Trump indirectly warns players over kneeling at Super Bowl

I miss the Obama years, 

I don't.

U.S. President Donald Trump indirectly warned players in Sunday's Super Bowl football championship not to kneel in protest.

It's interesting that according to the unnamed author of this article - Trump did NOT actually warn players in Sunday's Super Bowl football championship not to kneel in protest. The unnamed author even provided a quote of what Trump actually did say. 

It's also interesting/amusing that so many posters are choosing to act/complain as if Trump actually said something other than what the unnamed author says he did.

U.S. President Donald Trump indirectly warned players in Sunday's Super Bowl football championship not to kneel in protest.

Trump did NOT warn players in Sunday's Super Bowl football championship not to kneel in protest. In this article, written by an unnamed source,

Wow.

Trump never had any credibility speaking for people other than himself and his greedy horde - he has less now.

Likewise there is a big difference between an anonymous office drone acting out, and a pro football entertainer who is expected weekly to show off his attitude, latching onto a national protest movement. There might be a competitive quilting league if the hardcore posturing of NFL players is not for you. Study up on the crazy characters in the game long before Kaepernick came around. You don't remember all the crap stirred up by people like Brian Bosworth way back when?

I had a feeling someone would try to make an argument using unions as an example. There is a big difference between a union wide vote to strike, and an office worker standing on top of desk craeating a spectacle of himself. If the NFL players union voted YES to kneel at games, then that would be different.

Who can protest at work and keep their job? I'll take a crack at that slow pitch softball--people in unions such as nurses, teachers, Hollywood personnel (heck even Ronnie Reagan used his union leadership role as a stepping stone into politics), and... ta da... pro athletes, including here in Japan. If your knowledge of Japan goes back more than a decade, you can remember players union head Furuta allowing a one week walkout to preserve NPB's twelve team system. Of course no job losses resulted.

Trump indirectly warns players over kneeling at Super Bowl

Protest on your own free time, not when your at your job. Get out of your Cadillacs and Hummers and get out in the neighborhosd streets. They are probably afraid of getting their gold rings stolen. Who can protest at work and not run the risk of getting fired?

If taking a knee in silent protest is disrespectful to our troops, what is taking Putin's word over your own intelligence agencies? Respecting the hard working Americans protecting us?

How many of you who are in Japan stand respectfully for the Japanese anthem? Any of you disrespect it or the flag here? Why not?

I try to avoid anthems by leaving the room, so nobody is offended by me not standing. I always feel awkward standing for any anthem, my own country included. But I don't have a problem with those who stand. Or kneel. It's their right.

People keep talking about doing something about kneeling during the anthem

But people don't talk about doing anything about the reasons why they're kneeling in the first place (just shrugging them off as non-reasons)

Ya guys are not gonna solve this continuing that way

@CG, it was a way to cheer up Americans during wartime, modified more recently by the Department of Defense paying money directly to sports teams to produce camo uniforms, put on patriotic displays while armed services branch logos were shown, etc. That funding has been curtailed now, but we are still stuck with a confusing hodge podge that, you're right, has little if any connection to the game being shown. All the pro sports teams have star players who are not American citizens, for starters. So the anthem might be used to reassure ultra-nationalists who would be upset by reminders of teams' growing foreign membership.

What’s the point in singing the national anthem at a domestic sports match anyway? No other country does it besides the US, as far as I know.

BlacklabelToday  12:31 pm JST

People have the right to kneel if they want, but they should consider who it makes people feel who had their loved ones come back in a box with that flag on top of it. 

I'm sure they do consider it. And they give just as much weight to that consideration as most Americans give to the disproportionate levels of deadly violence American police use against suspects (including innocent suspects) of color compared to white suspects.

You're uncomfortable with someone kneeling. You're never going to get shot because someone knelt. That's what the difference is between the two messages here. If the price for getting more Americans to think about the deadly systemic racism in their society is a little discomfort at the start of a sporting event, I'd say that's an acceptable price to pay.

Ah, that game. Apologies for my misunderstanding - and congratulations to that bird-named team! (Seagulls?) My point stands, though.

In that case, all the guardians of the nonexistent rule about standing straight while wearing shiny tights and colored pads at pro football games will get a few months breather. Geez, how will they ever make productive use of their time now? What will Vice President Pence do to get attention if he can't walk out before a game even starts (a luxury only afforded to those whose tickets are comped by the government).

@Laguna sorry, Im talking about the actual GAME that was held today. There will be no more kneeling before football games because today was the last game of the season.

Anyway the game is over so won’t have to hear about this for half a year and can move on to something productive

See, that's the problem - that some consider this a "game." Russia certainly hacked various US databases and released info timed for maximum impact. Game? Certain individuals within Trump's inner circle were undoubtedly, at a minimum, aware of what was happening contemporaneously. Game?

