Colin Kaepernick refuses “to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people”...
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Real book by the way. -
smh Foster is one of the realest dudes in the NFL
I honestly wish violent painful death on all of those bigots -
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17520290/kansas-city-chiefs-seattle-seahawks-interlock-arms-national-anthemChiefs' Marcus Peters raises fist during anthem; ? Foster, other Dolphins kneel
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters raised his fist through the national anthem before Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium, as players on the team interlocked their arms.
The Chiefs weren't alone in their demonstration during "The Star-Spangled Banner" on Sunday. The Seattle Seahawks also stood and interlocked arms. Their opponent in the game, the Miami Dolphins, planned to take another approach.
Dolphins running back ? Foster told ESPN's Bob Holtzman that he planned to take a knee and raise his fist during the national anthem. Foster said Dolphins players met Friday and agreed to make their own decision on how to handle Sunday's anthem.
Foster, along with teammates Kenny Stills, Michael Thomas and Jelani Jenkins, took a knee Sunday, though it appeared Foster did not raise his fist as planned.
The Dolphins said in a statement, "We encourage all members of our organization to stand at attention during the national anthem out of respect and appreciation for the freedoms we are afforded as Americans. We also recognize that it's an individual's right to reflect during the anthem in different ways. We respect these liberties and appreciate the sacrifices that everyone has made for our country, especially on this day of remembrance.
"We hope today's events will continue a respectful and thoughtful dialogue in our community on unity, inclusiveness and togetherness."
Foster said he has had conversations recently with 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Peters said Friday he supported Kaepernick and was behind him "100 percent," a stance he reiterated after Sunday's game.
"I'm black. I love being black and I'm supporting Colin as far as what he's doing as far as raising awareness of with justice system," Peters said Sunday. "I didn't mean anything by it. I locked arms with my teammates I talked to coach. Coach said it was OK if I wanted to express my thoughts about what I wanted to do.
"It's not about attention for me. Don't talk about it being about (that). I come from a majority black community in Oakland, Calif. I grew up around my people a lot. The struggle I see, I've got family members are still in the struggle."
In a statement issued on behalf of the players, the Chiefs said: "After having a number of thoughtful discussions as a group regarding our representation during the National Anthem, we decided collectively to lock arms as a sign of solidarity. It was our goal to be unified as a team and to be respectful of everyone's opinions, and the remembrance of 9/11.
"It's our job as professional athletes to make a positive impact on our communities and to be proactive when change is needed. Together we are going to continue to have conversations, educate ourselves and others on social issues and work with local law enforcement officials and leaders to make an impact on the Kansas City community."
Peters added that more steps need to be taken.
"We need to continue to meet as a team, I'll continue to do some things on my own back at home. We'll try to further help this problem. It's not going to do us no good if you all rush us talking about the same thing over and over,'' Peters said.
Players from several teams, including the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, helped to hold the edges of giant flags at their games.
Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola was one of those players who helped hold the flag, while teammates Martellus Bennett and Devin McCourty waited until the completion of the anthem to raise fists prior to their game Sunday night against the Arizona Cardinals.
Kaepernick has been moved by the amount of players around the NFL reaching out and supporting his decision to sit or kneel during the national anthem in protest of racial oppression and other social issues over the past few weeks.
Some players, including Seattle cornerback Jeremy Lane and Denver linebacker Brandon Marshall have joined Kaepernick and safety Eric Reid in kneeling during the anthem, though Lane stood with his teammates on Sunday in a demonstration of unity. Others have discussed it, though Kaepernick said earlier this week that some have expressed concerns about the possible repercussions of joining the protest.
Several Seahawks player said they are in the process of meeting with the mayor of Seattle and police chiefs across the state.
"I think it's something that there's a lot of players that really feel the same way," Kaepernick said Wednesday. "They're just nervous about consequences that come along with it and a lot of them have families to feed, and I think that's a tragic situation where players aren't comfortable speaking what's on their mind and what's right because they're afraid of consequences that come along with it. That's not an ideal environment for anybody."
