As a Veteran of the US Navy - Saints, and Non-Saints (1 Viewer)

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David Robbins

Ole Miss Rocks!
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Maybe I shouldn't make a thread on this, but I don't want to reply to every thread on this subject. However, I have something to say. I served my Country in the US Navy for 6 years, and received an honorable Dishcharge for my service. I served to provide rights for everyone. Constitutional rights. We have a right to freedom of speech. This is for everyone, including for messages we don't like, such as the Nazi Party and so on. I don't condone hate messages like theirs, or anyone elses, but they do have the right to speak their minds on a subject.

Drew said something that a lot of people didn't agree with - including me - but, he had the right to say it. What he should have said was that according to his opinion......if he had done this, I don't think this would have gotten so blown up. Instead, it sounded like it was a wrong action to stand up - in the way you chose to do it - for what you believe in. KK is another who was let down in this way. He has basically been black balled from the NFL because of his freedom to speak his mind in a peaceful protest of kneeling during the National Anthem.

Now, here's the deal. Many people use the saying that when someone does this, it's because people are disrespecting the Veterans of the Military who have faithfully served their country. At first, I kinda took it that way myself. Then, all the publized killings began to happen, and I began to understand why people were protesting. It made me begin to look at their point of view in a different light.

Now, Drew has "stuck his foot in his mouth." However, I believe it's because of the way he worded his response. I don't think that he had it in for anyone, or their beliefs, or right to protest. If he had simply worded his response in a more sympathetic way, most of this backlash could have been avoided.

This country needs to be healed, and that could begin by more and more people banding together to try to fix the system. It's very obvious that there is a problem. Problems are meant to be solved. Instead of advancing the problem and "crucifying" Drew for his mis-worded response, everyone should accept his apology and move on. Everyone who knows Drew should know that he is no racist. He made a mistake, but it's fixable.

I don't really take offense if someone kneels during the anthem. I do take offense when forgiveness can't be accepted when asked for.

This recent "murder" of George Floyd was simply that - murder! I truly believe that if that had been a dog or a cat, the out cry would have been much more harsh. Maybe that's a perspective, but people take more offense over mistreatment of animals sometimes than they do of people. George Floyd was brutally murdered. But, I take more offense that it's taken all this time to arrest, and charge these so-called police officers for their crimes, than for a protest (peaceful).

Maybe this is just me, and how I feel. But, I felt I needed to express it.
 
Maybe I shouldn't make a thread on this, but I don't want to reply to every thread on this subject. However, I have something to say. I served my Country in the US Navy for 6 years, and received an honorable Dishcharge for my service. I served to provide rights for everyone. Constitutional rights. We have a right to freedom of speech. This is for everyone, including for messages we don't like, such as the Nazi Party and so on. I don't condone hate messages like theirs, or anyone elses, but they do have the right to speak their minds on a subject.

Drew said something that a lot of people didn't agree with - including me - but, he had the right to say it. What he should have said was that according to his opinion......if he had done this, I don't think this would have gotten so blown up. Instead, it sounded like it was a wrong action to stand up - in the way you chose to do it - for what you believe in. KK is another who was let down in this way. He has basically been black balled from the NFL because of his freedom to speak his mind in a peaceful protest of kneeling during the National Anthem.

Now, here's the deal. Many people use the saying that when someone does this, it's because people are disrespecting the Veterans of the Military who have faithfully served their country. At first, I kinda took it that way myself. Then, all the publized killings began to happen, and I began to understand why people were protesting. It made me begin to look at their point of view in a different light.

Now, Drew has "stuck his foot in his mouth." However, I believe it's because of the way he worded his response. I don't think that he had it in for anyone, or their beliefs, or right to protest. If he had simply worded his response in a more sympathetic way, most of this backlash could have been avoided.

This country needs to be healed, and that could begin by more and more people banding together to try to fix the system. It's very obvious that there is a problem. Problems are meant to be solved. Instead of advancing the problem and "crucifying" Drew for his mis-worded response, everyone should accept his apology and move on. Everyone who knows Drew should know that he is no racist. He made a mistake, but it's fixable.

I don't really take offense if someone kneels during the anthem. I do take offense when forgiveness can't be accepted when asked for.

This recent "murder" of George Floyd was simply that - murder! I truly believe that if that had been a dog or a cat, the out cry would have been much more harsh. Maybe that's a perspective, but people take more offense over mistreatment of animals sometimes than they do of people. George Floyd was brutally murdered. But, I take more offense that it's taken all this time to arrest, and charge these so-called police officers for their crimes, than for a protest (peaceful).

Maybe this is just me, and how I feel. But, I felt I needed to express it.
As I read it, in the context of the whole interview Drew didn't say anything out of step up to the point he was asked his opinion of how it relates to the flag and the anthem. I don't agree with him 100% but in true media/social media fashion the outrage machine chose to pick the snippet and push it out as if he was offering this up unsolicited and not that it was in the context of a wider discussion.

