Since my original post regarding the NFL players using the National Anthem as a vehicle for peaceful, non-disruptive, First Amendment-protected protest, a counter-protest has gained some momentum.
That protest is in the form of fans boycotting the NFL. (Not watching or going to the games, not buying merchandise, etc.)
If you are one of those who are participating in this boycott, or support it, I have some thoughts for you.
First: The "NFL" didn't do this. Protesting them doesn't make much sense, because they didn't create this situation and didn't do anything to start it. Plus, what exactly is it you want them to do as a result of your protest? Fire players who use the First Amendment in a peaceful, non-disruptive, legal manner? I'm not so sure I want to live in a country that pushes that stance, do you?
Second: If you are protesting the NFL, I support your right to do that, 100%. You are an American citizen and you have rights laid out for you in the Constitution and its associated Amendments.
What I would like to ask is that you just be honest about your protest, like the NFL players are being honest about theirs.
They are protesting: RACIAL INEQUALITY.
They are protesting: THE RISE IN POLICE KILLING UNARMED BLACK PEOPLE.
That's their point. That's the stand they are making. They want to help change this systemic racism and stop the deaths it is causing.
What's your point? What stand are you making? What change would you like to see as a result of your protest?
I think those of you protesting the NFL are not being honest about it. You say things like "they hate the Flag!" and "Why do they hate America, it made them rich!" Those statements are nothing but useless cover words for the truth, a truth that you seem unwilling to come out and say.
None of these players hates the flag. And just because these men have made a lot of money as Americans, doesn't mean that racism is somehow not a massive problem in this country, one that is resulting regularly in the deaths of other Americans.
So I ask you to be honest about your protest, which seems like a reasonable request:
Be honest that you are not protesting the NFL, you are protesting certain NFL players.
Be honest that you say you love and support freedom, but not for people who bring up topics that are uncomfortable, like racial inequality.
Be honest that you say you love the Flag, the Anthem, the Constitution, but not when other people get to use them.
Be honest that you are mad at the NFL for "allowing" players to be full-fledged American citizens, rather than just possessions for your and my amusement. (That is what sports is, after all, isn't it?)
Be honest: You aren't protesting the NFL, you are protesting the notion that there still exists rampant racial inequality in America.
For whatever reason, you have a problem with the rest of us having a problem with that.
Why?
There is no ambiguity around what point the players are making, what stand they are taking, via their protest. It is crystal clear.
Those of you deciding to boycott the NFL? Not so clear. So please, do tell us what stand you are taking.
JReed Says...Be Honest.
Monday, October 2, 2017
Monday, September 25, 2017
Taking A Stand On Taking A Knee...
Taking A Knee:
Protesting by not standing for the Anthem goes back, at a minimum, to the late 1800’s. Issues such as conscription, economic injustice, the Vietnam War, nationalism and as today, racial inequality, have all been cause for this form of protest. It is not new. It is not solely owned by NFL players.
It is not:
-Violent
-Disruptive
-Hate speech
-Inciting of illegal actions
It is:
-Protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution
-Historically significant
-Chosen by the highly visible, on behalf of the “invisible”
-A pretty good example of what protest should be
I understand the reaction in emotional terms, to this particular form of protest. In fact, I would be worried if nobody felt strongly enough about the country to have a reaction. As well, I fell very strongly about the fact that after all this time, there stands a host of very real problems that need to be addressed through protest and civic engagement. You could make a solid argument that the very formation of this country was an act of grand protest. We all talk of freedom, of sacrifice, of the hundreds of thousands of American citizens that have given their lives for our country. I ask you this, “What is more ‘our country’?”:
-The Flag
-The Anthem
-The Bill of Rights
They are all representative of the United States, sure. But the first two are more a representative notion of the last. (The Constitution, Bill of Rights, et al) If we want to suppress freedom selectively based on profession and/or annual earnings, then I would argue that we would be abandoning our founding fathers, founding documents and the very reasons an act-of-protest-turned-war-for-independence even happened. The sacrifices of so many, over the last 240+ years would be for not. On this issue, I see that there is a division between those that believe in peaceful protest and the right to do it, and those that want any person who doesn’t stand for the Anthem to lose their jobs. (At a minimum) And that, after all, highlights the need for protest better than anything else. Perhaps, we should be united in creating a country for which we all want to stand, to honor and to sing praise.
JReed Says…Be Thoughtful
Protesting by not standing for the Anthem goes back, at a minimum, to the late 1800’s. Issues such as conscription, economic injustice, the Vietnam War, nationalism and as today, racial inequality, have all been cause for this form of protest. It is not new. It is not solely owned by NFL players.