Marshall has already experienced some of that blowback, losing an endorsement with the Air Academy Federal Credit Union on Friday after kneeling before Thursday's opener against Carolina. On Sunday, there were a handful of other NFL players who apparently weren't deterred and decided to join Kaepernick and Co. in sending their message, even on the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Kaepernick and the Niners play Monday night, but he said earlier this week that he would have continued his protest had the 49ers played on Sunday, again emphasizing that his actions have nothing to do with disrespecting the military.
"Once again, this isn't a protest against men and women of the military," Kaepernick said. "I have great respect for them. I spoke with Nate Boyer and Joey Jones, those are great military vets, and I've spoken to others as well. People are getting lost in what the true message is and don't want to address what it really is and address those issues. That's really the problem. I wish people would be as outraged about the murders that are happening in the street as they are about a protest." -
Meanwhile people booed the President during his 9/11 address at these games. How does that work? You get in people for being disrespectful but then you follow that by being disrespectful? Ok.
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stringer bell wrote: »
He's catching heat for that becuase of his "situation". -
stringer bell wrote: »
It's not like White American can hate him anymore -
http://www.masslive.com/news/worcester/index.ssf/2016/09/a_high_school_football_player_was_just_suspended_for_a_game_for_taking_a_knee_during_the_national_anthem.htmlHigh school football player suspended for 1 game for taking a knee during national anthem
WORCESTER -- A Doherty High School football player has been suspended for a game after taking to a knee -- or kneeling -- during the national anthem during a game on Friday.
Mike Oppong, a junior defensive back for Doherty, said his protest follows that of Colin Kaepernick, a player for the San Fransisco 49ers, who knelt during the national anthem of a preseason game last month.
Athletes around the country are enacting protests during the national anthem in response to different issues, like police brutality.
The story exploded on social media after a leader of the Black Lives Matter Movement tweeted about Oppong's protest.
Oppong enacted his protest in response to what he sees as systemic police brutality and marginalization facing people of color.
However, critics took issue with Oppong's protest being so close to the 15th anniversary of 9/11, to which Oppong responded to:
Massachusetts law technically does not prohibit protests like Oppong's, however, the player is not being suspended from school or charged with arrest, just suspended from a game.
A representative of Doherty High School could not immediately be reached for comment.
Sarah Wunsh, deputy legal director of the ACLU in Massachusetts, said the school is violating Oppong's first amendment rights, and state law, by suspending him for a game.
"In our view, they violated his rights," Wunsch said. "I would suggest that other members of the team would join them. It's really important that he's not alone in this."
Wunsh said the ACLU would be in contact with the school and student as soon as possible to try to get Oppong's suspension lifted.
"I think they disapprove of a team member projecting that sort of image for the school," Wunsh said. "They may not like the image, or the place he did it, but he has freedom of expression." -
Seahawks fans booing Obama and shouting stuff during moment of silence. That's definitely not disrespectful to our military and country.
— Seattle Faithful (@SeattleFaithful) September 11, 2016
I swear white people has the most ? -backwards logic I've ever seen.
Calls an athlete unpatriotic, but boos during the moment of silence and the president's speech. -
Seahawks fans booing Obama and shouting stuff during moment of silence. That's definitely not disrespectful to our military and country.
— Seattle Faithful (@SeattleFaithful) September 11, 2016
I swear white people has the most ? -backwards logic I've ever seen.
Calls an athlete unpatriotic, but boos during the moment of silence and the president's speech.
jets fans were chanting during the moment of silence for 9/11 victims -
The AD of Tulsa is trying to brush the situation. -
"Respect the Flag! ? Obama, damn ? !"- average ? white American.
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What is the endgame in doing this? Is this going to change the justice system? The world is already aware of the injustices that black people face here in america.
We are in no-win situation because we aren't united and we don't have any land or infrastructures to call home.
When Mlk said he regretting about leading his people into the situation this is the end result.
We can't get justice, We can't thrive in a land that we don't control .
I just don't understand black people at all there is no logical way to win in the current state that were in.
One of the law of power Law 11: Learn To Keep People Dependent on You and as black people that's who we are right now we depend on white people for everything so we can't win -
Generation after Generation we're in the same position nothing ever change but the weather for us, whether it's africa, north or south america.
