Son of a bitch…
Donald Trump is at it again. After calling former NFL player Colin Kaepernick and anyone who refuses to stand during the national anthem a ‘Son of a bitch,’ Trump has ignited an all-out war against the NFL, the NBA, and a host of related others.
Top News Today
In case you’re unaware, here’s the scorecard: “The Donald” is now fighting an uphill battle against the players, owners, and fans of the NFL; Colin Kaepernick and his mother; Stephen Curry and the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors; Cleveland Cavaliers star Lebron James; and anyone who believes in a little something called the First Amendment.
The latest brouhaha all began last Friday at an Alabama GOP rally, when Trump attempted to make an example of Kaepernick and anyone who desired to exercise their right to freedom of speech by kneeling (instead of standing) during the national anthem prior to NFL football games.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he’s fired. He’s fired,'” Trump said. “You know, some owner is going to do that. He’s going to say, ‘That guy that disrespects our flag, he’s fired.’ And that owner, they don’t know it [but] they’ll be the most popular person in this country.”
Not long after injecting himself into the discussion, all hell broke loose, making Trump the LEAST popular person in the country.
NFL players, owners, and fans immediately spoke out against “The Donald,” condemning him for his crass use of the term ‘son of a bitch’ and failure to respect the First Amendment rights of Americans.
Trump is “focusing like a laser on the major problems of the American people: black professional athletes with opinions,” CNN’s Jake Tapper said on Twitter.
“The behavior of the President is unacceptable and needs to be addressed. If you do not Condemn this divisive Rhetoric you are Condoning it!!” NFL player Richard Sherman tweeted.
Even Colin Kaepernick’s mom fired back against Trump calling her son a ‘son of a bitch.’
“Guess that makes me a proud bitch!” Teresa Kaepernick tweeted.
Instead of realizing he was in the midst of a public relations nightmare, “The Donald” remained in true Trump form and simply doubled down on his divisive remarks.
“If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL, or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect. … our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!” Trump tweeted Saturday.
By the next day, an entire movement was born. Players, coaches, owners and even the NFL league office joined together in a forceful condemnation of Donald Trump to prove that he had grossly overplayed his hand.
“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,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. He then went on to announce that the NFL will air the commercial “Inside These Lines,” promoting societal unity and tolerance.
“It reflects the unifying force of our great game, our players & clubs,” Goodell said on Twitter.
On Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans opted to stay inside their locker room and not take the field at all during the singing of the national anthem, issuing the following statement:
“As a team, we have decided we will not participate in the national anthem. We will not stand for the injustice that has plagued people of color in this country. Out of love for our country and in honor of the sacrifices made on our behalf, we unite to oppose those that would deny our most basic freedoms. We remain committed in continuing to work towards equality and justice for all. Respectfully, The Players of the Seattle Seahawks.”
Shad Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined his players and the Baltimore Ravens on the field to lock arms and kneel in solidarity prior to their game. In Detroit, singer Rico Lavelle knelt as he sang the national anthem. In Nashville, singer Megan Lindsey did the same. Additionally, members of the Miami Dolphins wore “I’m with Kap” T-shirts.
The unity protests came only a day after Trump waded into yet another controversy involving a sports team.
Top News Today
After Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry said he would not attend the traditional NBA champions celebration at the White House, “The Donald” threw a temper tantrum.
“Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!” Trump tweeted, apparently oblivious to the fact that he couldn’t actually withdraw an invitation that had already been declined!
Trump also failed to recognize his own double standard, since he never uttered a peep when Tom Brady opted not to go to The White House following his Super Bowl win. This prompted NBA star Lebron James to fire back against America’s so-called “leader.”
Additionally, the Golden State Warriors issued a statement, announcing that although they will still travel to Washington, DC, their trip will not include a stop at Trump’s White House.
“In lieu of a visit to the White House, we have decided that we’ll constructively use our trip to the nation’s capital in February to celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion — the values that we embrace as an organization,” the statement read.
Colin Kaepernick began to kneel during the national anthem at NFL games last fall in an effort to call attention to the racism in this country that continues to manifest itself in police brutality, economic inequality, and disparity in education. As an American citizen, it is his First Amendment right to exercise freedom of speech. However, America’s current Commander-In-Chief somehow believes he has the authority to dictate when someone can or can not utilize their right. WRONG!
By jumping into the middle of this powerful issue, Donald Trump has effectively embraced an “us versus them” mentality regarding politics and patriotism. He has proven to be a divider instead of a uniter due to the added element here of the issue of race, since his fight targets prominent professional African-American players. Thankfully, NFL owners have chosen to back their players and take up the fight. However, if they really want to make a difference and if they really want to teach Donald Trump a lesson in freedom of speech, it’s time for ONE of them to sign Colin Kaepernick to a contract.
Is Donald Trump correct to force his opinion of what is or isn’t “patriotism” on others? Or is he blatantly disregarding the rights of Americans, particularly African-Americans, to make use of the freedoms afforded to all citizens?
.
A REAL president vs. Donald Trump:
..
He is dangerously calculating and as always it’s about him and only him, d*mn the consequences of his words and actions. There are several pressing issues bearing down on him: 1) the GOP’s efforts to Repeal and Replace of Obamacare appears to be heading for DEFEAT for the third time; 2) His candidate in Alabama’s Senate race, Luther Strange, appears to be heading for a DEFEAT in his run against Judge Roy Moore. All eyes will be on that important election tomorrow; 3) RUSSIA. Trump knows darn well it’s NOT a “hoax” and he knows the investigations are really progressing. Add North Korea to the list and it’s clear, it’s all potentially really really BAD news for Trump so he did what he always does -throw a BIG ole nasty piece of DISTRACTION out there in order to deflect attention AWAY from those issues while also feeding his base some… Read more »