It is not a game. It could well bring down the Trump presidency - and that explains the White House pretense rather than cooperation. Frankly, I can't think of anything more productive to do at the moment than get to the root of this; even many GOPers share my sentiment.

That was a mature and well written post by Blacklabel.

As a veteran, what do you think of the rules of engagement in quasi-wartime? Trash 'em? So then how would we be able to make war crimes determinations and put people on trial--you know, rule of law, blah blah blah.

McCain won his senate elections for decades, gaining enough seniority to head various committees. Doesn't that give him free reign to spout off against the fellow geriatric Johnny-come-lately in the White House?

Jimizo: I respect the fact that John McCain served his country in time of war. But it doesnt automatically make him exempt from any legitimate debates about the decisions he makes and the policies he supports. McCain seems to think it allows him free reign to do and say anything.

Evasive.

Do you think Trump was justified in claiming that McCain wasn’t a war hero and stating that he respects “people” ( note the plural ) who were not captured?

I see that as extraordinarily disrespectful trash. It amazes me that he got a pass from his supporters.

Anyway the game is over so won’t have to hear about this for half a year and can move on to something productive

I wrote something long to explain, but this isnt about me so I deleted it.

@Jimizo: I respect the fact that John McCain served his country in time of war. But it doesnt automatically make him exempt from any legitimate debates about the decisions he makes and the policies he supports. McCain seems to think it allows him free reign to do and say anything.

@Tommy: thanks, I was just fortunate I didnt have to give up my life, limbs or health like others did. My contribution was miniscule compared to many. People have the right to kneel if they want, but they should consider who it makes people feel who had their loved ones come back in a box with that flag on top of it. Find a different symbol to protest whatever issue it is, the flag and anthem already symbolizes something else.

@Laguna: I dont see it as an attack on the FBI itself and I dont think the memo vindicates Trump. he is just looking for something, anything to prove he didnt do anything with Russia so we can move on. FBI deserves respect along with other law enforcement but same as McCain it doesnt exempt them from being called out for doing illegal things. Which I feel this surveillance on a US citizen was.

My opinion, Page wasnt the target, Trump was. Page resigned end of Sep 2016 yet the FISA was Oct 2016 and renewed 3 more times. FBI didnt tell the judge this was from Hillary and the guy that wrote the dossier was fired as FBI source in Sep 2016. This was a partisan attempt to spy on Trump (to me). I dont want to live in a place where this is ok (for either side). Because if this is ok, Trump can do it in 2020, right?

@bas4 military are allowed to do their jobs and don’t have to worry about being restraint or the Rules of engagement muddling their objectives.

I appreciate your perspective. People who've never served in the military need to have their voices heard, too. All perspectives should be considered.

My perspective is that he US military should ALWAYS be concerned with rules of engagement and restraint. If not, My Lai's occur. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_Massacre

'Don't have to worry about being restrained' --that's about enough perversion for one day fella (though seriously look at Missouri's GOP military vet governor Greitens bondage blackmail case to give new meaning to using restraint).

bass4funkToday  12:01 pm JST

, when the POTUS didn't routinely demand Americans not practice their 1st Amendment rights like this one does.

Had no idea loving your country and being patriotic was a foul word.

They aren't and no one said they were, as the part of my post you quoted shows. The President of the United States demanding US citizens voluntarily relinquish their 1st Amendment rights, however, is dirty af.

@Bass

This is Trump’s quote:

He's not a war hero,..He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured.

He used the plural “people”. Clearly not just referring to McCain. It’s like saying I like people who don’t retweet dodgy racist trash from headbangers. It’s clearlg not referring to a single person.

Anyway, do you agree that McCain ceased to be a war hero the moment he disagreed with Trump?

This:

Had no idea loving your country and being patriotic was a foul word.

is a completely irrelevant response to this:

, when the POTUS didn't routinely demand Americans not practice their 1st Amendment rights like this one does.

That's irrelevant response number one on this thread.

The President never insulted the military or POWs, he insulted one John McCain

John McCain was a POW.

“He’s not a war hero,” Trump said. Sarcastically, Trump quipped, “He’s a war hero because he was captured.” Then, he added, “I like people that weren’t captured.”

How can anyone attempt with a straight face to paint this comment as not disparaging towards POWs? Doing so is intellectually dishonest.

Not at all, the man has definitely more respect than the last President

Except Trump doesn't. From saying he knows more than the generals to railing against Gold Star Families to having dodged service in Vietnam, Trump does not have more respect than Obama for the military. It is all lib-service. Anyone that cannot understand this is ignorant beyond hope.

I miss the Obama years

I don’t!

, when the POTUS didn't routinely demand Americans not practice their 1st Amendment rights like this one does.

Had no idea loving your country and being patriotic was a foul word.