What is it going to take for us to get of the ? because all this other ? hasn't worked.
How are we going to progress? We been praying, we protest peacefully and no result.
Athlete stand up and lose sponsor now what?
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En-Fuego22 wrote: »What is the endgame in doing this? Is this going to change the justice system? The world is already aware of the injustices that black people face here in america.
We are in no-win situation because we aren't united and we don't have any land or infrastructures to call home.
When Mlk said he regretting about leading his people into the situation this is the end result.
We can't get justice, We can't thrive in a land that we don't control .
I just don't understand black people at all there is no logical way to win in the current state that were in.
One of the law of power Law 11: Learn To Keep People Dependent on You and as black people that's who we are right now we depend on white people for everything so we can't win
Idk what endgame is but as long as these protests keep disrupting white Harmony they should continue... black people have nothing to lose at this point -
Adam Jones on MLB's lack of Kaepernick protest: 'Baseball is a white man's sport'
DETROIT - We see the silent, powerful and contentious protests now almost every time we turn on the TV and watch an NFL game.
It started with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sitting, and later kneeling, during the national anthem during the NFL exhibition season. He was soon joined by teammate Eric Reid. It extended to Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall before Thursday’s NFL season opener.
By Sunday, there were four NFL teams with players expressing silent protests, including Martellus Bennett and Devin McCourty of the New England Patriots, who stood with raised fists following the anthem.
Yet, since that Aug. 26 day when Kaepernick gained attention for his protest against racial inequality in this country - with his season opener scheduled Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams - there have been nearly 250 Major League Baseball games played, and not a single player has taken a stand.
Or, in this case, a knee.
This is the sport that launched the civil rights movement when Jackie Robinson integrated the game of baseball on April 15, 1947, finally breaking the color barrier.
Now, at a time when even entire high school football teams and soccer players are waging silent protests by sitting or kneeling during the national anthem, there hasn’t been a single protest in baseball.
Perhaps someone is quietly sitting on the dugout bench, or even lingering in the clubhouse until the national anthem is over, but no one has publicly made their intentions known.
Why?
“We already have two strikes against us already,’’ Baltimore Orioles All-Star center fielder Adam Jones told USA TODAY Sports, “so you might as well not kick yourself out of the game. In football, you can’t kick them out. You need those players. In baseball, they don’t need us.
“Baseball is a white man’s sport.’’
Indeed, African Americans comprise 68% of the player population in the NFL, and 74% in the NBA. That number is just 8% in baseball, with only 69 African-Americans on the opening-day rosters and disabled lists this season.
This doesn’t mean that anyone who protests racial inequality or police brutality will be released from their teams, or banished from baseball, never to wear a uniform again. Still, in the conservative world of baseball, whose players stand 162 times for the national anthem, playing in front of more fans than any sport in the country, they could face much more ridicule and ostracization.
Jones, 31, one of the most outspoken and passionate African-American players in baseball, certainly empathizes with the injustices that minorities face every day in this country. He sees and hears too many incidents of police brutality in his own city that have unfairly targeted minorities, and was an important voice in the aftermath of protests that followed the death in police custody of Freddie Gray, a series of events that compelled the Orioles to play a 2015 game in front of an empty stadium.
Jones would like to see change, too, but Sunday, just like every other day, he stood at attention during the national anthem before their game against the Detroit Tigers, with his right hand over his heart.
“He believes in what he believes in,’’ Jones says of Kaepernick, “and as a man of faith, as an American who has rights, who am I to say he’s wrong?
“Kaepernick is not disrespecting the military. He’s not disrespecting people who they’re fighting. What he’s doing is showing that he doesn’t like the social injustice that the flag represents.
“Look, I know a lot of people who don’t even know the words to the national anthem. You know how many times I see people stand up for the national anthem and not pay attention. They stand because they’re told to stand.
“That’s the problem. Just don’t do something because you’re told to do something. Do it because you understand the meaning behind it and the sacrifice behind it.’’
