Worth watching

 

TL: "Let me go ahead and eviscerate this mouth diarrhea for you."

ME: "Oh Gawd, talk dirty to me."

OTOH, I'm pretty sure the carpet does not match the drapes.

 

Expressing himself in this fashion is his right and that freedom should never be tarnished.

There are a couple things here that irritate me though. Those of us who exercise OUR rights and call him a fool or an idiot are flamed pretty heavily as if we don't have the same freedom of expression as he does.

My other big issue is that he's a celebrity, some kid's sports hero. He's a gifted and talented athlete and no doubt has worked hard and sacrificed to be where he is. Instead of acting like a jackwagon and setting a poor example for his fans, he could be the bigger man and support the flag and encourage all Americans to do likewise.

He could roll up his sleeves, open his wallet and his heart and take to the streets and help those that he's protesting for. But why do all that when the media and the American sheeple drool over anything of controversy.

 

Exactly Tim.
he has just as much rite to be an *** as we do to criticize him.

 

Is Patriotism/Nationalism at the point of a gun really showing pride in ones nation? Because I guarantee you that I'll tell you Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are real if I'm staring down a barrel of a gun.

The greatest thing about America is the freedom to discuss things that aren't so great about America. This isn't North Korea or Soviet Russia where you get executed for disagreeing.

Freedom includes the ability to burn a flag if you so desire.

I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will fight for your right to say it.

 

You may be free to burn an American flag because there is no longer a law making it illegal. Im going to punch someone in the throat if I catch them burning the flag, and I'm not free to do that, because there is a law against it. Am I really wrong for it though? Was Rosa Parks wrong for breaking a law and sitting in the front of that bus?

I'm not a bad person, never been arrested, have a blue collar job, living week to week with a slow growing 401k, with no government handouts. But I'm teaching my kids to work hard for what they want, treat others the way you want to be treated and right from wrong. Sometimes, what is legal is not right, and what's right, is not always legal.

 

Yeah, you are wrong for punching someone who isn't harming you... If they're burning YOUR flag that YOU own, then it's a different story.



At the local 4th of July parade, many organizations were handing out little plastic flags to the kids... Written on the edge was, "Made in Bangladesh" The parade organizers got them from some catalog for a dime a dozen.

After the parade, hundreds of them littered the main road through my town. Most were swept up and thrown away, but I still occasionally see one floating in the creek in the woods... Faded, shredded, and heading to trash our unsafe for swimming, unsafe for drinking, unsafe for fishing Potomac River...

Where's the outrage on that?

What if someone burned one of those little plastic flags? Is that the same?
What if someone burns a photo of a flag? Is that the same?
What if someone drew a picture of a flag and burned it? Is that the same?

I tend to shred my mail with personal info on it... On the back of my July electric bill, there was a, "Happy 4th of July from all of us here at Dominion Power!" message. After I paid the bill, I shredded it. Is that the same?

I bought a Leatherman tool once. On the box was a little flag at the bottom where it said, "Made in USA" I threw out the box. Is that the same?

Where do we draw the line as far as what flags are okay to destroy and what ones are not?



The values of freedom are what's important, not the flag itself. The flag is just a piece of fabric. You're holding more value on a piece of fabric than on the values that stand behind it. Those values of freedom are something that can't be burned.


Peaceful protests... Sit-Ins, picket lines, and Rosa Parks sitting in the front of a bus don't involve violence. The second you punch someone in an act of aggression, it becomes wrong.

There's plenty of bad people that haven't been arrested. I live in Washington D.C. I can point you to a large building where 535 of them sit. But you know... Money buys justice.

Plenty of people that get arrested for stuff that isn't bad or stuff they haven't done as well. Again, people that don't have money can't get the high dollar lawyers to get them off of things.

Just look up "Ethan Couch" the teen that killed four people while drunk and got off because of daddy's money.

I've got a little brother that has Down's Syndrome, he gets a government "handout" every month because he can't work.



Where you work does not make you a good or bad person.
Your arrest record does not make you a good or bad person.
Accepting or not accepting government assistance does not make you a good or bad person.
Your bank account, 401k, or stock portfolio do not make you good or bad person.

It comes from your values.

 

There is a big difference between shredding a stamp on an envelope with a flag on it, or leaving behind a little novelty flag on a stick, and purchasing an actual flag and burning it in protest. It is a slap in the face to the men and women that serve, served, and sacrificed their lives for these cowardly idiots. It maybe just a piece of cloth to you, but it is a sacred symbol to a true American. I would never consider going to another country and burning their flag. I would expect to not walk out. That's where my values are, and no one will change that. And I'm in the large majority in my still relatively small town. It may be different in other parts of this country, but that difference is an example of the reasons this country is in such turmoil. Just like BLM groups protesting by blocking traffic, that's 100% not right and effects thousands of other people not interested in there non sense.

I had a relative recently fired from the company I work for. He told a new employee to go find so and so. He asked what he looked like, and he said he is the only colored person over there. The word color, even though not used racist or derogatory, got him fired. One individual had an issue with it. Others in the department, of the same race, had no problem with it, and where upset with the decision to fire him, because they liked him, and knew he was not racist, and treated everyone fairly. On his way out from his termination meeting, he asked the HR group, "what does the c, in NAACP stand for?". My work has to keep a certain amount of minorities in the crafts program because of laws set forth on them. There has been several blacks, women, and one Latino passed through into the apprenticeship that did not pass the test to get in. White men where held out that did past the test to make room. How is this fair. How was a minority not give biased treatment? Am I suppose to feel safe that someone that was given a free pass is going to do some work where my life is depending on it? Don't get me wrong, there has been blacks and women pass the test, and they are just as qualified as anyone else to be in the apprenticeship. On of the best millwrights we have is black. One of the hardest working millwrights we have is a women. Both of them earned their right to be there.

So Colin can protest however he wishes, but until the NFL decides that he's not going to protest on the clock and do something about it, I will not be tuning into any NFL games.

And that paragraph was not the things defining me as a good person, the paragraph was more to describe my life style. I'm sure your probably a good guy yourself, but I would hope that if you saw my resume for what I do for the community, the fact that even after I said what I did, I try to avoid physical altercation, and have since I was about 19, along with a lot of other things, I'm a good one myself. The fact we can debate about something like this with out name calling or using profanity says something. Some of our values are just different.

 

What's the difference? Does it matter where the flag was made? Does the size matter?


So now I'm not a true American?

You said it yourself, it's a symbol.
The ring on my left hand is a symbol as well. It's a $100 circle of tungsten carbide. I can get another one at any jewelry store across the nation. Heck, I can get ten of them. But they won't be the same.

They won't have the same scratches and dents This one has been on my finger for years and was given to me when I married my wife. That is its value that's worth way more than $100. It's the sentiments behind the symbol that really mater.

Likewise, you can go to any Wal*Mart and pick up a flag for less than $20. You can't buy freedom for $20.

That's well within your rights as well.

I personally don't like using 2 hours of my life watching millionaires play a game.
Sure it's good to kick back with a cold beer and friends... But it seems like the resources in those games could go to many more causes.

 

that lady could use some anger management classes.

im going to place you under citizens arrest and ruin your clean criminal record if i see you punching anyone in the throat who isn't a threat to you.

of course that's wrong.really wrong.if we had to live under your dictatorship and rule so as to avoid getting punched in the throat,then that American flag would be as useless as used toilet paper.

you know the answer to that........let me rephrase.my heart goes out to you if you truly see any moral complication with that,or you somehow feel you would be on her level whatsoever by punching someone in the throat.



we may not like the way Colin expresses himself against a few very bad people holding badges and caring guns who probably shouldn't but im glad to see people like him,protesting peacefully,showing the world we should be doing better.
his message should be the focus.not his method.some people don't want to have to deal with that message though.it's far easier to say it's not there and the real problem is someone disrespecting a symbol.that's much easier to deal with.the hard truth is we do have real issues we've got to take head on.they'll never go away on their own.i don't agree with his method.i do agree with his message and we should all be doing better.much better.we should expect much better.we should demand much better.especially from those who promise to protect and serve us.having a hard job is no excuse for doing wrong. anyone who thinks so,probably shouldn't be doing that job.i have a very hard and dangerous job where i could be killed (or kill others) easily as well (arborist) but im still accountable for my actions.if i were to do anything that lead to the death of anyone and i knew it was on me,i would man up and take full responsibility.i would not hide behind no lawyer.i would take what i deserved like a man.it starts with us.we can hold ourselves accountable for our actions without being forced by law.

 

Good luck putting me under citizens arrest. I must be in the liberal section, I'll find my way out. Unfortunately this country is growing full of Pansy's that don't respect our flag. Thank god I live where I do and I'm in the mass majority. There has been some flag burning happen here, it happened to an older lady that was displaying her late husbands flag on the forth and some of her neighbors. The cowards did it at night under the cover of dark and ran. Maybe that's why I'm so vocal against it. But our community came together, her husbands flag could not be replaced, but she was given another, and her house guarded for several weeks 24hrs.

As far as a ring, everyone's is different, I could careless if you destroy yours. We should all be honoring the same flag and for which it stands.

And to answer your question, you may be just as much American as I on paper, but in reality, if you don't honor that flag and think it's ok to burn it, your not a true red blooded American and need to catch a flight out of here with a one way ticket.

I'm out of here, going to find a little more patriotic crowd.

Trump 2016!!!!

 

Everyone has a right to feel how they feel. Our service members ensured that right and continue to do so today. The flag is just a symbol of what's in your heart.

You'll note my shadow box that was presented to me on my retirement day after 24 years of service. My fellow Chief Petty Officers presented this to me aboard USCGC Hamilton WHEC-715 in May of 2004 just before I went ashore for the last time.
Hamilton was the first of 12 Secretary class cutters built in the late 60's and early 70's. Hamilton saw action in Vietnam, she showed the flag around the world as she helped to train officers and men from NATO Coast Guards and Navies.
She saved countless thousands of lives and interdicted countless tons of illegal contraband and those who traffic the same. She provided security along our shores during the horrific events of 9/11/2001.

The flag and commissioning pennant that you see in my shadow box was flown on Hamilton on the final day of my last patrol in May 2004.

Since then, Hamilton has been decommissioned and sold to the Phillipine Navy where she continues her life under a different flag.

The flag is just a symbol of what's in your heart.

 

i would find no issue with placing you under arrest,if i see you committing a violent crime.it is my civic duty.

before the flag was raised here, my ancestors roamed this country free.not only only am i a true red blooded American,i am also a true Native American and red skinned.
be mindful of who you ask to leave please,Trump supporter.



go and live in peace and be happy your in the majority.i will live happily in the minority.may we live in harmony together.


thank you for your service Tim and to all those who have served in fighting to maintain this great nation we have today.

 

My how things have changed since that first posting.

Goes to figure the Trump supporter would be the first to call names and say I need to be kicked out of here and questions my patriotism.

To burn someone else's property is arson, a violent crime for which they should be prosecuted. However, if they bought their own flag and burned it at their own place, that's their own freedom.

 

I just think that political statements in the workplace should be frowned upon. I know if I made a political statement like that when I worked at Albertsons, I'd get fired.