Ok, we need to take a moment and unpack everything that happened with the whole Philadelphia Eagles fiasco. So the Eagles, like every other championship team, were invited to come to the White House. By the time the beginning of this week rolled around, only about 10 people from the Eagles organization had decided they were going to make the trip to the White House. The others, for different personal reasons, had decided not to take the trip. After finding that out, Trump cancelled the Eagles visit.
Last September, Trump started a fight in Huntsville, Alabama, by suggesting that the NFL owners fire athletes who don't stand for the National Anthem. He said, "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He's fired. He's fired.'"
More recently, when Trump found out about the NFL's new anthem policy, he took it so far to suggest players shouldn't even be allowed in the country as he stated, "I think that's good. I don't think people should be staying in locker rooms but still I think it's good. You have to stand proudly for the national anthem. Or you shouldn't be playing, you shouldn't be there. Maybe you shouldn't be in the country. You have to stand proudly for the national anthem and the NFL owners did the right thing if that's what they've done."
Trump said in a statement Monday that some Eagles players, "disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country." The problem with that statement is that Trump obviously didn't do his homework. Not one of the Eagles last year during the regular or post season took a knee on the field during the anthem.
After Trump found that out, he put out another tweet saying, "The Philadelphia Eagles Football Team was invited to the White House. Unfortunately, only a small number of players decided to come, and we canceled the event. Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!" The Problem with that statement is that he was really trying to make a point that the Philadelphia Eagles did that, but they didn't.....it was the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wrong Team Mr. President....but hey, you got the right state at least.
The Mayor of Philadelphia weighed in about Trump by saying, "Disinviting them from the White house only proves that our President is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size and afraid of the embarrassment of throwing a party to which no one wants to attend." The Mayor also said, "There's no one more disrespectful to this country than the President...the guy talks about being patriotic, he avoided the draft five times in Vietnam."
The Mayor's Chief of Staff took it all one step farther in order to really touch the President in a place that hurts...his ego. The Chief of Staff posted side by side pictures of Trump's Inauguration and the Eagle's Celebration of their Championship with the message, "Our Party Was Bigger Than Yours #FlyEaglesFly".
So enough of unpacking it all, and unfortunately what I have put above is just the tip of the proverbial ice berg. I really want to get to the true point of my blog today. The President has no understanding of the United States Constitution.
I am a veteran of the war in Iraq. I am very proud to have served my country and will always be proud. I stand proud when the national anthem plays, with my hand over my heart. I get a lump in my throat every time I hear it. Having said that, I also understand that people have the right to peacefully protest by kneeling during the anthem. The first thing to point out is that these people are not protesting the flag. They are protesting what they feel to be racial injustice in the way Black Americans are treated by the police. It is deeper than that, but I think that does a good job of making the point that it isn't about the flag at all.
There is no requirement to stand for the anthem. The fact that the President wants to make it a requirement is ridiculous and unconstitutional. There's a reason the First Amendment was put first. The President shouldn't even be weighing in on this issue, just as he has weighed in on so many other issues he should have left alone.
There was a time in recent years when I felt the same way many others do...that you cannot kneel because it is disrespectful. The interesting thing that changed my mind...educating myself. The President needs to dig deep and educate himself. He won't, but that is what he needs to do.
To the Philadelphia Eagles, I commend you on your personal decisions not to come to the White House. I respect those who were still going to travel to the White House. I commend you all on the great work you do in your communities and for charities around the globe. Props to your organization, your Mayor, your Mayor's Chief of Staff, and so many other great people who spoke up yesterday against this ridiculous Trump Show. You are the champions, and I do agree, it looks like more people showed up to your party than Trump's.
#Go49ers! #49er4Life (Sorry, I had to plug my team)
DUNK
Last September, Trump started a fight in Huntsville, Alabama, by suggesting that the NFL owners fire athletes who don't stand for the National Anthem. He said, "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He's fired. He's fired.'"
More recently, when Trump found out about the NFL's new anthem policy, he took it so far to suggest players shouldn't even be allowed in the country as he stated, "I think that's good. I don't think people should be staying in locker rooms but still I think it's good. You have to stand proudly for the national anthem. Or you shouldn't be playing, you shouldn't be there. Maybe you shouldn't be in the country. You have to stand proudly for the national anthem and the NFL owners did the right thing if that's what they've done."
Trump said in a statement Monday that some Eagles players, "disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country." The problem with that statement is that Trump obviously didn't do his homework. Not one of the Eagles last year during the regular or post season took a knee on the field during the anthem.
After Trump found that out, he put out another tweet saying, "The Philadelphia Eagles Football Team was invited to the White House. Unfortunately, only a small number of players decided to come, and we canceled the event. Staying in the Locker Room for the playing of our National Anthem is as disrespectful to our country as kneeling. Sorry!" The Problem with that statement is that he was really trying to make a point that the Philadelphia Eagles did that, but they didn't.....it was the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wrong Team Mr. President....but hey, you got the right state at least.
The Mayor of Philadelphia weighed in about Trump by saying, "Disinviting them from the White house only proves that our President is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size and afraid of the embarrassment of throwing a party to which no one wants to attend." The Mayor also said, "There's no one more disrespectful to this country than the President...the guy talks about being patriotic, he avoided the draft five times in Vietnam."
The Mayor's Chief of Staff took it all one step farther in order to really touch the President in a place that hurts...his ego. The Chief of Staff posted side by side pictures of Trump's Inauguration and the Eagle's Celebration of their Championship with the message, "Our Party Was Bigger Than Yours #FlyEaglesFly".
So enough of unpacking it all, and unfortunately what I have put above is just the tip of the proverbial ice berg. I really want to get to the true point of my blog today. The President has no understanding of the United States Constitution.
I am a veteran of the war in Iraq. I am very proud to have served my country and will always be proud. I stand proud when the national anthem plays, with my hand over my heart. I get a lump in my throat every time I hear it. Having said that, I also understand that people have the right to peacefully protest by kneeling during the anthem. The first thing to point out is that these people are not protesting the flag. They are protesting what they feel to be racial injustice in the way Black Americans are treated by the police. It is deeper than that, but I think that does a good job of making the point that it isn't about the flag at all.
There is no requirement to stand for the anthem. The fact that the President wants to make it a requirement is ridiculous and unconstitutional. There's a reason the First Amendment was put first. The President shouldn't even be weighing in on this issue, just as he has weighed in on so many other issues he should have left alone.
There was a time in recent years when I felt the same way many others do...that you cannot kneel because it is disrespectful. The interesting thing that changed my mind...educating myself. The President needs to dig deep and educate himself. He won't, but that is what he needs to do.
To the Philadelphia Eagles, I commend you on your personal decisions not to come to the White House. I respect those who were still going to travel to the White House. I commend you all on the great work you do in your communities and for charities around the globe. Props to your organization, your Mayor, your Mayor's Chief of Staff, and so many other great people who spoke up yesterday against this ridiculous Trump Show. You are the champions, and I do agree, it looks like more people showed up to your party than Trump's.
#Go49ers! #49er4Life (Sorry, I had to plug my team)
DUNK
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