U.S. VP Pence leaves NFL game after players kneel during anthem

[farq]

7 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

This act has already a meaning but some people will never get it. The action is against the killing of innocent people by the police. The racists make it about the flag.

 

Precisely!

 

[Thakkar]

51 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

That's right and Pence was just doing his bit to shine light on the subject of sports and politics.

They don't have any rhyme or reason to co-mingle.  Same as Hollywood 'celebrities' need to keep their gobs shut and focus on their particular jobs.

The irony of people who support a reality TV celebrity for president telling celebrities to stay out of politics!

[Silurian]

Seems like Pence likes to reuse old photos in Twitter. Nothing like preplanning the whole thing.

 

VP Mike Pence tweets same picture from Colts game that he tweeted in 2014

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2017/10/08/vice-president-mike-pence-colts-national-anthem-protest/744447001/

 

Pence's Colts game walkout draws jokes, ire

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/internet-mocks-pences-planned-colts-game-walk-out-20171008.html

 

Edited October 9, 2017 by Silurian

[Rimmer]

An off topic post has been removed

[Mansell]

3 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

These multi-millionaire morons don't really know what they are 'protesting'

 

Like the denizens of Mom's Basement - the sjw's who don't know either. 

When you point your finger and call them "morons" look at your other three fingers pointing back at yourself......If you are an American and you don't get what they are protesting, then you look as stupid as the picture of Trump you are using. It is a fact that police violence towards blacks is out of control across the country. All you have to do is look at the amount of blacks being shot, many times with no provocation, and many times the police are being exonerated. I have a friend in Santa Monica with a black son, she is white, and she has to deal all the time with him being stopped by the police for no reason, other than he is black. Her biggest concern is him being shot just for his color. I am guessing you are white with no experience of what I am talking about. You can keep your head in the sand about this issue, but at some point you need to either wake up or educate yourself, and stop using blanket statements about a group of people being morons, especially as you know none of them personally.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Thakkar said:

 

Where was Pence the patriot when:

Trump disrespected a POW

Trump disrespected a gold star family

Trump insinuated that PTSD was a weakness

Trump insulted both men and women of the military by saying rape was inevitable where men and women both serve together

Trump proposed banning transgender soldiers who have risked their lives for the country?

 

Where was his patriotism when, as head of the transition, he hired Flynn despite being warned that Flynn was a security risk?

Pence, the eternal flim-flam man.

 

Much as I don't consider him worthy of the role, I hope that nothing seriously bad does happen to the current POTUS since that would mean the VP assuming the mantle.

[NanLaew]

10 minutes ago, Mansell said:

When you point your finger and call them "morons" look at your other three fingers pointing back at yourself......If you are an American and you don't get what they are protesting, then you look as stupid as the picture of Trump you are using. It is a fact that police violence towards blacks is out of control across the country. All you have to do is look at the amount of blacks being shot, many times with no provocation, and many times the police are being exonerated. I have a friend in Santa Monica with a black son, she is white, and she has to deal all the time with him being stopped by the police for no reason, other than he is black. Her biggest concern is him being shot just for his color. I am guessing you are white with no experience of what I am talking about. You can keep your head in the sand about this issue, but at some point you need to either wake up or educate yourself, and stop using blanket statements about a group of people being morons, especially as you know none of them personally.

And here's a story about a black cop getting away with murder.

[Thai Ron]

4 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Excellent move on VPN Pence's part. No support for those who disrespect the flag or the Police. 

The police are scum who routinely execute unarmed black men with impunity.

Taking a knee is a peaceful protest against that brutality and is rooted in the principles of the free speech the Trump lovers swear their dope of a president stands for.

If it's OK for open carry white supremacists to throng through a city in military fatigues chanting racist and anti-Semitic slogans, it's OK for people to refuse to stand for the national anthem.

 

[LannaGuy]

The players are 'irritated' according to CNN.  "Irritated"? for VPOTUS making a 'point' and they are not???   Hypocrites. 

 

Over-paid prima donnas should be thankful USA has given them and their families great careers. They are football players NOT politicians. Hypocrites. 

[55Jay]

Nationalistic patriotism enforced with threats and sanctions is a no-no, and a slippery slope.  In the extreme, I'm reminded of mandatory crying at King Jung Il's funeral procession.  

 

[LannaGuy]

11 minutes ago, Thai Ron said:

The police are scum who routinely execute unarmed black men with impunity.

Taking a knee is a peaceful protest against that brutality and is rooted in the principles of the free speech the Trump lovers swear their dope of a president stands for.

If it's OK for open carry white supremacists to throng through a city in military fatigues chanting racist and anti-Semitic slogans, it's OK for people to refuse to stand for the national anthem.

 

 

Less than 1% of those killed are blacks by whites. You need to educate yourself.

[Thai Ron]

4 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

 

Less than 1% of those killed are blacks by whites. You need to educate yourself.

And you need to section yourself

[Boon Mee]

52 minutes ago, Thakkar said:

Bill Kristol (‪@BillKristol‬)

9/10/17, 06:47

 

If you're leaving any event featuring individuals who've disrespected our soldiers, you should walk out of the Oval Office when next there. twitter.com/vp/status/9170…

Don't worry Bill - you'll never be invited to the Oval Office!  LOL

[LannaGuy]

1 hour ago, Bill Miller said:

You are so right. US military and veterans are in no manner being "disrespected".

It is also Pence's right, as a private person, to voice his opinion.

Trump, on the other hand, has possibly violated Constitutional protections by stating that the NFL should fire the protestors. 

 

So you sit in Thai cinemas do you?  when the Thai anthem comes on?   

