Seating?

[Army of Dad]

21 minutes ago, Christopher Walker said:

And that's absolutely fine. I've seen enough support of the protest from vets around the country and abroad to believe there's enough that feel differently. If anything, there should be a particular amount of pride in that your service and others' continues to protect a nation that allows for this sort of protest and speech.

But, let's quickly just run down something: how would you rather they protest? Because, frankly this sort of exhibition is strategically placed to have the widest impact, as it reaches directly the sort of populations who have the power to change their own minds, attitudes, and actions for the better. It addresses them where they are.

Alternatively, there are mass protests, marches and other peaceful exhibitions all the time that have little effect because they are not covered. The situation up in North Dakota between the Dakota Access Pipeline development and the Standing Rock Sioux tribe did not gain traction beyond social media and alt-news sites until the President and the Army Corps of Engineers stepped in, and that protest is massive in scale.

Simply put, peaceable demonstration during sporting events is exactly the best platform to raise awareness and facilitate discussion, as it cuts so widely across so many different demographics.

Thanks, as always, for your service and see ya Saturday!

No protest should disrespect our national symbols (to include our anthem and flag).

[UNTFan23]

15 hours ago, Christopher Walker said:

"[braces for downvotes]

Blinders, boys and girls. When is it appropriate to peacefully protest? Think about your answer to such.

What Kaepernick has started is a way more useful means towards conversation and hopefully progress on the abhorrent race issues that persist in our time.

I think they're being the patriotic ones. Plus, this has nothing to do with the military and whole bunch of vets would prefer ya'll stop making false equivalencies. 

[also bracing for this thread to either get locked or moved to Pie]

The problem I am seeing is the message in the protest is lost because people are focusing on the actual protest and not what is being protested.  When people march to their local City Hall, people pay attention to what is being protested.

If you look at this thread as an example, there has been very little discussed about what is being protested (although such subjects have been rightfully banned because we can't have thoughtful discussions).

[keith]

16 hours ago, Christopher Walker said:

<snip>

Blinders, boys and girls. When is it appropriate to peacefully protest? 

</snip>

I'd say when it's on your own time and not when you are representing your employer, school or any other organization that may not agree with your position.

[Christopher Walker]

40 minutes ago, keith said:

I'd say when it's on your own time and not when you are representing your employer, school or any other organization that may not agree with your position.

The university doesn't stand for equality?

1 hour ago, Army of Dad said:

No protest should disrespect our national symbols (to include our anthem and flag).

So again, I ask: how else do you believe they should and could so widely get their protest out? What would you rather they do?

1 hour ago, UNTFan23 said:

The problem I am seeing is the message in the protest is lost because people are focusing on the actual protest and not what is being protested.  When people march to their local City Hall, people pay attention to what is being protested.

If you look at this thread as an example, there has been very little discussed about what is being protested (although such subjects have been rightfully banned because we can't have thoughtful discussions).

I would agree with that sentiment, but the impact of the local march to City Hall is rarely covered beyond equally local media outlets. When the discussion at hand needs to be a national one, it then needs a national platform.

[Army of Dad]

33 minutes ago, Christopher Walker said:

The university doesn't stand for equality?

So again, I ask: how else do you believe they should and could so widely get their protest out? What would you rather they do?

I would agree with that sentiment, but the impact of the local march to City Hall is rarely covered beyond equally local media outlets. When the discussion at hand needs to be a national one, it then needs a national platform.

Since when does the offended party have to find solutions for the offending party?

[Quoner]

 

6 minutes ago, Army of Dad said:

Since when does the offended party have to find solutions for the offending party?

 

3 hours ago, Army of Dad said:

I'm a vet. I find disrespecting the national anthem and the flag to be offensive and most definitely NOT patriotic.

I (naturally) know quite a few vets and I don't believe a single one of them would agree with your statement. 

WHAT PARADOX HAVE YOU OPENED HERE? /slams report button for 10 minutes on both posts

[Aldo]

2 hours ago, UNTFan23 said:

The problem I am seeing is the message in the protest is lost because people are focusing on the actual protest and not what is being protested.

