The United States or American is full of people telling it like it is. That’s fine,
it’s written in our rights. Have you EVER read the First Amendment?
Yes, sometimes it’s gotten violent, but then people have
come out to calm them down. Here are
some violent ones:
- Police militarization and the death of an unarmed teen sparked riots in Ferguson, Missouri - August 9, 2014
- The LA riots were the largest and most well-chronicled in American history - April 29, 1992
- The little known riot of 1835 that shaped the American political landscape - August 1835
- The Democratic National Convention riots that forever changed the public's perception of government Chicago, Illinois - summer of 1968
- The Watts riots of 1965 were a pivotal point in the African-American Civil Rights Movement - August 1965
- The riots that paved the way for LGBT rights Greenwich Village - June 28, 1969
- The "Battle In Seattle" that was the precursor to the Occupy movement - November 1999
- The riots that were a turning point for Latino culture in America East LA - June 1943
- Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 Wilmington, North Carolina - November 10, 1898
- New York City Draft Riots New York - July 13, 1863
- Battle of Blair Mountain southwest West Virginia - August 1921
- Richmond Bread Riots Richmond, Virginia - April 2, 1863
- Battle of Athens Athens, Tennessee - August 1, 1946
- Shays’ Rebellion Springfield, Massachusetts - January 1787
All of these are because a group of people had something to protest against. In later years, usually within hours
the president comes out and as people usually look up to him and agree the
violence went too far but eventually it stops.
With Trump? Nope. He tells us fault is on both sides even if
one side wasn’t violent and had come looking for the nonviolent side. Then he goes on to almost praise white supremacists? (Credit for first video below is from Time)
When Trump’s coming out didn’t seem to do anything but fuel
this on, he spoke out again (see Trump's Twitter account for credit).
And this, as you can tell, is a scripted Trump. On many sides...hmmm what sides are they?
Since then, you can tell if it’s scripted he still gets his
point across but its hidden. When it’s not scripted? Anything can happen.
Kneeling Protest
 |
| Credit Pictured is Colin Kaepernick, right, and Eric Reid of the San Francisco 49ers kneel in protest |
People went up in arms and it was talked about. It was
brought up as being disrespectful. However, it’s within our rights as American
citizens.
The First Protest which Becomes Kneeling
Did you know the
first protest was not kneeling, but sittingon the bench? It wasn’t noticed for 2 weeks. Yes, 2 weeks. Kaepernick (pictured
above) did it for two weeks before being asked about it. He reasoning, which
hasn’t changed, was due to how certain races were being treated and he was
doing it in protest. He talked to his team and it was decided kneeling would be
more respectful than sitting on the bench, so the next time he knelt, which is
where the picture above was taken in Week 1 of the 2016 NFL season.
When Kneeling becomes political
Throughout the 2016 NFL season it was talked about, but
people could see where he was coming from and it wasn’t violent or flashed in
people’s faces. In fact, the only reason why it was brought up was because
someone asked the question about why he did it.
Now we come to the 2017 NFL season. No one was talking about
kneeling or anything until….
And then another followup.
This appeared. Then things went haywire. All of a sudden a
calm, silent protest went to un-American and unpatriotic to say a few of
them. Now kneeling meant you didn’t
respect the men and women who serve the country or the country itself. What the
hell? It was never meant a protest or anything to do with the USA.
The kneeling thing was due to rights of a certain group of
people moron. All it takes is a bit of research instead of spouting off at the mouth without looking it up or talking to the person who started it all.
It was NEVER to do with America or the services of the USA.
However, because of Trump’s tweet, and how uneducated and how forgetful people
are, the so called president has made into this firestorm that never SHOULD
have been.
In fact, my father, I and my family have all served in the military.
My father, nephews, and uncles went in and signed up and did the time, but it
was my family who kept the household going and dealt with moving, and all of
their emotional crap when they got home. In fact, even after serving my father
is still like he’s in the Navy, by the way it controls life, what he says and
does. The way I look at it my father got out after serving his 20, but he’s in
it for life.
Guess what? His family, even though we never signed on, is
in it for life too. Trump did get one thing mostly right in a tweet.
