If you want Drew Brees to be forgiven (1 Viewer)

[Swimmer]

I don't agree friend. Let's follow Demario Davis' lead. Forgive those who realize their mistakes. Lets discuss and make progress together.

Perfect^. Unless the world changed over the past few hours, we are all human. In martial arts awareness training, they teach us to know our minds and egos. We people may call them different things, but it's our minds. The way we think, feel and react are a product of our ancestors, parents, family, schools, politics, etc..., before we could make-up our own minds. If we had an abusive or drunk parent, that behavior is embedded in our minds.

I don't think there's one thing in any religion or philosophy that promotes actively acting out our minds' thoughts and emotions. So we as humans live an existence where our minds often tell us one thing, often anger or fear based, and our ethics, morals and goals tell us "Don't do that." It's rarely a clear line and when a great man, Drew Brees, who has a life history of helping the less fortunate and his fellow players says one thing that was not well thought through, he is only being human. True leaders and caring people recognize the harm they have caused, sincerely apologize and make a plan going forward to ensure he/she does no more harm in that area.

Crucifying a person with a life long history of compassion for others over one statement is a world I do not care to live in. The hypocrites will pounce on the person who made the human mistake, act completely self-righteous that they would never do or say anything like that and then proceed to blindly condemn the other. This attacking type behavior is the action of cowards and self-deceivers who ultimately want to play victim. The interesting part about us humans playing victim is that it often falsely supports our aggressive and hate propelled acts.

Time to grow-up, touch a little deeper compassion, get in touch with our human roots and try to grow.

I understand the reactions of many of the team. I also realize this is a super emotionally charged time in history. But when Drew apologized and took the charge to lead change, what more can a human do to be respectful, caring and classy than that?

 

[NeverGiveUP2]

Team is fractured won’t see anything close to a sb this year..Just my opinion

Nothing that a 3-0 start won't heal.... However if we start 0-3 things could get ugly real fast

 

[BIGRON]

Drew's comments is going to be the focal point topic every game this season. Reporters will continue to bring it up especially if he struggle on offense. Look for road teams to probably have some type of protest and it could possible go as far as Drew having his TV contract revoked for Sunday Night Football because of the conflict.

 

[SuperSaint]

If you have to ask the question, you're most likely part of it.

That's a stupid statement.

 

[brd13]

My take.. the man apologized and I believe it's sincere (time will tell). The ones who won't forgive him or at least give a chance to put his words into action I don't quite understand. Hurt , anger, frustration, caution I get, but to not give him a chance I don't understand. These are the situations where there is some hope for change.. save the anger for people who won't or can't change, work with the ones who are trying to or willing to listen and admit mistakes. The problem will never be fixed without the willingness to listen, admit mistakes and work together.

 

[No2DC]

I think it's on his teammates at this point.

 

[26ISTHEMAN]

You missed the point of the article as well. There is a classic novel written by Ralph Ellison called Invisible Man. Drew's word centered around his family's service and what that taught him about the flag. At that point Drew was totally unaware that Blacks have fought in every war in this country's history but they never received the hero's welcome that Drew's grandfather received, instead they were discriminated against and sometimes lynched. Black service in the military was apparently invisible to Drew in his statements about the flag. From the article:

"Please understand what I am telling you. White German men who killed American servicemen and had been captured and kept in Baton Rouge had more rights than Black American citizens.

He said White enemy POWs having more rights than he did was a scar that never healed for him. He was so traumatized by it that he waited more than 40 years to discuss it with me".
The issue is inequality and police brutality, and Drew talked about the flag without understanding that we have different views on the flag. Yes the author may have misquoted Drew, but you totally missed the point about different American experiences with military.

I didn’t miss the point of the article at all, but what is clear is that you missed the point of my post. Drew was vilified for his words, and the gentleman who wrote the article paraphrased what Drew wrote, and in my opinion, that’s unfair. If you have an issue with what someone says, don’t change their words to fit your argument. If you have to amend the statement you found offensive or have to offer your interpretation of it, maybe it wasn’t so offensive in the first place.