Whether you agree or disagree with Kaepernick’s method to draw attention to the inequalities in this country, Jones is dismayed how the public views Kaepernick compared to 49er teammates. Go ahead, check out the difference in coverage since Kapernick sat during the national anthem compared to his teammate, Bruce Miller. Miller was arrested last week and charged with aggravated assault, elder abuse, threats and battery against 70-year-old man and his 29-year-old son. The 49ers later released him.
“Here’s my thing,’’ Jones says, “there’s somebody on the 49ers’ team that commits an act like that, accosts a 70-year-old man and his kid, and nobody’s talking about that. But they talk about Kaepernick doing something that he believes in, as his right as an American citizen. People need to talk more about that guy than Kaepernick.
“He’s not receiving the ridicule and public torture that Kaepernick is facing. Is Kaepernick hurting me? No. Is he hurting random people out there? No. I support his decision.
“At the end of the day, if you don’t respect his freedoms, then why the hell are we Americans? It’s supposed to be the Land of the Free, right?’’.... -
Jones, who was honored last week by receiving the Orioles’ nomination for the prestigious Roberto Clemente award for his community involvement, philanthropy and contributions, may have chosen a different way to express his views about racial inequality in this country. Yet, his heart aches over the public outrage and abuse Kaepernick has received.
“I’ve seen Kaepernick called the N-word,’’ Jones said, “just because he’s being sensitive to what has happened to African-Americans in this country. It’s crazy how when people of color speak up, we’re always ridiculed. But when people that are not of color speak up, it’s their right.
“The First Amendment says we have freedom of expression. We’re supposed to be so free, so free. But any time anybody of color speaks up in the United States, for some odd reason, they always get the raw end of the deal. It sucks.
“At the end of the day, black men have fought for this right. Indians have fought for this right. White people fought for this right. Mexicans have fought for this right. Japanese have fought this for this right. The United States was not just made up of one race.
“So let’s just not say that in America, only one person can say something. We all have input because America has always been a country that has united everybody.’’
The problem, Jones says, is that most fans don’t want to hear their athletes share their opinions outside the sports world. They’re not supposed to talk about race, religion, political views, or anything that could create ill will, or discomfort among the fan base. You know, stick to sports.
“The outside world doesn’t really respect athletes,’’ Jones says, “unless they talk about what they want them to talk about. Society doesn’t think we deserve the right to have an opinion on social issues.
“We make a lot of money, so we just have to talk baseball, talk football. But most athletes, especially if you’re tenured in your sport, you’re educated on life, and on more things than most people on the outside. But because Donald Trump is a billionaire, he can say whatever he wants, because he’s older and has more money?
“And when Kaepernick does something, or says something, he’s ridiculed. Why is that? ’’
Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, Olympians John Carlos and Tommie Smith and NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar all spoke out about racial inequalities. All survived the public storm of criticism, though some paid a heavier price.
Even Jackie Robinson, the man who Martin Luther King even credited for starting the civil rights movement, became a strong advocate for racial equality during his career and afterwards, and even voiced his opinion about the national anthem in his 1972 autobiography, I Never Had it Made.
“As I write this …I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world. In 1972, in 1947, at my birth in 1919, I know that I never had it made.’’
Once again, Robinson was ahead of his time, opening plenty of doors, but nearly 70 years later, so many are still closed. It provoked Kaepernick to publicly display his discontent, with the movement spreading, and causing everyone to take notice. Due to love or loathing, Kaepernick’s social media presence has increased 35,000% since he spoke up.
In these final three weeks of the regular season, during the postseason, or perhaps even on the national stage of the World Series, we’ll see if any baseball player now dares to take a stand.
“No one has done it, yet,’’ Jones says. “But that’s the key word here: Yet.
“We will see.’’ -
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? I dont celebrate The 4th of July cuz the slaves werent free on that day. This aint nothing new.
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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ted-cruz-mad-national-anthem-protesters-nflTed Cruz Urges Boycott Of 'Rich Spoiled' NFL Players Who Protest Nat'l Anthem
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) aired his displeasure with NFL players protesting the national anthem Monday on Twitter and suggested a boycott of those players and their merchandise.
Cruz was responding to ESPN analyst Jalen Rose's praise for players who protested peacefully. In a series of two tweets, Cruz gave the polar opposite take: -
By him saying our nation. He means white ppl.