He has knelt and he has supported the protests but in his opinion he wants to draw the line at the flag and the anthem. Again, I don't agree 100% but that's his opinion and we need to figure out how to disagree on these things without rage and ritual public shaming.

This is an era of the Orwell/1984 style 2 minute hate of something but rather than once a day it is going on 24/7 loop.
 
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I asked this in another thread and will ask it again:

Drew has been steadfast in his belief that you shouldn't kneel during the anthem. Why did a belief he's held for several years all of a sudden become racist on June 3, 2020?

And the answer is that nothing he said can be construed as racist unless you're looking to make it racist.

I disagree that he made a mistake or that he said something wrong. He stated the opinion he's held for years while acknowledging his support for civil rights and other similar causes.
 
I just feel he has the right to his own opinion. He just needs to watch how he expresses said opinion.
 
I asked this in another thread and will ask it again:

Drew has been steadfast in his belief that you shouldn't kneel during the anthem. Why did a belief he's held for several years all of a sudden become racist on June 3, 2020?

And the answer is that nothing he said can be construed as racist unless you're looking to make it racist.

I disagree that he made a mistake or that he said something wrong. He stated the opinion he's held for years while acknowledging his support for civil rights and other similar causes.
You are using logic and we are in a time when logic is less and less welcome.

It's the unending scream of the digital mob.
 
As a honorably discharged vet from the Nam era, I understand Brees's compassion for honoring the flag and its meaning to this country. This is getting so out of control, I am beside myself and better end it here before I ramble on and I will not apologize🇺🇸
 
As a honorably discharged vet from the Nam era, I understand Brees's compassion for honoring the flag and its meaning to this country. This is getting so out of control, I am beside myself and better end it here before I ramble on and I will not apologize🇺🇸


Thank you for your service! And David as well.

I love Brees, and I don’t think he has a racist bone in his body. However, was struck me is when he said that “kneeling for the flag ... is disrespecting our country “. I definitely do not agree with that and here we are. I really believe that our team will be fine and play hard for each other when the season starts.
 
My family refers to me as a "bleeding heart liberal" but I firmly believe in 1st Amendment rights. He has the right to say things, even if you don't agree with them or don't understand his point of view. Instead of anger we should be having open dialogue to discuss our differences of opinion.
 
My family refers to me as a "bleeding heart liberal" but I firmly believe in 1st Amendment rights. He has the right to say things, even if you don't agree with them or don't understand his point of view. Instead of anger we should be having open dialogue to discuss our differences of opinion.
I don't have a problem with other teammates disagreeing with him. But to see his own teammates blasted him on social media like that was without calling him to discuss it like rational leaders, to me, is a punk move.
 
I asked this in another thread and will ask it again:

Drew has been steadfast in his belief that you shouldn't kneel during the anthem. Why did a belief he's held for several years all of a sudden become racist on June 3, 2020?

And the answer is that nothing he said can be construed as racist unless you're looking to make it racist.

I disagree that he made a mistake or that he said something wrong. He stated the opinion he's held for years while acknowledging his support for civil rights and other similar causes.

Who said he was racist? I've heard many people say insensitive and ignorant, but not racist. I think his opinion on the matter is flawed, because i think we can respect that an anthem is a sacred time for some but not others based on the color of their skin, and we could all benefit from understanding that reality. We should never make any sort of salute a litmus test, and I feel that those who get very offended at people peacefully protest during it have emotional ties that supersede realistic ones.
 
My family refers to me as a "bleeding heart liberal" but I firmly believe in 1st Amendment rights. He has the right to say things, even if you don't agree with them or don't understand his point of view. Instead of anger we should be having open dialogue to discuss our differences of opinion.

I'm probably the furthest left poster on this board but that should never mean anyone should assume i don't value the constitution. I don't know why people do that. Fear i guess. The first amendment is masterful and we all should appreciate it.
 
And you want to know how our society is screw up now. After what had happened in Minnesota, most of the hot topic is about the rioting/looting, people comments, famous people apologizing, and fake news have taken forefront over the main issue in hand.
 
This is what I think .....................(see what I did there???).

This is clearly a very sensitive issue for both sides. Well, I am a white man and have not been in the shoes of a black man. Nor would I ever understand the full matter of how it is to be an ethnic minority in my country. I did serve as a Sergeant in the Danish army for 2 years, as I went in to protect her Majesty, the most beautiful and oldest flag in the world = the Danish flag, as well as every citizen living legally in Denmark. That goes for pacifists, communists and socialists. Even if they peacefully protest about me being in the military, or protesting against the Kingdom of Denmark or our values. We are all different, and we need to protect diversity, democracy and racial equality. No matter what. It is about fairness, tolerence and integrity.

I never understood how anybody could be sensitive about players kneeling before your flag as a peaceful protest. They just want to be heard and start a real conversation. Better than looting and burning down buildings.
 
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