I've said this before, although the US has had some problems (but what people/country don't?), America was great and didn't have to become it again. It WAS great until Trump got in.
By having Trump come out and say what he did? He dirtied
that institution and everyone, including its families, which have served as
much as the soldiers which signed on.
Nothing should touch the soldiers, submariners, SEALs and
many others which have freely given their lives and the families who have given
up their loved ones either by death or by service, like mine has. Nothing. You
use them to make a point felt, like this person has, and it’s a cheap shot that
didn’t need to be done.
I thought I was the only one that felt this way…until others
let their blood cool and spoke out as well.
My hat’s off to these people and I would gladly stand beside
them in honor. Trump? I will never stand beside him. Ever.
Trump and laws on hiring/firing
Then Trump went even further in one of his next tweets. Misleading people as to the real reason why the kneeling was happening.
Seriously? Fire people for protesting? And the main public servant
is using his position to influence businesses? Crazy. I had to close my eyes,
shake my head at this one. Then I asked myself could he do this? Was it against
the law?
This is where it gets tricky. Why? Because Trump is playing with those First Amendment rights I've outlined at the start. To use a
political magazine who deals with the law:
"If the president’s words are designed to trigger the legal suppression of citizen speech, he may likely be violating the First Amendment."
"The president has also engaged in a verbal campaign designed to suppress speech that offends him. We know that speech cannot be censored merely because it is offensive."
This is the tricky part. Is he trying to censor speech (in a way) to limit the treatments of minorities? Or how
the author of the article puts it:
"In some ways, Trump’s behavior is even worse than the Rhode Island commission’s. Whereas the commission aimed to suppress obscenity, a category of expression without legal protection, Trump’s ire is directed at core political speech protesting law enforcement’s unfair treatment of minorities. Trump’s allies have already begun organizing boycotts (for example, a “Turn off the NFL” campaign) to give teeth to the president’s intemperate attacks."
And what Trump IS doing IS working. I cringe again. What IS saving him?
"For all Trump’s braggadocio, there is no indication that he is invoking the law enforcement apparatus of the federal government to harass or sanction NFL players who are taking a knee."
Instead he's turning to the sports - NFL, NASCAR, Golf, etc to do his dirty work for him. Trump is using his marketing skills, and people's emotions, to get them to do his bidding. Its not law enforcement but business enforcement and marketing he's using. I wonder if in the future, he'll start awarding contracts to businesses, which are investigated (they are when dealing with the government) but will have an added line which is - did they kneel or how did they feel about it added in. Using this will be an excuse not do business, and in turn means costing businesses money, with them. Great influencer and its all done behind the scenes where no one will see it.
I suggest more about this topic,
read the article or else this would be even longer.
For now, I turn on the news and start to see waves of people
kneeling. Why? They are supporting their colleagues' freedom of speech. Again it’s
within their rights. This does change the reason why people started the whole
kneeling thing, but still the overall idea of why the kneeling started – in protest.
What people have taken it as?
Some think it disrespects the flag, anthem and its soldiers and again I cringe. Other's say this is what they, the veteran's, fought for - to have rights.
The people who think this is disrespectful are just so wrong, but they are following a person, who
by rights we should respect and follow but in this instance that doesn’t
deserve the respect or to be followed – Trump.
In fact, LeBron James couldn't have said it any better.
There IS always this outlook to this whole situation as well (
Credit):
Respect
People have even said, Trump deserves our respect. Really? First we have to start with what respect is.
The definition of respect is:
- a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
- due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others.
- have due regard for (someone's feelings, wishes, or rights).
- a way of treating or thinking about something or someone. If you respect your teacher, you admire her and treat her well.
And I was brought up that respect is earned. This person
does NOT fit within the definition of respect and certainly hasn’t earned it.
Why put this on here?
Why do I put my opinion here? Because I've been verbally attacked and abused over social media. People do NOT what to hear facts, they want to hear what Trump, the salesperson and marketer tells people. He makes a play on people's emotions and not the facts. His facts are always tissue paper thin, but he gets away with it because he then insults people and plays on others emotions. He's done this for years in business, which is the way its done. Government, as he's finding out, is another ballpark altogether.