[Boon Mee]

Just now, LannaGuy said:

 

So you sit in Thai cinemas do you?  when the Thai anthem comes on?   

This is an Apple

That is an Orange...

[LannaGuy]

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

So stop playing the national anthem before the games.

 

I'm actually for this. I hate the prima donnas making a political point so take that power away and stop playing the anthem. 

[LannaGuy]

2 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

This is an Apple

That is an Orange...

 

Ah convenient 

[geriatrickid]

20 hours ago, ezzra said:

The day that these "racial minorities" mainly blacks, will start respect the law and order of the land they kneeling on and not make the police the targets of their hate and loathing, this act will start to have meaning...

Nice generalization you have going there. The majority of "racial" minorities are law abiding contributing members of society. What do you think all those millions of "coloureds" are doing in the military, public service,  and in restaurants and offices throughout America? They are working. The fact is that the US police  can and do shoot first and ask questions later. The USA is a very troubled nation prone to violence. Perhaps, it's time to take the nationalistic jingoism out of sports and just play the game. Pence is a an extremist who has pushed his religious agenda since he entered politics. His anti women and homophobic policies give him zero credibility when it comes to respect for others.

[Jingthing]

200,000 of the taxpayers money for a crass political showboat. Those hypocritical corrupt republicans! 

Edited October 9, 2017 by Jingthing

[Thakkar]

15 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Don't worry Bill - you'll never be invited to the Oval Office!  LOL

Here’s who does get invited:

 

 

Guy who evaded the draft by sh!tting his pants and publicly told a sitting president to suck on his “gun”

Woman who once supported the Alaska Independence party.  Guy who cut a hole in an American flag to wear as poncho.

 

PATRIOTS!

[ChouDoufu]

6 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

The right to free speech and protest ...

 

'merkans have the right to free speech and the right to

protest......on their own time, and on their own dime.

 

nfl players are employees at their place of employment.

as such their "free speech" rights may be limited by

their contracts or simply instructions from their employer.

 

the first amendment protects citizens from restrictions

imposed by the government, does not necessarily apply

to private or employment settings.

 

if you research the nfl rulebook, there IS a clause requiring

players to stand for the anthem, with suspension or fine

resulting in failure to follow the written rules.

 

if the nfl fails to enforce their own rules, that is their

decision, but they will risk alienating a major portion

of their audience.

 

otherwise....well......what if a group of players decided

to do their own protest of racial integration by donning

KKK hoods during the anthem?   free speech m'kay!

[LannaGuy]

22 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

200,000 of the taxpayers money for a crass political showboat. Those hypocritical corrupt republicans! 

 

And the NFL players who "protest" at a FOOTBALL game?  they are not 'hypocrites'?  bring back football as football and stop all this political ping-pong.  VPOTUS did the right thing even though I loathe Republicans and the megalomaniac in the WH.

 

Disrespect is not about party politics.

[OMGImInPattaya]

I don't know why he went in the first place. Isn't it official Trump administration policy to boycott the NFL until they put in place measures to respect the flag at the start of the games?

[amvet]

28 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

200,000 of the taxpayers money for a crass political showboat. Those hypocritical corrupt republicans! 

I didn't know How the NFL Fleeces Taxpayers was the topic.  But to help your new thread here's a link.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/how-the-nfl-fleeces-taxpayers/309448/

[attrayant]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

"I left today's Colts game because President Trump and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem," Pence said in a statement issued by the White House.

 

I think it's precious that Pence thinks his mere presence causes a sporting event to become "dignified".  

[55Jay]

5 minutes ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

I don't know why he went in the first place. Isn't it official Trump administration policy to boycott the NFL until they put in place measures to respect the flag at the start of the games?

I searched "WH Official policy on NFL kneeling" but only found refs to Trump's earlier suggestion that NFL fans boycott.  I would like to think WH Counsel was able to convince Trump the 1st Amendment deserves the same regard as the 2nd one.

[Bill Miller]

44 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

 

So you sit in Thai cinemas do you?  when the Thai anthem comes on?   

That frankly is a ridiculous comment.
The one has absolutely no connection to the other.
For one thing I have nothing to protest here in Thailand. Thai police are not going around indiscriminately shooting farangs.
Second point, I do not have a Constitutionally guaranteed right of free speech here. It would be stupid to commit an act of lese majeste, which I would not want to do anyway. I have great respect for our King.
Thirdly, I do not have the status of a professional athlete, which is what makes the NFL protest so noticeable and effective, It seems to have gotten even your attention.  

[Green Acres]

It would be even better if the Americans could get him to leave the U.S. altogether...

[ChouDoufu]

some places NEED cops...funny you don't see the

players protesting this:

 

Chicago has suffered 503 gun homicides so far in 2017. With a population of over 2.7 million, the gun homicide rate is at just over 18 people per 100,000 residents.

 

Baltimore, however, has suffered 275 gun homicides with a population of just over 621,000, putting the homicide rate at more than 44 per 100,000.

 

The city is on track to break its all-time murder record originally set in 1992, when Baltimore had 100,000 more residents.

[Bill Miller]

26 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

 

And the NFL players who "protest" at a FOOTBALL game?  they are not 'hypocrites'?  bring back football as football and stop all this political ping-pong.  VPOTUS did the right thing even though I loathe Republicans and the megalomaniac in the WH.

 

Disrespect is not about party politics.

No, they are not hypocrites.
They are protesting, peacefully, an extremely important dichotomy in American culture.
It in no way affects their performance once the whistle blows.
Pence is the ONLY one politicizing this eveny.
You might consider if you have some hidden racist tendencies. Many people are simply unaware of their unconscious prejudices.