Doesn’t the sound of draft-dodging Trump, a man who insulted POWs in the most egregious manner, including insulting a man who spent nightmarish years being tortured, make you think this is just a plastic patriot making hay? 

The President never insulted the military or POWs, he insulted one John McCain

I get that sense. Any politician worth his or her salt is an opportunist, but Trump talking about respect for the armed forces is laughable.

Not at all, the man has definitely more respect than the last President and morale is higher at least the military are allowed to do their jobs and don’t have to worry about being restraint or the Rules of engagement muddling their objectives.

Black, those who work for law enforcement agencies (such as the FBI) deserve an equal amount of respect as the military - as do other public servants such as nurses and school teachers. Bad apples exist everywhere and (if I may mix metaphores) must be weeded out. Is that what you observe occurring? Or do you see a wholesale attack on an enemy perceived personally dangerous to Trump? And how damaging is that to American society?

There is no defending this man-child.

Blacklabel: Thanks for having walked the walk to protect non-veterans/service members ability to enjoy the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.

@Blacklabel

I always take your posts seriously on this topic as you actually walked the walk and joined the armed forces.

Doesn’t the sound of draft-dodging Trump, a man who insulted POWs in the most egregious manner, including insulting a man who spent nightmarish years being tortured, make you think this is just a plastic patriot making hay?

I get that sense. Any politician worth his or her salt is an opportunist, but Trump talking about respect for the armed forces is laughable.

Bintaro: Brilliant post. The only thing I would add is that the Flag Code is simply a suggestion. The government cannot actually punish people for violating the flag code because that would be infringement on the First Amendments guarantee of free speech. Of course, barely-literate Trump supporters wouldn't know any of this unless it was told to them by Hannity, Trump, et. al.

https://www.thedailyflag.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/usflag.pdf

 The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery.

https://shop.donaldjtrump.com/products/team-trump-2016-mens-short-sleeve-t-shirt-white

The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. 

https://shop.donaldjtrump.com/products/trump-pence-patriotic-coolies-set-of-2

https://shop.donaldjtrump.com/products/official-trump-pence-presidential-sticker-pack-of-10

You are all very welcome.

I'll bet that a lot of these conservative critics of kneeling (including Trump) would have no problem with it if the players were protesting abortion or crimes committed by illegal immigrants. The whole "respect for our military" is just a useful smokescreen. What they don't like about the players taking a knee is "uppity" blacks bringing up the uncomfortable topic of racism in police departments.

Since when has "disrespect" meant "demonstrate a disrespectful attitude towards"?

The subtleties of correct English are clearly too much for some.

Mr Putin's not going to be so tolerant when you have to learn Russian, a decade or so down the line....

 No contradiction there.

Contradictions abound in free societies where individuals make choices.

Veterans against (whichever) war, is that a contradiction?

Veterans upset because people didn't stand for the flag, veterans upset because some got upset they didn't stand for the flag, and all points in between, varying by situation and circumstance. And that's just covering veterans.

Only extremists want to paint issues as either/or, want to make individuals march lock step.

Thanks for the reminder that the anti-US crackpot ideas we see here are ONE gentleman falling for the nonsense of ONE television network (whose staff are always too busy settling sex abuse lawsuits to credibly care about their country).

If kneeling is disrespectful and the military fights for people to be able to be disrespectful, then the military fights for people to be able o disrespect the flag and the anthem. Of course, none of the players are disrespecting the flag or anthem, no matter how loudly conservatives scream otherwise.

people fight and die for your right to be disrespectful while hoping you won’t be. No contradiction there.

taken from ONE soldier at the suggestion of ONE soldier......fixed it for you.

He simply tried to make a disrespectful situation (sitting) into one that was somewhat less disrespectful(kneeling) . Did this ex-soldier kneel alongside Kaeperick? Nope he STOOD. So he knows its not ok.

BlacklabelToday  10:16 am JST

Yes, kneeling is disrespectful. 

"Disrespectful" to what? It can't be disrespectful to the flag or the anthem or US soldiers, as this gesture was taken from our soldiers at the suggestion of our soldiers. So who or what is it disrespectful to?

It's disrespectful to the racism inherent in the US police system, and that's all it's disrespectful to. People lie to try and misdirect the target of that disrespect, either because they are so sensitive they can't handle the idea that the US still has racism influencing our systems, or because they like the racism influencing our systems.

And frankly, I think anyone who is a member of either group deserves some disrespect.

Trump's got this weird penchant of keeping flags from the four branches of service behind him whenever photographed and referring to "my generals." Maybe it's a mommy issue. But the Pentagon had better stay on his good side - there is no one he will not turn on on a dime if he feels slighted.

Wow, sounds like he loves his country or something crazy like that.....

Yes, kneeling is disrespectful. This isnt church and this isnt at the grave of a dead comrade and none of these people doing this before the game have served in the military.

