HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE
TAKING A KNEE IN SOLITARY WITH COLIN KAEPERNICK TO PROTEST POLICE
BRUTALITY.
LET'S THROW UP A COUPLE OF IMAGES HERE.
WE HAVE,
THIS IS WAGNER HIGH IN LOUISVILLE.
YOU CAN SEE SOME
PLAYERS, THERE IS ONE PLAYER TAKING A KNEE RIGHT THERE.
HIS
COACH SAID, TO ENSURE OUR YOUNG MEN CAN TAKE A STAND FOR SOCIAL
JUSTICE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME NOT SHOWING WHAT IS PERCEIVED AS
DISRESPECT.
THEY ARE ON THE FIELD, NO PLAYERS ARE SITTING
OUT.
THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER PHOTO AND THIS IS FROM VIRGINIA.
WE
HAVE SOME OTHER PLAYERS TAKING A KNEE IN THE END ZONE.
THE COACH
FROM THAT SCHOOL SAID, OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS SAID WE ARE OF THE
BELIEF, WE LET OUR GUYS DO WHAT THEY BELIEVE AND THEN HE WENT
ON TO SAY WE DIDN'T MAKE AN ISSUE OF IT.
IF THEY BELIEVE IN
A CAUSE, THAT IS FINE.
I STAND BEHIND WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN BUT
I AM GOING TO DO WHAT I BELIEVE IN.
I THINK THAT IS PRETTY
NOBLE.
AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER PHOTO AND THIS ONE IS COMING
FROM AUBURN HIGH SCHOOL IN ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.
WE SEE A
COUPLE OF PLAYERS TAKING A KNEE.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS CAPTION
THE GUY SAYS, IF YOU THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM IN AMERICA
NEWSFLASH, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM.
BIG UPS TO THESE YOUNG MEN.
FIX
THE PROBLEM NOT THE PROTEST.
LET'S GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS LITTLE BIT.
OBVIOUSLY THE PROTEST OF FOOTBALL PLAYERS, THE
PEACEFUL, SILENT PROTEST FOR BALLPLAYERS HAS REALLY
CAUGHT NATIONAL ATTENTION.
DO YOU THINK THIS IS WARRANTED?
YOU THINK THEY ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING?
YOU THINK HOW THE COACHES ARE RESPONDING IS OKAY?
FIRST OF ALL, ONE OF THESE HIGH SCHOOLS, I THINK IN
MASSACHUSETTS, THERE WAS A TWEET FROM ONE OF THE PLAYERS WHO
ACTUALLY HAD TAKEN A KNEE, HE SAID HE GOT SUSPENDED YESTERDAY.
TODAY IT CAME OUT THAT THEY WERE CONSIDERING SUSPENDING HIM BUT
THE SCHOOL BOARD DECIDED NOT TO AND THIS IS IN MASSACHUSETTS
LOCAL AREA.
A LOT OF DIFFERENT CITIES AND TOWNS ARE REACTING
DIFFERENTLY TO THESE PLAYERS.
IT IS A BIGGER THING THAT IT IS
NOT A DISRESPECT OF THE COUNTRY.
ITíS NOT A DISRESPECT TO THE
MILITARY.
THESE PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING OUT AGAINST SOCIAL INJUSTICE
AND THAT IS WHAT IT IS FOR.
THAT IS WHY KAEPERNICK DID THIS.
THAT IS WHERE THIS ALL BEGAN.
IF YOU ASK A LOT OF VETERANS, EVEN THEY WILL SAY WHAT WE ARE
FIGHTING FOR IS THE RIGHT TO DISSENT.
THE CONSTITUTIONALLY
PROTECTED RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH AND PROTEST THE
GOVERNMENT I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT IT IS HAPPENING.
I THINK
IT IS GREAT THAT A LOT OF THESE COACHES ARE AT LEAST BEING FAIR
ENOUGH TO BE LIKE OKAY I MAY NOT AGREE WITH THIS, BUT I AM NOT
GOING TO SEND THE WAVE YOU DOING IT.
I THINK THE WORST EXAMPLE
OF ALL THIS IS MCKENZIE HIGH IN ALABAMA WHERE THE ANNOUNCER
BASICALLY TOLD THEM TO GO STAND BY THE FENCE AND GET SHOT.
NO.
THAT IS THE PROBLEM AND THE TONE OF WHY THESE PROTESTS ARE
EVEN HAPPENING BECAUSE OF SENTIMENTS LIKE THE ANNOUNCER
WHO ALONSO WAS JUST SPEAKING ABOUT.
THAT IS A BIG PROBLEM
AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN.
