Mike McCarthy Gives Players Lesson on National Anthem

[Leader]

There are plenty in this country who hate this country and think it is bad. At best, those who are protesting during the anthem and those that blindly defend it are ignorant to the fact they are dividing this country further.

I dont think you'll find folks that "hate this country" wandering the sidelines of an NFL field. Perhaps I'm wrong, but dont think so and I dont see the players actions all that divisive. There far more troubling things/topics to be concerned about IMO - but to each their own.

[LMG]

There are plenty in this country who hate this country and think it is bad. At best, those who are protesting during the anthem and those that blindly defend it are ignorant to the fact they are dividing this country further.

I dont think you'll find folks that "hate this country" wandering the sidelines of an NFL field. Perhaps I'm wrong, but dont think so and I dont see the players actions all that divisive. There far more troubling things/topics to be concerned about IMO - but to each their own.

Really??? When did you start getting interested in football? I think I was 8 or so. Me and some buddies use to sneak into old City Stadium on the Green Bay's East side to watch the Packers on Sunday's. Kids back then looked up to the players and even emulate some of them.


Today the same thing goes on with young people only they are seeing a much different player mentality offered by some of these players.


Of course a lot of things have changed since I was a kid growing up.

[Leader]

Of course a lot of things have changed since I was a kid growing up.

Thats right. Since were were both kids growing up.
I just dont see these limited actions of a limited number of players being all that consequential or divisive.

[Leader]

Ryan Wood‏Verified account @ByRyanWood 1m1 minute ago
There were no protests from Packers players through the national anthem. Just in case anyone wanted to know.

[claymaker]

I honestly don't believe they care about the object or idea they are protesting. Therein lies the problem, they don't care about America. They don't care about the country, it's citizens, or ideas that allow them to make millions of dollars. They care about their people and their communities and their values, which isn't bad it's just... divisive.

Opinion noted and welcomed, but a tad on the overboard side no? They dont care about America or its citizens....or the object/idea they're protesting? I wont presume to know whats in the heads/hearts of these people - but apparently they care enough about it to make a statement/protest.

They care about their people and their communities and their values.

Who exactly is 'their people'? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing you are talking about a group of people who's skin pigmentation is different than yours.

As for 'their communities', I can't fault anyone for wanting better for their community. I would find it disappointing if someone didn't care about their community.

"Their people" would include my wife who is black, and if that's the route you're going to go you're wrong. It is disappointing the first place someone goes is skin color.

I could get into this discussion more, but this subject is too close to political discourse for me to say anymore than I already have.

[iarwain]

I'm pleased that no Packer players have so far chosen not to stand for the anthem.  Maybe McCarthy's history lesson does some good.  McCarthy comes off kind of like a school teacher, doesn't he?

By the way, I was not aware of this, but apparently Kaepernick had decided to stand for the anthem this year.  Only problem is, so far no one has hired him.  I don't know how I missed that news, considering how much sports content I watch.  Here's the pertinent quote from the article below:
"In March, on the cusp of becoming a free agent, Kaepernick's camp made the preemptive announcement that he would stand during the national anthem in 2017. "He no longer wants his method of protest to detract from the positive change he believes has been created" ESPN's Adam Schefter reported."

I'm not sure what positive change he is talking about.  I guess he believes he has raised awareness of the police brutality issue, but that issue was already being discussed with the Black Lives Matter campaign that had been going on.  But apparently even he admits that his chosen method of protest could be a distraction. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerrybarca/2017/08/08/spike-lee-announces-rally-for-colin-kaepernick-at-nfl-headquarters/#70f600614dde

[Leader]

I'm not sure what positive change he is talking about.....but apparently even he admits that his chosen method of protest could be a distraction. 

He was lending his voice in support of a cause or ideal he felt strongly about - thats all. Protest (by its very nature) is intended to be something of a distraction and few protesters *dont* suffer consequences of some kind. 

[iarwain]

Protest (by its very nature) is intended to be something of a distraction and few protesters *dont* suffer consequences of some kind.

That's a good point.

But I still think that using a method of protest that offends people is a bad idea.  And even if the majority of people are not offended, clearly many people are.  Ultimately, a protester wants something from his audience, he wants them to recognize something, make a change, something.  It's easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar.  If you anger someone first, they are not going to be as willing to listen to your message.

I also think it is bad business, but given the sensitivity of the subject matter, apparently aside from Jerry Jones, none of the owners are willing to address it.

[Kepler]

Ultimately, a protester wants something from his audience, he wants them to recognize something, make a change, something.  It's easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar.  If you anger someone first, they are not going to be as willing to listen to your message.

Rosa Parks would disagree I think.

[iarwain]

Rosa Parks would disagree I think.

What Rosa Parks did was entirely reasonable, she sat on a bus.  She didn't belittle or disrespect anything to do it.  Not a good analogy.

[Leader]

Rosa Parks would disagree I think.

What Rosa Parks did was entirely reasonable, she sat on a bus.  She didn't belittle or disrespect anything to do it.  Not a good analogy.

Considerations of protests / protesting is subjective.
There was a fair amount of folks that felt highly disrespected.

[iarwain]

Considerations of protests / protesting is subjective.
There was a fair amount of folks that felt highly disrespected.

What was offensive were the laws at the time. 
But what Rosa Parks did was directly connected to what she wanted.  She wanted to be able to sit where she wanted on the bus, so she did.
She didn't say "I'm going to disrespect this symbol that you value, until you let me sit on the bus".  Some people were offended, of course, but there's a fundamental difference here.

Rosa Parks was acting against segregation, she was saying we should all be able to sit where we want regardless of skin color.
The anthem protesters are saying "We can't respect your country because it oppresses us".  That's acting in an exactly opposite way that Rosa Parks was.  They are separating themselves instead of acting to unify.  Rosa Parks was trying to erase the differences that separated us.

Again, I have no problem with the idea that they want to protest, but I think the manner they have chosen to do it is a mistake.

[Leader]

Again, I have no problem with the idea that they want to protest, but I think the manner they have chosen to do it is a mistake.

Works for me, no problem.

[Kepler]

To each his own. I find rising national fervor as irritating and unnecessary while some probably view nation worship as American as apple pie. I think it breeds divisiveness, but again that is just my opinion.

[claymaker]

To each his own. I find rising national fervor as irritating and unnecessary while some probably view nation worship as American as apple pie. I think it breeds divisiveness, but again that is just my opinion.

It does. For lack of a better term, "identity politics" are vigorously divisive and a road to political and cultural apocalypse. That is truly the root of the problem because protesting the National Anthem and flag isn't a the real issue in my mind. I don't like it because I find it disrespectful to our military men and women, police officers etc, but it immediately turns someone like me into someone on the other side's enemy. That is what I dislike the most. There really is a much larger issue here than just protesting the flag and National Anthem.