Regardless of political affiliation, patriotism has always been a bipartisan characteristic shared by both republicans and democrats. Liberals in the mainstream media are defending Colin Kaepernick, along with many other members of the National Football League, after players refused to stand for the national anthem.
President Donald Trump called-out the NFL for condoning displays of anti-Americanism from their players.
“If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!” President Trump wrote on Twitter. On Friday, while at a rally in Alabama, the President expressed, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that [SOB] off the field right now. Out. He’s fired. He’s fired!’”
Following the President’s remarks, rather than expressing remorse, the NFL slammed Trump and defended all players who disrespect Old Glory.
“The NFL and our players are at our best when we help create a sense of unity in our country and culture. There is no better example than the amazing response from our clubs and players to the terrible natural disasters we’ve experienced over the last month,” expressed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities.”
The national anthem is supposed to be a symbolic event of bipartisan unification. How can you claim to be contributing to a sense of unity in our country and culture, when you are condoning players engaging in a divisive act under the National Football League brand?
Goodell has the audacity to attack the President for having “an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL,” but defends his players unfortunate lack of respect for the United States of America. It is apparent that the NFL commissioner is an egotistical, hypocritical dunderhead. Respect for America is much more important than respect for a sport. Honorable men and women have fought and died to preserve this nation, and actively do so still to this day. Do they not deserve respect, Mr. Goodell?
Of course, liberal democrats have taken this as an opportunity to attack the President and unite with the NFL and their protests of the national anthem. They are chastising President Trump for expressing that players should be fired or suspended, claiming he is violating the right to freedom of speech.
When the co-founder of Firefox was forced to resign over his opinion in support of traditional marriage, liberals praised the “resignation disguised” firing. Why are they so quick to defend anti-American behavior from NFL players as being an act of freedom of speech? They are hypocrites.
These players are not expressing their anti-American vitriol on their own time and by their own means. They are using the NFL company and visual game distribution to promote their political agenda, while they are on the clock as active employees. They are pushing an anti-American message while they are on-duty at their workplace. They are using the NFL brand to promote their propaganda, and it is damaging the league’s reputation. The team owners of the NFL have every right to fire them.
When you are wearing the uniform of your employer, you are serving as an on-duty representative. When NFL players take a knee, refusing to honor the flag and this country, they are representing the position of the National Football League. These players have the constitutional right to disrespect our flag, but team owners also have the constitutional right to fire the players for misrepresenting their brand.