I spent about a decade in Boy Scouts. Not once did a Colors ceremony include singing the national anthem. The ostentatious display of patriotic nationalism at the start of an MLB or NFL game is pointedly not a Colors ceremony.
I sort of hesitate to use the word in this context, but since you started it by calling the whole thing “sacred”: singing the national anthem is a wholly secular event that has absolutely nothing to do with the deification of the military that this country has obsessively pursued since the start of the Iraq War. For years and years it was always just “yay us! Yay USA!” pap that served as a useful “finish getting your stuff from the concession stand, the game’s about to start” announcement. This “sacred remembrance” horse shit is a strikingly new phenomenon that only seems to have fully manifested after Kap started kneeling.
Part and parcel of the conservative tactic of co-opting and using “patriotism” and “respect for the troops” to manipulate- “flag- pin” patriotism", “MAGA”, et. al.
I’m sure driving one’s Prius to the next town adds the same amount of toxins to the air as burning one’ shoes. This one is strictly symbolic. Unless one wafts the shoe smoke directly into their lungs, which I encourage as I think it would appropriately bolster the protest they’re trying to effect.
It was not my idea to play the anthem and show the flag before games. I would be fine with not doing it. But if you are going to do it, then do it right and take it seriously.
FYI- here is what you are supposed to do:
"Title 36 United States Code:§ 301.
National Anthem.
(a) Designation. — The composition consisting of the words and music known as the Star-Spangled Banner is the national anthem.
(b) Conduct During Playing. — During a rendition of the national anthem —
(1)when the flag is displayed —
(A) all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart;
(B) men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold the headdress at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and
(C) individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the
anthem and maintain that position until the last note.
(2) When the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music
and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed."
This is only true if you ignore any instance of it prior to his protest. I Personally think that Trump’s comments about this were particularly divisive. But the sentiment of standing during the anthem “out of respect for those who have paid the ultimate price” is a very old sentiment. I get the tactic of trying to make the issue about supporting Trump/endorsing racism. No doubt there are plenty of people who have those motives. Some of them likely paid scant attention to the anthem before the protest. But their hypocrisy does not invalidate the sentiments of those who have always taken it seriously. I really do not think it is a good tactic to pretend that there are not a larger number of people who stand for the flag and anthem for patriotic reasons not associated with a particular party, candidate, or political view.
I mentioned that standing for the colors was described with that term when I was in the USMC. For many service members, veterans, and families of veterans, it is sacred. Not for everyone. Obviously, we can find some veterans who feel differently. That has been done here. I don’t know if I personally believe it is sacred, but I certainly would stand out of respect for those who do.
What do you believe is motivating this person to stand? Racism? Trumpism? A display of false patriotism? “Lack of critical thinking skills”? “A severe cognitive problem?” These and more have been suggested in this thread.
What’s “sacred” is the ideal that everyone should have equal rights and equal protection under the law, regardless to age, color, race, creed, gender, sexuality, religion, or physical ability.
I’ve been afraid to ask this same question, but I’m not an American and for all I know American football is somehow wrapped up in dead veterans/military pomp/war. shrug
Fucking A; that’s the most insulting part of this whole “hamster wheel” discussion - the intentional conflation of two completely different sets of circumstances.
NO. That’s the military code, and I am not, and have never been a member of the military. It’s not what I’m supposed to do. I tend to do it, anyway.
You’ve really gone over the edge of applying military standards to a distinctly non-military event, and insisting that the ONLY purpose and standard of acceptable behavior is military in nature. YOU DON’T OWN THE FLAG. YOU DON’T OWN THE ANTHEM.
The protest would only be a problem for those people if it prevented them from showing their own respect. It doesn’t. I’ll say it one last time: the outrage against Kap’s protest is manufactured.
I will say that this is standard US code for all people, not specific to military code. But again as has been stated no citizen is required to follow these codes - it is merely recommended as how one should act.
Additionally even if I were to bow to the idea of this is how I should act during the anthem…those self same people screaming about Kap kneeling seem to enjoy ignoring these other codes…
Specifically the line that says this…
The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
Well, I don’t have a picture of him at a game. But it was not a funeral either. I suppose if he was at a football game, and did his best to stand for the national anthem, it would be because of racism or the other reasons I listed. There are lots of images of people standing in their wheelchairs at parades on the passing of the flag. And at games. To them, the location is irrelevant.
No, it is not. The USMC and presumably other services include this as part of their code, but the code is applicable to all Americans. That is why they use the phrase “all present should”.
This was another one asked and addressed in the USMC. The confusion is between the use of an actual flag, and items that may have the stars and stripes pattern as part of their design.
And it is absolutely true that “the Flag Code does not prescribe any penalties for non-compliance nor does it include enforcement provisions.” Which is why this is not a discussion about any sort of prosecution. That would be anti-American, IMHO.
My entry into this discussion was because I strongly believe that someone can legitimately disagree with CK’s method of protest and the Nike slogan for reasons beyond racism, ignorance. and a lack of critical thinking skills. The consensus here seems to be that those are the primary reasons that anyone would disagree with how he is protesting, or at least that anyone who disagrees should be labeled with those slurs. If you are motivated by a desire for unity in solving the actual problem that KC is protesting, I think all the ridicule and name calling is counter productive.
You know what offends me? Dead children offends me. People trying to pretend like it’s not a problem offends me. People putting a piece of cloth above the lives of children offends me. Veterans with serious mental health problems being ignored by the VA and an administration that is clearly trying to gut and privatize the VA offends me (considering my father, step father, and both grandfathers were all veterans).
You’re welcome to not like CK mode of protest (which, as others have pointed out was suggested by someone who was a veteran). But I think that saying it’s disrespectful to veterans is just flat out wrong, especially considering plenty of veterans agree with him. Especially when being a veteran doesn’t make you immune to racist actions by the cops:
I’m also offended by 11 year old girls being tased by the cops:
