What do the NFL players want to see happen?
Sep 26, 2017, 4:59 PM
(File, Associated Press)
A military friend of mine said that Trump’s comments on the NFL were the words of a commander in chief speaking on behalf of his troops. My friend went on to say that the media doesn’t understand the troops and that they think that they only signed up to the military for college money.
Photos: NFL reacts to President Trump’s national anthem remarks
Now, I don’t like presidents getting involved in these kinds of issues. The president is not the answer to everything and he is not the barometer on the NFL. The president is our employee.
My military friend says that the National Anthem is for the entire nation, including babies just born. It is not just for the troops, it is an opportunity to celebrate a nation where everyone is free to do what they want, which includes putting a fist in the air. But people are also free to disassociate themselves from the NFL.
And you are not able to make these kinds of protests in many other countries.
I want to hear specifics from the people who are protesting. I want to know what they want changed. People feel that the flag has been disrespected, so, for a lot of people, the conversation has been shut down.
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We need to have real dialogue and real discussion on data that we can all agree on. People have taken knees and put fists in the air before and there may have been a bit of evolution but not revolution.
The knee is not going to do anything. The media is already polarized. The conversation has not happened yet.
As always, please listen to the full audio clip for complete context.