He don't acknowledge us as Americas because is ? would say your nation.
I wish death and bad things to him and his family. -
En-Fuego22 wrote: »What is the endgame in doing this? Is this going to change the justice system? The world is already aware of the injustices that black people face here in america.
We are in no-win situation because we aren't united and we don't have any land or infrastructures to call home.
When Mlk said he regretting about leading his people into the situation this is the end result.
We can't get justice, We can't thrive in a land that we don't control .
I just don't understand black people at all there is no logical way to win in the current state that were in.
One of the law of power Law 11: Learn To Keep People Dependent on You and as black people that's who we are right now we depend on white people for everything so we can't winEn-Fuego22 wrote: »Generation after Generation we're in the same position nothing ever change but the weather for us, whether it's africa, north or south america.
What is it going to take for us to get of the ? because all this other ? hasn't worked.
How are we going to progress? We been praying, we protest peacefully and no result.
Athlete stand up and lose sponsor now what?
Agree. We face 1 of the biggest obstacles of any people. For 1, we are the only group of people cut off from their native land, stripped of religion, bred to hate each other, then forced to assimilate to another race's standards. We dont have a nation to defend our rights, or back us with their resources.
Yes the world knows our plight, but nobody gonna help you until you help yourself. With these protests, atleast people are starting to see that we are in the matrix, the masses are still plugged in. Thus Harriet Tubman's quote " I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves"
Again I agree with you Brother, lets unite our minds to produce our endgame strategy. -
http://www.denverpost.com/2016/09/12/brandon-marshall-loses-endorsement-national-anthem-kneel/Brandon Marshall loses another endorsement, says he will kneel again for national anthem
Brandon Marshall says he has no regrets. He doesn’t regret kneeling for the national anthem ahead of the Broncos’ season-opener against the Panthers last Thursday. He doesn’t regret his peaceful protest of racial inequity and police brutality. And he doesn’t regret it all, even as the backlash and hatred pile on.
Marshall, a teammate of Colin Kaepernick’s at the University of Nevada, said he had made the calculated decision to join the 49ers quarterback standing — or kneeling — for his beliefs, but expected pushback.
On Friday, Marshall lost his first endorsement, with Air Academy Federal Credit Union. On Monday, Marshall lost another in CenturyLink, a company whose name is plastered on the top of the Seattle Seahawks’ stadium. (On Sunday, all 53 Seahawks players stood together for the anthem, with their arms linked as a show of unity.)
“We completely respect Brandon Marshall’s personal decision and right to take an action to support something in which he strongly believes,” CenturyLink said in a statement. “America is anchored in the right of individuals to express their beliefs. While we acknowledge Brandon’s right, we also believe that whatever issues we face, we also occasionally must stand together to show our allegiance to our common bond as a nation. In our view, the national anthem is one of those moments. For this reason, while we wish Brandon the best this season, we are politely terminating our agreement with him.”
As Marshall and his teammates practiced at the Broncos’ Englewood facility Monday morning, a man pulled up to the team’s headquarters and set ablaze an orange T-shirt with Marshall’s name written in ink.
“It’s an evil world. It’s a hateful world,” Marshall said. “I’m not here to spread hate. I’m not here to respond to the hate. I’m here to spread love and positivity.”
Marshall said he will kneel again for the anthem Sunday, when the Broncos host the Colts in a Week 2 matchup. He has spoken with Kaepernick about “the end game,” about taking steps to effect change in the community and beyond. And he said he has taken initial steps to formulate a plan locally, starting with a meeting with Denver police chief, Robert White.
“People that aren’t minorities, they don’t know what it’s like to be a minority in this country,” he said. “And I’m not saying it’s terrible. I love this country. We have great opportunities, but at the same time, if you’re not a minority you don’t understand. I speak for everybody when I say that, because I know they agree with me.
“I’m a likable guy. I was once a fan favorite for a reason. It’s cool, because people can call me the N-word or cuss or at me or say they wish I’d break my neck all they want. There’s no backlash from me. Hate can’t drive out hate. Only love can drive out hate.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1DQygq2bbA
https://youtu.be/JkoSb0mIHXc