This one ex Green Beret guy figured out that kneeling is at least better than sitting, which is what that guy was already doing prior to that. Thus the "middle ground" part of his comment.

Trump's got this weird penchant of keeping flags from the four branches of service behind him whenever photographed and referring to "my generals." Maybe it's a mommy issue. But the Pentagon had better stay on his good side - there is no one he will not turn on on a dime if he feels slighted.

In a few days, the Winter Olympics will play the national anthems of gold medal winners from any country. I expect all lazy bums up off the sofa, adjust your underwear, and be at attention. The athletes earned it.

BlacklabelToday  09:55 am JST

How many of you who are in Japan stand respectfully for the Japanese anthem? Any of you disrespect it or the flag here? Why not?

Kneeling is not disrespecting the flag. Kaepernick got the idea from retired Green Beret Nate Boyer.

"We sorta came to a middle ground where he would take a knee alongside his teammates," Boyer told CBS. "Soldiers take a knee in front of a fallen brother's grave, you know, to show respect. When we're on a patrol, you know, and we go into a security halt, we take a knee, and we pull security."

Right-wingers need to quit lying about this. Kaepernick kneeling is respecting the flag, and also drawing attention to the vast numbers of fallen black people whose deaths at the hands of police have been completely needless. If you think drawing attention to the injustice committed by American police is disrespect, you need to re-examine your priorities.

I have no need to kneel in Japan because the Japanese police force does not routinely murder innocent foreigners. While there is definitely institutionalized racism here like in the US that does affect our qualities of life, it almost never actually ends our lives.

However, I refuse to learn the lyrics to Kimigayo and refuse to sing along when it is sung around me because I do not wish to support any emperor, nor do I wish to participate in the nationalist drive to force teachers to sing.

No the military doesn’t fight for people to be able to disrespect the flag and the anthem. People die for that flag and for our country.

what they do fight for is for the right of someone to not be jailed or beaten up when they choose to disrespect our nation. Basically giving everyone the right to act like an idiot, while hoping people won’t be.

So everyone has rights, yes. But a considerate person thinks about how the use of their rights in the place they are the time makes others feel.

A considerate person can sometimes just internalize their rights for the sake of others. Sometimes it’s not about you and “muh rights” it’s simply about consideration for others.

How many of you who are in Japan stand respectfully for the Japanese anthem? Any of you disrespect it or the flag here? Why not?

Trump's base far too ignorant and fearful to understand that kneeling during the anthem is exactly what members of the armed forces fight to protect.

Buss Jr. = Bush Jr. (as I sure most of you could understand) Doh!

katsu78 Today  09:15 am JST

I miss the Obama years, when the POTUS didn't routinely demand Americans not practice their 1st Amendment rights like this one does.

Hell, I even miss the Buss Jr. years.

Maria Today  09:28 am JST

When 'respect' for a song and a flag take precedence over humans and their civil rights, you have a problem with priorities.

This sums up my feelings exactly. Well put.

tsk. precedence.

When 'respect' for a song and a flag take precendence over humans and their civil rights, you have a problem with priorities.

This is the authoritarian leader who admires people like Putin and Duterte.

A man who has practiced racism against black people in business and beliefs.

His utterances about "freedom" are meaningless.

I wish football season were year round so liberals could keep losing on this issue. Too bad this is the last game but luckily season starts again before elections.

a majority of Americans will never accept that liberals and Dems actually advocate not standing for our anthem and not respecting our flag.

I miss the Obama years, when the POTUS didn't routinely demand Americans not practice their 1st Amendment rights like this one does.

It's a football game.

What has kneeling, standing, anthems, the military, got to do with it anyways?

Well, I hope his support for the brave women and men of the military extends to better support for veterans.

As he should, he is making America great again!

Silent protest makes thunderous noise; you don't have to shout a single word. Taking the knee was never against the flag, the anthem, or America; it was against social injustice. Our President speaks loudly favoring just the opposite.

I applaud these NFL players in their quiet determination to make their point. They have every right to do so.

particularly the brave men and women of our Armed Forces,"

who are doing a job rich, privileged class people like Trump were unwilling to do because his rich daddy's doctor sold his family an out (bone spurs?) from military service and because Trump was too busy 'avoiding STD's'. On a rich note, it is rich hearing him say something positive about the military after saying so many negative things about gold star parents, POWs, KIAs, etc.

not to kneel in protest

Land of the freedoms rapidly disappearing under the Trump regime. His respect for the military is limited to their roles in protecting corporation's, many of which he has shares in, global resource control efforts.

Trump thinks POWs are losers for being captured. He's the perfect man to stand up for our armed forces.

Trump indirectly warns players over kneeling at Super Bowl

That's a way to ensure kneeling is a certainty, Bonespur Donnie.