It is not:
-Violent
-Disruptive
-Hate speech
-Inciting of illegal actions
It is:
-Protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution
-Historically significant
-Chosen by the highly visible, on behalf of the “invisible”
-A pretty good example of what protest should be
I understand the reaction in emotional terms, to this particular form of protest. In fact, I would be worried if nobody felt strongly enough about the country to have a reaction. As well, I fell very strongly about the fact that after all this time, there stands a host of very real problems that need to be addressed through protest and civic engagement. You could make a solid argument that the very formation of this country was an act of grand protest. We all talk of freedom, of sacrifice, of the hundreds of thousands of American citizens that have given their lives for our country. I ask you this, “What is more ‘our country’?”:
-The Flag
-The Anthem
-The Bill of Rights
They are all representative of the United States, sure. But the first two are more a representative notion of the last. (The Constitution, Bill of Rights, et al) If we want to suppress freedom selectively based on profession and/or annual earnings, then I would argue that we would be abandoning our founding fathers, founding documents and the very reasons an act-of-protest-turned-war-for-independence even happened. The sacrifices of so many, over the last 240+ years would be for not. On this issue, I see that there is a division between those that believe in peaceful protest and the right to do it, and those that want any person who doesn’t stand for the Anthem to lose their jobs. (At a minimum) And that, after all, highlights the need for protest better than anything else. Perhaps, we should be united in creating a country for which we all want to stand, to honor and to sing praise.
JReed Says…Be Thoughtful
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
REVIVAL TIME!
Revive! Yes indeed, it is time to do a revival of sorts for my blog. It has been several years and many happenings since I posted anything.
Believe it or not, I actually forgot about it as life took over and sidetracked me on to many other things. The funny part is that those very things are what now occupy an ever growing section of my brain, with all of these thoughts, opinions, experiences, statements, questions and other fodder bouncing around in my head. I need to get them out. My only hope is that anyone who reads my posts gets something out of them, maybe even learns something. I know I'd like to learn a lot via the process of posting and conversing with everyone.
I happened back upon my blog today and read what I’d written in 2008. Given the standards of the Internet, I have to say: It’s decent stuff.
It was also fun to peek back to what I was thinking about and going through at that time. In reality, much of what I wrote about has given me the basis for some upcoming posts. Comparing and contrasting those observations with what has transpired since then and what is going on right now in the world will be an interesting and challenging exercise.
And perhaps, with a little confidence and some effort, I can put some thoughtful and constructive words on the Internet and bring the average up. Because, seriously, look at the majority of what is written in cyberspace. There's NO WAY I can't contribute in a positive manner. :-)
I hope you will join me and contribute, as I like comments and feedback. (As long as you are reasonable. If you are one of those Internet trolls that likes to hurl anonymous insults, take them elsewhere please. I will delete them.)
JReed Says...Be Well. Informed.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
November 4th, 2008.
I will certainly remember this date for the rest of my life. For someone in my generation, the so called Generation X, it is one of the biggest historical days of my (our) life to this point. There have been a few monumental and unprecedented days/events; The impeachment proceedings against Clinton, the Oklahoma City bombing and of course, September 11th, 2001. But, those all reflect the negative side of government, our country and our world. November 4th, 2008 reflects the best of our people and our nation in a number of ways. It should, hopefully, change the world. (The fact that my children got to see it makes me smile ear to ear...they are young enough to at least "get" that it was a big day, but as they get older I will take huge satisfaction watching it really dawn on them.)
The obvious reflection of positive energy and historic significance is the election of a person that is not a white male. That’s history all by itself. But, beyond that, I’m talking about the reaction. This election night showed several positive and important things to me; John McCain’s concession speech, which was a touching mix of graceful defeat and positive response and support for his “former opponent.” I love those two words in his speech for their simple message that they are no longer opponents. The race is over and a great man, a great American and a great leader won the day. McCain put us on notice that he would be behind “his” President going forward. I sincerely hope those words ring true.
The other aspect of the night was the celebratory feeling the nation over. TV footage of happy crowds celebrating in the streets and parks of cities across America, of so many people of different ethnic backgrounds, genders and religious leanings shedding the same tears of joy. That look of pride on all those faces.
At the time of writing this, I have not heard of any bad occurrences, attacks, riots or any other sort of nonsense. Our country celebrated and got interested in its own political future in a way not seen in decades. I’m proud to be an American, always have been, as we showed the world that we can in fact come together and do something that was absolutely, unequivocally, out of the question just a matter of years ago.