^ This times a million. 

The focus has become the flag and not the disenfranchisement of groups of people that want to be figuratively protected by that symbolic flag, but feel like that symbolic flag does not figuratively protect everyone equally.

While some focus on the flag because they can't look past the act of disrespect, others focus on the flag because they choose to ignore a more complex matter.

You have to ask yourself, why would they do something that is so disrespectful? How bad has it become for them to feel the need to go this far?

Why?

 

[TreeFiddy]

If the protesters don't get the attention they are seeking, they could always take it to the next level.  We already saw an example in Dallas.  Slippery slope.

[MeanGreen_MBA]

7 hours ago, keith said:

I'd say when it's on your own time and not when you are representing your employer, school or any other organization that may not agree with your position.

Right on Brother!!!!

6 hours ago, Christopher Walker said:

The university doesn't stand for equality?

So again, I ask: how else do you believe they should and could so widely get their protest out? What would you rather they do?

I would agree with that sentiment, but the impact of the local march to City Hall is rarely covered beyond equally local media outlets. When the discussion at hand needs to be a national one, it then needs a national platform.

You can protest anything you want in most public arenas, but you will not protest on my dime.  That is the msg here.  These kids are in college, and should be exploring their own agenda....good for them.  But when they are in uniform, participating in a school sponsored function, that is not the place or time to do so....Part of the education experience, is learning such lessons

[Silent Eagle]

On 10/6/2016 at 9:00 AM, Christopher Walker said:

"[braces for downvotes]

Blinders, boys and girls. When is it appropriate to peacefully protest? Think about your answer to such.

What Kaepernick has started is a way more useful means towards conversation and hopefully progress on the abhorrent race issues that persist in our time.

I think they're being the patriotic ones. Plus, this has nothing to do with the military and whole bunch of vets would prefer ya'll stop making false equivalencies. 

[also bracing for this thread to either get locked or moved to Pie]

Agree.  Thank you.  The vast majority of people I work with (myself included) honestly don't care- we've got bigger fish to fry.  Just to put things into perspective-until we have 100% of eligible, registered voters actually vote, the most basic right that is afforded to U.S. citizens, in some ways the fact that people are exercising their freedom of speech makes them more patriotic than the vast majority of Americans who don't even turn out to vote.  

We exist solely to defend the right for people to protest in a manner which they chose, so long as it's peaceful.  Do we agree with it? Is it in poor taste? Doesn't matter.  It's legally protected free speech as validated by the Supreme Court in Texas vs Johnson 1990 when the 1989 law was deemed unconstitutional by the highest court.  I understand that you may not want to see it at a sporting event (understandable-no one wants to mix politics with football) however until regulation is established prohibiting the conduct of individual protests while representing the organization, they are allowed to do it.  

As Evelyn Beatrice Hall (writing in the pseudonym of Tallentyre) wrote "I disagree with what you say but defend to the death your right to say it"- free speech was one of the primary concepts that differentiated us from the other nations at our founding.  And yes, I've missed the birth of my son, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays in really shitty places doing fun, dangerous shit and happily continue to do so- I don't say it to garner accolades or pump my chest out- I say it to lend perspective to the situation.  

Now, what are we going to do about the seating, because when the band takes the field, it really makes our stadium look empty and it doesn't look good on television. 

Edited October 7, 2016 by Silent Eagle
-

[keith]

23 hours ago, Christopher Walker said:

The university doesn't stand for equality?

I'm sure it does, whatever that means these days, but that's not the point.  Actually, I'm not even sure what this new crop of SJWs are attempting to accomplish, but that's not the point either.  

What if a group of band members or athletes or cheerleaders decided to protest for something deemed to be politically incorrect?  Would the University support that too? Does the protest have to pass some sort of litmus test and be deemed "good" or will all protests regardless of their message be allowed?  Let's say for argument's sake that a group of neo-Nazi students in their capacity as representatives of the University (wearing uniforms provided by the University, for example) wanted to protest for whatever their cause may be. OK or not OK?