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Melo been giving back to the community so him standing for the anthem doesn't mean he's tap dancing IMO.
Colin Kaepernick Is Righter Than You Know
- Thread in 'General' Thread starter Started by hand2handking,
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i think america is the only country stupid enough to get butt hurt over an opressive piece of fabric.
stars and stripes have become the new swastika to some.
fools use patriotism as a way to gather with other like minded people to tell folks to go back to their country or that their lives dont matter.
the BLM has gone wayyy over some peoples heads, some really see it as black people saying they are more important, which is laughable.
things will never change, nobody will ever see the prejudice, and why should they, these systems put into place have benefitted some for so long.
stars and stripes have become the new swastika to some.
fools use patriotism as a way to gather with other like minded people to tell folks to go back to their country or that their lives dont matter.
the BLM has gone wayyy over some peoples heads, some really see it as black people saying they are more important, which is laughable.
things will never change, nobody will ever see the prejudice, and why should they, these systems put into place have benefitted some for so long.
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That locking arms **** is stupid
MVP
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What Melo and Bron for that matter do for their respective communities is admirable, but at the same time they're undermining what Colin is doing in some respects. Like brother Shannon said if you don't got the heart to do it don't...But don't take away from the movement. Especially when you got high school kids getting ostracized for taking a stand. It's not tap dancing, although I loathe Bron with that "all lives matter" steez, but it's not exactly helping either. The purpose of the protest is about making people uncomfortable, just like the Seahawks, it's really kind of a hollow gesture.
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aepps20
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The dudes that are advocating linking arms or that say racism doesn't exist are hurting the cause. Brother Mamba MVP correctly noted what Brother Shannon said.
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I hate that inter-locking arms mess. If you're gonna miss the entire point of Kaep's stance, please don't say anything at all and just play ball.
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http://nba.nbcsports.com/2016/10/05...ort-of-collin-kaepernicks-meaningful-protest/
NBA teams are locking arms during the national anthem, believing they’re continuing the legacy of Civil Rights marchers in the 1960s and Colin Kaepernick today.
They are not.
Civil Rights marchers and Kaepernick took courageous stands against racism. NBA teams have so far responded with a demonstration too inoffensive to work.
Kaepernick found a nearly perfect protest method. He remained peaceful, drew attention and then advanced the discussion of police violence against blacks. By sitting then kneeling during the national anthem, Kaepernick shocked the senses of the viewing public. Though many have overly focused on his method of protest, they still wanted to hear his justification for such a “radical” demonstration.
But take a step back and consider whether Kaepernick’s display is truly outrageous. What’s a bigger affront to American values, someone sitting for a song or the country not providing full rights and protection under the law to its black citizens? Though not everyone has thoughtfully considered Kaepernick’s point, many have been forced to confront that question.
At best, NBA teams have distracted from Kaepernick’s message. At worst, they’ve undermined it.
Not every NBA team is locking arms for the exact same reason, but the buzz word has been “unity.”
Unity, of course, would be fantastic. But it’s such a vague goal, it allows people to ignore real problems.
Many will say they’re for unity. Are they willing to speak out against police killing people who are disproportionately black? Are they willing to speak out against a criminal-justice system that is more likely to treat blacks more harshly at every step than their white counterparts in similar situations? Are they willing to speak out against housing discrimination that has left black people disproportionately in poorer, less safe neighborhoods with worse schools?
That’s the unity we need – everyone standing together against specific injustices.
What NBA players are doing is the equivalent of someone responding to #BlackLivesMatter with #AllLivesMatter.
Well, yeah. Of course, all lives matter. But people who respond to #BlackLivesMatter with #AllLivesMatter are nearly always just trying to change the subject. Rather than listen to genuine concerns from #BlackLivesMatter, #AllLivesMatter takes exception to the initial phrase. When it’s time to discuss whether a life mattered after the latest incident of police killing an unarmed black man, #AllLivesMatter is nowhere to be found.
There’s a real ignorance to the problems black people face in this country. Kaepernick is bringing attention to them. NBA teams are allowing people to ignore the specific issues and focus on a feel-good message of “unity” (and providing an excuse to hammer Kaepernick for not protesting more “respectably”).
Messages of unity too often lead to blaming those who recognize the divide, not those who perpetuate the divide.
I believe NBA players have their hearts in the right place, and many have shown they care through meaningful community work. That matters a great deal and shouldn’t be ignored. Neither should the fact that these are professional basketball players who have no obligation to take political stands.
But once they decided to demonstrate during the anthem, players are trying too hard to unite with their teammates who may hold differing views and conform to the NBA’s anthem rule that requires standing in a dignified posture. If you design a protest to appease your coworkers and bosses, you’re probably going about it the wrong way.
Not only is the message too milquetoast, so is the gesture fronting it.
If NBA teams locked arms during the anthem two months ago – before Kaepernick protested – nobody would have noticed or cared. It certainly would not have been perceived as a protest, let alone one on racial issues.
The Celtics best exemplify why NBA teams are falling flat in their anthem protests. They modeled their anthem posture after the 1960-61 team, which posed for a photo with black and white players crossing arms and holding hands:
But 2016 is not 1960.
In 1960, Jim Crow still ruled the South. College teams across the region remained all-white. The ********, playing in our nation’s capital, hadn’t even integrated.
Black and white Celtics holding hands was itself an act of defiance. So was Civil Rights marchers locking arms in the South. Many Americans opposed integration and blacks’ right to peacefully assemble.
Black and whites teammates holding hands does not carry the same weight in 2016. All major sports leagues, pro and college, are integrated. When it comes to blacks and whites playing basketball together, there isn’t another side to demonstrate against.
While Kaepernick kneeling signals a clear protest, you could go to a Celtics game and have no idea the team is protesting – let alone ever bothering to find out what they’re protesting.
And what are they protesting? This team-posted video provides little real information:
[article=""]
[/article]
There’s a lot more of that around the league, players speaking in overly vague terms about their anthem protests.
Raptors forward Jared Sullinger provided, by far, the strongest statement I could findfrom from an arm-locking player:
Right now, NBA teams aren’t saying much.
They are not.
Civil Rights marchers and Kaepernick took courageous stands against racism. NBA teams have so far responded with a demonstration too inoffensive to work.
Kaepernick found a nearly perfect protest method. He remained peaceful, drew attention and then advanced the discussion of police violence against blacks. By sitting then kneeling during the national anthem, Kaepernick shocked the senses of the viewing public. Though many have overly focused on his method of protest, they still wanted to hear his justification for such a “radical” demonstration.
But take a step back and consider whether Kaepernick’s display is truly outrageous. What’s a bigger affront to American values, someone sitting for a song or the country not providing full rights and protection under the law to its black citizens? Though not everyone has thoughtfully considered Kaepernick’s point, many have been forced to confront that question.
At best, NBA teams have distracted from Kaepernick’s message. At worst, they’ve undermined it.
Not every NBA team is locking arms for the exact same reason, but the buzz word has been “unity.”
Unity, of course, would be fantastic. But it’s such a vague goal, it allows people to ignore real problems.
Many will say they’re for unity. Are they willing to speak out against police killing people who are disproportionately black? Are they willing to speak out against a criminal-justice system that is more likely to treat blacks more harshly at every step than their white counterparts in similar situations? Are they willing to speak out against housing discrimination that has left black people disproportionately in poorer, less safe neighborhoods with worse schools?
That’s the unity we need – everyone standing together against specific injustices.
What NBA players are doing is the equivalent of someone responding to #BlackLivesMatter with #AllLivesMatter.
Well, yeah. Of course, all lives matter. But people who respond to #BlackLivesMatter with #AllLivesMatter are nearly always just trying to change the subject. Rather than listen to genuine concerns from #BlackLivesMatter, #AllLivesMatter takes exception to the initial phrase. When it’s time to discuss whether a life mattered after the latest incident of police killing an unarmed black man, #AllLivesMatter is nowhere to be found.
There’s a real ignorance to the problems black people face in this country. Kaepernick is bringing attention to them. NBA teams are allowing people to ignore the specific issues and focus on a feel-good message of “unity” (and providing an excuse to hammer Kaepernick for not protesting more “respectably”).
Messages of unity too often lead to blaming those who recognize the divide, not those who perpetuate the divide.
I believe NBA players have their hearts in the right place, and many have shown they care through meaningful community work. That matters a great deal and shouldn’t be ignored. Neither should the fact that these are professional basketball players who have no obligation to take political stands.
But once they decided to demonstrate during the anthem, players are trying too hard to unite with their teammates who may hold differing views and conform to the NBA’s anthem rule that requires standing in a dignified posture. If you design a protest to appease your coworkers and bosses, you’re probably going about it the wrong way.
Not only is the message too milquetoast, so is the gesture fronting it.
If NBA teams locked arms during the anthem two months ago – before Kaepernick protested – nobody would have noticed or cared. It certainly would not have been perceived as a protest, let alone one on racial issues.
The Celtics best exemplify why NBA teams are falling flat in their anthem protests. They modeled their anthem posture after the 1960-61 team, which posed for a photo with black and white players crossing arms and holding hands:
But 2016 is not 1960.
In 1960, Jim Crow still ruled the South. College teams across the region remained all-white. The ********, playing in our nation’s capital, hadn’t even integrated.
Black and white Celtics holding hands was itself an act of defiance. So was Civil Rights marchers locking arms in the South. Many Americans opposed integration and blacks’ right to peacefully assemble.
Black and whites teammates holding hands does not carry the same weight in 2016. All major sports leagues, pro and college, are integrated. When it comes to blacks and whites playing basketball together, there isn’t another side to demonstrate against.
While Kaepernick kneeling signals a clear protest, you could go to a Celtics game and have no idea the team is protesting – let alone ever bothering to find out what they’re protesting.
And what are they protesting? This team-posted video provides little real information:
[article=""]
[/article]
Follow
A message from our players on #unity.
4:05 PM - 4 Oct 2016
Boston Celtics There’s a lot more of that around the league, players speaking in overly vague terms about their anthem protests.
Raptors forward Jared Sullinger provided, by far, the strongest statement I could findfrom from an arm-locking player:
Does every Raptor player and coach who locked arms agree that minorities are getting picked on, that racism is worsening? That’d be a heck of a lot of unity – a meaningful amount. If so, I’d like to hear every other team member speak to it.
Right now, NBA teams aren’t saying much.
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I like how the media will turn a blind eye to the fact that the anthem WAS WRITTEN BY A RACIST. WITH RACIST LYRICS IT THAT THEY LEAVE OUT. After finding that out I don't give a **** about the anthem. I'm dead serious. As a black man I can't look at that and say "I love my country so I'm gonna stand for it" that sounds crazy to me.
That's what's being lost. With the media, with these athletes, with the fans. If you're black I don't see how you can honor something a slave owner wrote. And if you wanna talk about the troops and war, black troops have fought in every war this country has ever had. Back in the day they would fight for America's so called freedom and come back to a racist and hateful country. So they would fight a war for a country that hates them. Black men have been killed in this country and are still being killed for simply being a black man. So as black people we're supposed to forget and not talk our people that have died in America cuz of this war on black people that's been going on for hundreds years... We supposed to "never forget" and honor the people they want us to honor. Nah.
It was funny as hell watching them stomp on the flag but it was also some real **** being said.
That's what's being lost. With the media, with these athletes, with the fans. If you're black I don't see how you can honor something a slave owner wrote. And if you wanna talk about the troops and war, black troops have fought in every war this country has ever had. Back in the day they would fight for America's so called freedom and come back to a racist and hateful country. So they would fight a war for a country that hates them. Black men have been killed in this country and are still being killed for simply being a black man. So as black people we're supposed to forget and not talk our people that have died in America cuz of this war on black people that's been going on for hundreds years... We supposed to "never forget" and honor the people they want us to honor. Nah.
It was funny as hell watching them stomp on the flag but it was also some real **** being said.
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aepps20
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Excellent post and I agree 100 percent. The real issue is that many in our society simply don't have a problem with racism and its impact on society. We have a candidate for president that threw the dog whistles out of the window and started spewing the racist garbage that many people feel like saying but don't want to be called racist. Most people don't want to be called racist but they are fine with institutional racism. If racism is truly the great sin that America still deals with today as many claim then people wouldn't shamelessly hide behind the flag, the troops or the anthem when people are trying to call attention to real issues of institutional racism in this country. To be honest, people are more offended by a guy taking a knee than a guy getting murdered by the police on camera.
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This guys demeanor struck me as someone who was looking to answers and to understand... a few people should have taken him aside and sat down and tried to break bread and explain the struggle to him... maybe someone could have broken through some generational indoctrination that he could go back and say hey I get it now.. we can agree you aren't being treated right... you want a nation to respect you as much as you should respect the nation... but there was just too much hostility.
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I agree, but there's a time and place for everything. I get his perspective and he seemed like a good dude wrapped up in that patriotism brainwashing that'll make you yell louder to protect a piece of cloth than you would to defend people being systematically killed.
It's such a convoluted, tangled web.
It's such a convoluted, tangled web.
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Article about what the NBA is doing is spot on.
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AIR J XIII
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It probably has a lot to do with the fact that the NBA had a rule in place that required players to stand, going back to ole boy who protested it back in 1997.
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I agree, but there's a time and place for everything. I get his perspective and he seemed like a good dude wrapped up in that patriotism brainwashing that'll make you yell louder to protect a piece of cloth than you would to defend people being systematically killed.
It's such a convoluted, tangled web.
Even if you explain it to these people they still won't let go of that "My country is great" mindset. Even when people say "we understand the problems" it's always followed by a "but you have to honor this country blah blah blah". No if you understand there is no "but".
What this comes down to is simple. If you're white you look at America as this lovely place that's for you with a great history. If you're black historically the way we've been treated in America is ugly, it's hateful and these things still go on. A lot of us are not gonna look at America as this wonderful place with a great history.
It's a agree to disagree situation but that's not good enough for some people. They wanna keep pushing what they think on another race and tell them how to feel and ignore how your people have been treated. That's in itself is some privileged, intitled BS.
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Don't wanna put Layla on the c**n train. She got Ali's blood. She did lowkey say "we can't make white folks uncomfortable"
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I finally deciphered what "do it another way" means. I am kind of mad at myself that it took this long, it took me randomly watching the Dabo Swinney interview again for it to dawn on my dumb ***. What they really are saying is get it away from me, I don't want to have to see it. When you do it during a football game, they are forced to acknowledge it.
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...How had you been perceiving it up until now?
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Respect for coming to the realization. It's tough to be critical of yourself and really get to the root of your feelings, but it's always worth it when you figure it out and adjust.
lightweight champion
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"Protest in a way that doesn't offend anyone, it's more acceptable."
Rather than, "I don't want to see it at all."
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Ben & Jerry's (ice cream) posted a statement...
http://www.benjerry.com/whats-new/why-black-lives-matter
http://www.benjerry.com/whats-new/why-black-lives-matter
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White folks need to be made uncomfortable by these protests. How else are they gonna learn something?
And if a white person gets offended by this protest, those are the kind of white people that are part of the problem the protest is all about.
Protest doesn't exist to make everyone comfortable. The "you should protest differently, make people less uncomfortable"rhetoric for a peaceful protest is no more than coded language for "I don't want to hear your protest, **** off."
Coincidentally those people seem to never be able to come up with a better alternative, or any alternative at all.
And if a white person gets offended by this protest, those are the kind of white people that are part of the problem the protest is all about.
Protest doesn't exist to make everyone comfortable. The "you should protest differently, make people less uncomfortable"rhetoric for a peaceful protest is no more than coded language for "I don't want to hear your protest, **** off."
Coincidentally those people seem to never be able to come up with a better alternative, or any alternative at all.
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