We elected as our President, and by no small margin electorally, a black man whose middle name is Hussein. You don’t have to go back too far when in your very own mind, I’d guess you didn’t think it was possible.
I for one am thrilled that we have finally faced up to a barrier, two to a large extent, and gotten it, for lack of a better phrase, “out of the way.” Of course, the other barrier we approached was a viable, legitimate female candidate for the Presidency. Something else I think we need to “get out of the way” too. Based on this election, I think we can all see that it is absolutely possible to break that barrier as well. Yes we can.
Welcome to the history books of the future, the ink isn’t even dry and frankly, neither are my eyes.
JReed…Says Be Well.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Travel Log Day Two: Hard To Imagine...
Day two of the Hawaii trip was spent at Pearl Harbor...and as a self-titled history buff, it was beyond fascinating to me.
What struck me first was how somber we felt as soon as we got off the bus. There's something about that place that just levels you in terms of your view on life, courage, struggle and war in general.
While I've long known the dates, times, names and events of WWII, seeing the film and listening to the volunteer narrative prior to watching it, really brought it all home. What struck me the most was learning of all the survivors, who, upon their passing asked to be buried with their brothers underwater, back aboard the USS Arizona. I was not aware of that and it really hit hard, knowing that those men spent the rest of their lives as survivors, with what had to be absolutely vivid and horrid memories of that day etched in their minds. Memories of their ship, of how their lives and that of the nation and world, changed that day. Memories of their fellow sailors and Marines that died.
Their last request was to return to the Arizona and their names are etched at the memorial wall too...
After the film, we took the ferry boat to the memorial...it was something to see, all of these people looking around and taking pictures, but not really talking. There wasn't the usual touristy banter going on because the memorial is really an observational stand over a submerged graveyard.
When you look out at the ship below, there is still oil leaking up to the surface...that ship is still "alive" in the sense that you see it and see the little slicks of oil coming up, over 67 years after the fact.
You can also see the USS Missouri anchored just a few hundred yards away. The war with Japan started there and ended aboard the Mighty Mo. Full circle for us to see.
So there you are, in this paradise of a place, knowing that it was hell on earth that day.
If you've never been there, go. It is simply hard to imagine...
JReed...Says Be Well.
What struck me first was how somber we felt as soon as we got off the bus. There's something about that place that just levels you in terms of your view on life, courage, struggle and war in general.
While I've long known the dates, times, names and events of WWII, seeing the film and listening to the volunteer narrative prior to watching it, really brought it all home. What struck me the most was learning of all the survivors, who, upon their passing asked to be buried with their brothers underwater, back aboard the USS Arizona. I was not aware of that and it really hit hard, knowing that those men spent the rest of their lives as survivors, with what had to be absolutely vivid and horrid memories of that day etched in their minds. Memories of their ship, of how their lives and that of the nation and world, changed that day. Memories of their fellow sailors and Marines that died.
Their last request was to return to the Arizona and their names are etched at the memorial wall too...
After the film, we took the ferry boat to the memorial...it was something to see, all of these people looking around and taking pictures, but not really talking. There wasn't the usual touristy banter going on because the memorial is really an observational stand over a submerged graveyard.
When you look out at the ship below, there is still oil leaking up to the surface...that ship is still "alive" in the sense that you see it and see the little slicks of oil coming up, over 67 years after the fact.
You can also see the USS Missouri anchored just a few hundred yards away. The war with Japan started there and ended aboard the Mighty Mo. Full circle for us to see.
So there you are, in this paradise of a place, knowing that it was hell on earth that day.
If you've never been there, go. It is simply hard to imagine...
JReed...Says Be Well.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Hawaii Travel Log - Day One. So, what do you do?
Well, we flew from Eugene to Seattle, then Seattle to Honolulu on the 21st.
On the flight from SEA to HNL, a very nice and talkative man named Pat sat next to us.
Through the course of conversation, we got around to "So, what do you do?" The inevitable ice breaker topic on planes...we explained what we did, which until this conversation, seemed fairly interesting, then I asked Pat, "So, what do you do?" to which he replied, "I am a medical marijuana grower."
Uhhh, ok. That's a new one on us...it ended up being quite an interesting flight and Pat was, to say the least, chatty. By the 5th hour of the flight, I was ready to not talk or listen anymore to anyone, but I do have to say that Pat was a very nice guy with lots of colorful stories to tell. We saw a few pictures of his greenhouses, saw his license and discussed the difference between State and Federal law. I'm still not sure how it works, but we laughed a lot.