 

[MLU]

Not enough. Those who are unwilling to accept his apology will never forgive him. So why exactly should he waste his team trying to appease people? If he does anything at all, it should be on his own free will and not coerced by the masses.

I feel 100% comfortable saying that Drew Brees doesn't give a **** what anyone outside the locker room thinks and he is not trying to please anyone or mend any relationships outside of that.

 

[ElGatoNegro]

The guy isn't some kind of moral compass. I do not care if he is forgiven. People need to put their feelings away and do their jobs.

 

[Changeling]

We need to get out an protest his apology and say that we believe him in standing up for the flag.. dont worry his teammates and nfl players will st art backing him again.

That’s some pretty twisted up logic there. Maybe try the parallel bars?

 

[CRESS_137]

We need to get out an protest his apology and say that we believe him in standing up for the flag.. dont worry his teammates and nfl players will st art backing him again.

You're not helping. This is a straight troll thread and should be removed.

 

[St4ever]

You know that I have pretty much kept quite since Drew’s statement. I really wanted to let it sink in along with his apology and all the negative comments he received from it. I will be honest it did make me upset that he was being hammered for having his own feelings towards the flag since he deserves to own those feelings and what they mean to him personally. I was really mad at MJ for telling him to just shut the F up. But I thought about it and decided he also has a right to his own feelings about the flag and the protest. Who am I to judge these guys on what they post on social media where too many times things are taken out of context!

while I feel strong about not kneeling for the National Anthem it is because it is how I was raised and not how others may of been raised. I will try not to judge others for kneeling if they will not judge me for standing. Please do not try to make it a your either with us or against us thing. This will not be how to help get everyone working towards better understanding and moving forwards. If when I stand up with my hand over my heart during the Anthem and shed tears like I normally do it is because I respect our country, maybe not everything going on within it but our country as a whole. If people start yelling at me and calling me names for doing what I proudly do they will only reinforce their hatred and misunderstanding of others and place themselves in the ”your either with us or against us” group. Is that group any better then the same one their fighting against? I can still work within myself to become a better person and see the issues you desire me to and help work towards a better life for all of us.
i too will work towards becoming a better person for all races. And just for the records, I really do not think I see color as much as I do peoples personalities and how they treat people. I do not care to be around the bullies since I was bullied as a kid in school most of my life for being so small. I have had more brothers stand up for me then my own color throughout my life, I like to think it has always been from the way we treated each other. The only people I truly detest is the serious thugs who value life as nothing and respect no ones life.

 

[No2DC]

I didn’t miss the point of the article at all, but what is clear is that you missed the point of my post. Drew was vilified for his words, and the gentleman who wrote the article paraphrased what Drew wrote, and in my opinion, that’s unfair. If you have an issue with what someone says, don’t change their words to fit your argument. If you have to amend the statement you found offensive or have to offer your interpretation of it, maybe it wasn’t so offensive in the first place.

Did the paraphasing undercut the essence of Drew's position?

 

[26ISTHEMAN]

Did the paraphasing undercut the essence of Drew's position?

I’m not sure what you mean by “undercut the essence,“ but I’ll do my best to answer what I think you’re asking. The gentleman accused Drew of not respecting the players who kneel, when Drew said he did not agree with the form of protest. IMO, those are two diefferent things, and suggesting Drew did not respect Kaepernick (ie the black man protesting), it attaches a much more sinister meaning to Drew’s comments. Perhaps it wasn’t his intention, but that’s the point I’m trying to make. If he was offended by what Drew said, he should not have changed them.

 

[No2DC]

I’m not sure what you mean by “undercut the essence,“ but I’ll do my best to answer what I think you’re asking. The gentleman accused Drew of not respecting the players who kneel, when Drew said he did not agree with the form of protest. IMO, those are two diefferent things, and suggesting Drew did not respect Kaepernick (ie the black man protesting), it attaches a much more sinister meaning to Drew’s comments. Perhaps it wasn’t his intention, but that’s the point I’m trying to make. If he was offended by what Drew said, he should not have changed them.

Fair enough. I don't think that was the intention of the op-ed, but nevertheless I think I understand your interpretation better.