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

Veterans who turn this protest into an attack on themselves are selfish and have to much hubris you silly pog/fobbit.

 

Again you keep going on like a president telling you to do something automatically has legal standing. Him telling you to do that isn't a violation of anything without legal backing. I don't understand where you think he has those powers. If he told me to ban members on a basketball forum who broke no laws I would simply laugh at him and continue with my business. It wouldn't be a violation of anything unless he used force to make me do so.

 

The number one rule I learned as a child is that respect is earned, not given. A lot of people misunderstand what respect is. Fear, that's not respect. What he means to say is fear authority. He wants us to fear him, to fear God, and to fear the flag. What he doesn't understand is, fear only gets you so far. If you truly respect a person/belief/cause, you would die for that person/belief/cause. If you fear it, you only do what you're told to not get hurt. We haven't done enough as a nation to garner the respect of the African American community, and yet, we demand it? That's some messed up crap right there.

 

Question...
So why are you harping on a point that employers have a right to fire their employees for protesting during work hours? Where did that argument come from? Because last time I checked NONE of the NFL owners desire to fire their players and infact most embrace it. So why are you so insistent on this rather arbitrary point that has no relevance to this discussion?

And who said anything about Presidents don't have rights to their opinion?

Do you think it's a good idea for the head of the executive branch of the federal government, a government ruled by the Constitution which includes the first amendment which grants the rights of free speech to lambast a private company for not firing employees because they exercised their free speech? Yes or no?

And please show me where I stated that the president can't hold an opinion? He can. He can also hold shitty opinions that undermine our Constitution.

 

Do you believe the most powerful office in this nation comes with a bully pulpit/clout?

Do you think the head of the executive branch of the US government has no responsibility for the words he says?

It's a violation of the principle of the first amendment. The most powerful political figure lambasting a private business for whom they haven't fired is something that would irk any conservative if Obama did the same. It should irk anyone from all political spectrums.

 

I believe that you confuse clout with law. He is still a citizen, his has rights the way you and I do. He is not creating an executive order saying they should be fired, he is stating his opinion. It is a violation of the principle of the first amendment? You are trying to take away his? It seems like you are confusing your own personal opinion with reality. Also you keep responding with things that has nothing to do with my point so it shows me that you are not understanding what I am saying, especially since I stated already that I didn't agree that he should have said what he did. You are responding to my comments with points that have nothing to do with that I said, then when I do say something that has to do with what you are talking about you ignore it completely.

 

I wish OP didnt make the poll options so manipulative like that mav troll.
Just leave it as simply yes or no. I think it's disrespectful, but I care about the team a lot more.
Why did you have to attach extra things to yes? If you really want to, at least do it properly and list multiple yes answers for different reasons.

 

I hope they don't kneel. I have been a Rocket's fan for many years. Since they moved from San Diego. I love the Rockets. I attend games whenever I can and I live hours out of Houston. For those who don't see the connection between kneeling during the anthem and disrespect of the nation, I can't even imagine what you are thinking. As for me, if they do that in an ongoing way, I will never buy another ticket or watch another game. I will be very sad, but I love the anthem, the flag, and the nation even more. This has nothing to do with Trump. I took an oath to uphold the Constitution, I love the U.S., and respect our vets.

 

Obama heavily influenced and complained to a TV network to fire a host for comments about Michelle, which they did, and which I rly didn't have a problem with since it is about respect/principle and the comment was tacky. I didn't see you post anything about him being a bully and the white house sh/tting all over the principle of the first amendment.

Odd you talk about principles considering you have no problem with the underlying principle of why we stand for the anthem.

Trump isn't forcing the NFL to fire them, he is speaking his mind. He has a lot of responsibilities and I do believe one of them for any president is speaking their minds. Agreeable or not. My favorite presidents such as Teddy did that. One of Englands greatest such as Churchill did that.

Trumps warning the NFL that if they don't institute rules/people fired/whatever he believes there will be a lot of angry citizens/fans.. and he is also saying he believes that because the anger resonates with him aswell. Much like his advisors warn him about things and potential ramifications, he doesn't always listen to them- neither does the NFL need to. That is called America. Which is also why you can probably foretell a lot of Americans protesting the NFL as a response.

 

I don't see what opinion of his undermines the constitution. Also what I took away from what he said has nothing to do with them exercising their rights to free speech. I think he was angry with how they chose to do it. From my point of view he thinks that what they are doing is protesting the military and cops and doing so in a disrespectful way to the nation. I think its very clear that he isn't angry that they have free speech rights.

 

No, I think you confuse me holding an opinion that what the president is doing is against the principle of the first amendment which explicitly states that the federal government cannot infringe on our free speech... not that what he is doing is illegal and an impeachable offense.

Notice how I've not once said that these actions are impeachable. Obtain some basic reading comprehension.

Do you agree that a president OUGHT to lambast a private corporation for not firing an employee for exercising their first amendment rights? Yes or no?

Notice the phrasing of the question. Notice how it states 'ought' instead of 'can'.

You still haven't answered my other question. Why were you initially phrasing your argument as if someone was arguing that private employers don't have a right to fire employees because they used work ours to protest? No one was making that claim. And it's completely irrelevant since the employer is embracing the employees in the protest?

 

Yeah. What was originally about police brutality. Now it is made to be about anti-Trump. (To be fair, Trump brought it to himself when he couldn't help himself but open his mouth about it, like he always does.) Few people are focused on the protest issues and instead turn it into a political tool against or for the president. The media love it. The NFL loves it. The real issue is buried somewhere.

And I can't stand Jerry Jones. While everybody was having a solemn look, he had that trademark smug look and his eyes were darting everywhere looking to see if the camera was on him.

 

Link me the Michelle incident and link to to Obama stating the indiviudal should be fired. I would be against it even if it's an attack on his wife.

Trump as President has clout. He holds the most powerful position in this country. Hos words represents the executive branch of the federal government aka the enforcement branch. The federal government shouldn't have a say in who should be fired based on their speech. It's a violation on principle.

The closest thing I can find to Obama lambasting employers is incidents of law enforcement screwing up which is actually within the scope of concern for a president... Not where a private employee bends the knee...

And even then his words were measured. He never explicitly state that those sons of b****es should be fired and used calm and measured words like "we need to evaluate the state of our law enforcement".

He used more harsh language towards athletes expressing their concern for social insjustices towards the black community and other minorites through bending a damn knee relative to Neo Nazis chanting 'Jews won't replace us'.

"Sons of b****es" to "good people on both sides".

 

Ban people for voting on their opinions? Very American!

 

Just like the President of the United States lambasting private employers to fire employees because they exercised their first amendment rights.

Infact it's way worse because the President isn't some random Clutchfans poster.

 

So because the president is doing the wrong thing, you should do the same? I get it.

 

Doesn't a big stick require big hands?

 

If you want to uphold the constitution then you will let the players kneel if they wish, as it's their right to do so. They aren't disrespecting anything IMO, and it doesn't hurt or delay the games.

I love this country as well, I love the flag and the military, but I am with the players on this one, it's about equality and fighting injustices that are going on in this country.

My Grandfather was a POW for 2 years, one of the many reasons why I refused to vote for Trump, & why I hate his guts for what he said about POWs. I truly believe my grandfather would support the players, and I plan on kneeling the next time I attend a sporting event. It's not me disrespecting the flag, this country, or the military, it's to support the players, and fight for equality, and fight injustices.