Once on the ground, we made our way via bus to Waikiki and checked in to our hotel. It is warm and sunny here, which makes it seem like a cool place to vacation. Worked nicely for us, being here on vacation and all.
As near as we could tell, wandering around the hotel and surrounding blocks, Korea has evacuated all of its teenagers. I assume there is some national teenager holiday or competition here, at our hotel, that has brought all 985,000 here. To say I am "out of touch" with Korean teenage life is an understatement, but they sure seem to have a nice time together. The boys all wear white shoes and jeans and have ratty/wild dyed-light-brown hair. The girls all wear white shoes and jeans and have ratty/wild dyed-light-brown hair, that is only slightly longer than the boys. And, they all smoke, a lot.
But I do like being around them because I feel like a giant. They are, no kidding, about 58% of my size and I'm not a very big guy. Actually I am a big guy, at least this week, in this hotel lobby.
To end the day, we had a nice sushi dinner, walked the famous Waikiki beach and turned in. Day two promises to be interesting, as we are headed for Pearl Harbor.
JReed...Says Be Well.
On the flight from SEA to HNL, a very nice and talkative man named Pat sat next to us.
Through the course of conversation, we got around to "So, what do you do?" The inevitable ice breaker topic on planes...we explained what we did, which until this conversation, seemed fairly interesting, then I asked Pat, "So, what do you do?" to which he replied, "I am a medical marijuana grower."
Uhhh, ok. That's a new one on us...it ended up being quite an interesting flight and Pat was, to say the least, chatty. By the 5th hour of the flight, I was ready to not talk or listen anymore to anyone, but I do have to say that Pat was a very nice guy with lots of colorful stories to tell. We saw a few pictures of his greenhouses, saw his license and discussed the difference between State and Federal law. I'm still not sure how it works, but we laughed a lot.
Once on the ground, we made our way via bus to Waikiki and checked in to our hotel. It is warm and sunny here, which makes it seem like a cool place to vacation. Worked nicely for us, being here on vacation and all.
As near as we could tell, wandering around the hotel and surrounding blocks, Korea has evacuated all of its teenagers. I assume there is some national teenager holiday or competition here, at our hotel, that has brought all 985,000 here. To say I am "out of touch" with Korean teenage life is an understatement, but they sure seem to have a nice time together. The boys all wear white shoes and jeans and have ratty/wild dyed-light-brown hair. The girls all wear white shoes and jeans and have ratty/wild dyed-light-brown hair, that is only slightly longer than the boys. And, they all smoke, a lot.
But I do like being around them because I feel like a giant. They are, no kidding, about 58% of my size and I'm not a very big guy. Actually I am a big guy, at least this week, in this hotel lobby.
To end the day, we had a nice sushi dinner, walked the famous Waikiki beach and turned in. Day two promises to be interesting, as we are headed for Pearl Harbor.
JReed...Says Be Well.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Meet Me In The Middle.
Center, middle, medium, moderation. These four words represent one guiding thought process, principle if you want to call it that, in my life.
Center, equidistant from two or more extremes.
How you stay in balance when you stand, the guy that snaps the football to get the play started. I think we all agree that being a "centered" person is best. Nobody likes to be around a person that is extreme in any one way.
Middle, equidistant from two or more extremes.
When you drive down the road, you keep your car in the middle of your lane to avoid collisions, leaving the roadway, signposts and other hazards. Reasonable approach to driving, that the vast majority of the time works out very well. The middle class can be argued as being the single biggest stabilizing factor for any country, politically and economically. By not just having a huge under class with a small top class, a country can enjoy economic growth and opportunity for its citizens. Middle...it is actually where it happens.
Medium, the average of two extremes.
When you are ordering something to eat or drink and you've either never tried it or are just not sure how much you want, you get a medium. Nice safe choice. If you don't specify how you want your steak, it will come out medium. Why? Because it will please the largest number of diners and represents the least risk to the restaurant and chef.
Moderation, not doing, taking, eating, drinking or acting in any extreme manner.
"All things in moderation." It seems to be human nature to react to something bad by stopping it altogether, or to something good by going full tilt with it. Diets are a great example. Carbs aren't bad, but lots of carbs are. Meat isn't bad, but eating huge amounts of it is. Sugar isn't bad, but consuming lots of it certainly is. Heck, you can even take too many vitamins.
I happen to believe that politics and an approach to government and dealing with a large, complex society like ours is no different. All things in moderation is a very good way to enjoy what you want, without creating problems or having to go extreme measures to undo what was done.
