentality. Do you realize that you are using the exact same method Trump is using?

The poster just wants politics out of sports and therefore out of a sports forum. And I agree with him.

 

What if all the hippies at woodstock took a knee?

 

When did taking a knee became disrespectful? In all of the culture around the world, I can't think of one with taking a knee disrespectful. Only some of the "americans" can get pissed off at this, which is kinda of sad.

 

As much as it sucks to have politics invade just about everything, you may be right, we may not be able to escape it moving forward.

Now that we are discussing it, it might actually not be a bad thing. People may actually take more of an interest in politics now that it's being shoved down our collective throats by a President you literally cannot escape. If there's anything positive that comes from this term, I hope that will make the list.

Agree here as well, at the very least it's provoking a _discussion_ that many people were avoiding in the past (for any myriad of reasons), and for that I give the athletes credit. I think we are still struggling actually discussing the issue though, and this thread is an example of why. People make assumptions about the motivations of the people that express and opposing view and more times than not they assume the worst about that person and start attacking them. Once the attack starts any meaningful dialogue tends to cease and prejudices are strengthened.

 

I just don't see Harden doing that there's really no point for him to do it because he's already not liked by the media and if he does kneel for the anthem he won't get any cool points like Steph Curry or LeBron.

And if anything the media will just turn it around and say oh Harden is just doing this to try to get more fans and I think the only thing that this will do to harden is lose him more endorsements

 

The time that is set aside to honor & unite for the ALL the service men & women deceased and serving presently when the anthem is played and the flag displayed. If this is the time you choose to protest then you are protesting ALL of them and not just the small percentage that needs to be corrected.

So I say choose a time that only protests the ones that need to be corrected, and which I support. As for the poll, it does not reflect my sentiment.

But if you kneel, you dishonor the just along with the unjust which divides us, I stand to unite us. Not that complicated the way I see it but that is me.

Seems like Chicago should be ground zero for this "movement" though, first let us take the splinter out of our eye before we whack everyone in the head with the board projecting out of it over the bad officers.

 

This is not really a divisive issue. Cities with over 1 million people voted heavily against Trump, and that's most of the NBA/NFL/MLB. You guys just happen to live in an area with a lot of rednecks, sadly, so it seems like people are more divided on this than they are.

 

Well thought out opinions - well done!

I think there are dialogues that are long overdue - we need resolutions as opposed to jockeying back and forth trying to placate one group or another depending on who's making the most noise...

Personally, I don't think there will ever be equality as long as we, as a society, constantly segregate people based on race - whether its due to racist views or well intended ones...

Although well intended, things like affirmative action and BLM only further to separate people... how about All Lives Matter... and if the police, or whoever, are not treating every law abiding citizen respectfully, then we deal with it as a society - not as a faction thereof...

 

Damn, sorry about that man. You doing ok?

 

Would you agree that those military men and women fought to defend the Constitution?

 

Yee I'm str8

 

@SirIvyLeague is disappointed

 

You sure make a big assumption about where CF posters live.

You know, it's not that these issues aren't worthy of discussion. It's just that few people can keep a cool head when they discuss them, and it makes it really hard.

 

Southern pride in a entity whose sole purpose was to betray the nation so they can extend the status quo of slave labor. Something to be proud of.

Germans have history also. They don't honor every aspect of it. Honor the aspects that deserve to be honored. Put the rest in museums.

 

Sure, and no one is saying you can't protest. I am not saying they can't protest - they have their rights and I have mine. This isn't about the Constitution, imo, it is about respect at a time that usually unites us. If they want others to "unite" around the cause of oppression by officers, white & black, pick a time that it doesn't divide us - that would make sense to me. No?