I am asking you to meet me in the middle. There is a LOT of room as our country is practically a 50/50 split between the two extremes.
I am willing to bet that there are far more people in this country whose approach to life and their belief systems are somewhere in this vast middle ground. I for one cannot say I support either of our two big political parties completely. I don't agree with every single plank in their platforms but I sure do agree with quite a few in each. So what does that make me? I think it makes me a person with his own thoughts and ideas, that recognizes different situations require different approaches and there is no one blanket school of thought that can handle everything.
I'm not saying that I'm right about everything, but I can say that when I have in fact aligned myself with one party, I immediately start struggling with certain items or beliefs of that party. I've been a Democrat, I've been a Republican, I've gone independent. I can't find a political home. I don't think I'm alone.
Let's start a movement back to the middle.
You don't HAVE to choose one side or the other...think about who it is that is telling you that you have to? Those two sides. They want and need us to pick a side in order to maintain their power and control. It is probably the one thing that they all secretly agree on: Keep them divided and keep the gap close, then we will ALL maintain our power and wealth.
A final thought about that: When there is a coin toss, you're told to pick heads or tails. Pick one side of the coin. You feel like you have a choice, but in fact, even though there are two sides of a coin, in political terms, it is still just two sides of the same coin.
Over time, I'll be posting a lot more about this particular topic because I truly believe that as an approach to politics, particularly in our current "environment" today, it is really the only way to a better life, a better country and a better future.
JReed...Says Be Well.
Center, equidistant from two or more extremes.
How you stay in balance when you stand, the guy that snaps the football to get the play started. I think we all agree that being a "centered" person is best. Nobody likes to be around a person that is extreme in any one way.
Middle, equidistant from two or more extremes.
When you drive down the road, you keep your car in the middle of your lane to avoid collisions, leaving the roadway, signposts and other hazards. Reasonable approach to driving, that the vast majority of the time works out very well. The middle class can be argued as being the single biggest stabilizing factor for any country, politically and economically. By not just having a huge under class with a small top class, a country can enjoy economic growth and opportunity for its citizens. Middle...it is actually where it happens.
Medium, the average of two extremes.
When you are ordering something to eat or drink and you've either never tried it or are just not sure how much you want, you get a medium. Nice safe choice. If you don't specify how you want your steak, it will come out medium. Why? Because it will please the largest number of diners and represents the least risk to the restaurant and chef.
Moderation, not doing, taking, eating, drinking or acting in any extreme manner.
"All things in moderation." It seems to be human nature to react to something bad by stopping it altogether, or to something good by going full tilt with it. Diets are a great example. Carbs aren't bad, but lots of carbs are. Meat isn't bad, but eating huge amounts of it is. Sugar isn't bad, but consuming lots of it certainly is. Heck, you can even take too many vitamins.
I happen to believe that politics and an approach to government and dealing with a large, complex society like ours is no different. All things in moderation is a very good way to enjoy what you want, without creating problems or having to go extreme measures to undo what was done.
I am asking you to meet me in the middle. There is a LOT of room as our country is practically a 50/50 split between the two extremes.
I am willing to bet that there are far more people in this country whose approach to life and their belief systems are somewhere in this vast middle ground. I for one cannot say I support either of our two big political parties completely. I don't agree with every single plank in their platforms but I sure do agree with quite a few in each. So what does that make me? I think it makes me a person with his own thoughts and ideas, that recognizes different situations require different approaches and there is no one blanket school of thought that can handle everything.
I'm not saying that I'm right about everything, but I can say that when I have in fact aligned myself with one party, I immediately start struggling with certain items or beliefs of that party. I've been a Democrat, I've been a Republican, I've gone independent. I can't find a political home. I don't think I'm alone.
Let's start a movement back to the middle.
You don't HAVE to choose one side or the other...think about who it is that is telling you that you have to? Those two sides. They want and need us to pick a side in order to maintain their power and control. It is probably the one thing that they all secretly agree on: Keep them divided and keep the gap close, then we will ALL maintain our power and wealth.
A final thought about that: When there is a coin toss, you're told to pick heads or tails. Pick one side of the coin. You feel like you have a choice, but in fact, even though there are two sides of a coin, in political terms, it is still just two sides of the same coin.
Over time, I'll be posting a lot more about this particular topic because I truly believe that as an approach to politics, particularly in our current "environment" today, it is really the only way to a better life, a better country and a better future.
JReed...Says Be Well.
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