IF THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO SPEAK UP, WHEN IS A GOOD TIME?
PEOPLE ALREADY GETTING SHOT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING IN
THE FIRST PLACE.
WHAT YOU THINK THE BALLPLAYERS SPECIFICALLY
ARE REALLY TAKING THE BRUNT THIS CRITICISM FROM SOME PEOPLE
IN THE MEDIA OR JUST SOME PEOPLE IN TWITTER AND FACEBOOK?
WHY ARE WE NOT SAYING THIS ARE ABOUT CRY AND OTHER SPORTS?
BECAUSE CALLING HIBERNATE WAS THE FIRST PERSON IN A
PROFESSIONAL ARENA TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
NO BASEBALL PLAYER HAS
DONE IT, BEST ABOUT SEASON IS NOT IN YET.
NOW THERE'S
SPECULATION OF WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN YESTERDAY BEING THE
FIRST DAY THAT THE NFL WAS OFFICIALLY BACK, THINK I WAS
VERY HAPPY FOR THAT, THERE WAS A HUGE UNDERTONE OF WHAT IS
THIS TEAM GOING TO DO, WHAT IS RUSSELL WILSON GOING TO DO,
WHAT ARE THE SEAHAWKS GOING TO DO.
THE SEAHAWKS AND INTERLOCKED ARMS, THEY CAN CITY CHEESE MADE
DID THE SAME THING THAT SOME PLAYERS ARE RAISING A FIST OUT.
SOME OF THE DOLPHINS TO GINNY AND I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT
OUT TO THE OWNER OF THE TEAM, STEVE ROSS WHO BASICALLY
CAME OUT IN THEIR DEFENSE.
HE WAS VERY MUCH SUPPORTING THEM IN DOING THAT.
IT'S GREAT BECAUSE KATE UPTON HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT.
CAPTAIN DID HAVE A PROBLEM.
SHE WENT ON INSTAGRAM TO VOICE HER OPINION.
SHE IS DATING OR MAYBE ENGAGED TO A BASEBALL PLAYER.
BOTH OF THEM HAVE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THEY INTEND OR
AT LEAST HE INTENDS TO CONTINUE STANDING FOR THE NATIONAL
ANTHEM.
ALTHOUGH SOMEONE ON TWITTER DID POINT OUT THAT KATE UPTON'S
UNCLE IS A CONGRESSMAN WHO THREE TIMES BUT IT DOWN LEGISLATION
THAT WOULD'VE HELPED 9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS SO SUCK IT, KATE
UPTON.
I WAS GOING TO SAY THERE WAS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY
YESTERDAY IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE IT WAS 9/11
THAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING YOUR PROTEST IS VALID BUT NOT TODAY.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?
THIS IS ONE OF THE SITUATIONS AND I AM GOING TO SPEAK FROM A
PERSONAL STANDPOINT BECAUSE I AM FRIENDS WITH KATE AND JUSTIN AND
I GOT A LOT OF MESSAGES THIS MORNING FROM ANOTHER MUTUAL
FRIEND OF OURS SAYING YOU ARE NOT GOING TO COME TO HER
DEFENSE?
I SAID WE CAN ALL SPEAK ON HOW WE WANT TO SPEAK BUT I
DON'T AGREE WITH WHAT SHE SAID.
ME BEING A NAVY VETERAN MYSELF I
DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY THESE PEOPLE ARE PROTESTING
BECAUSE I KNOW IT IS NOT ABOUT THE MILITARY OR ALL OF THE
SITUATIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO MAKE IT ABOUT DIET IS
ABOUT SOCIAL INJUSTICE.
THAT IS THE COMMON DENOMINATOR WHAT THE
PROBLEM IS AND YESTERDAY WE TRIED TO TURN IT INTO A WHOLE
9/11 THING.
OBVIOUSLY IT WAS 9/11 AND NOT SAYING THAT WAS A
NEGATIVE THING, BUT THEY WERE SAYING TODAY IS 9/11 AND YOU
HAVE TO STAND UP TODAY.
NO WE ARE NOT PROTESTING 9/11.
WE ARE
BEHIND OUR COUNTRY.
WE ARE TRYING TO BRING IT BACK TOGETHER
TO WHERE WAS DOC LIKE THAT WHEN YOU START SAYING, WHAT YOU CAN
PROCESS, BUT NOT TODAY THAT IS LIKE THOSE POSTED FREE SPEECH
THOSE THAT CAME UP DURING THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION ONE OF THE
MOST OR RALLY AND NAMES OF EVERYTHING IN THE MODERN AREA
WERE BASICALLY FEW WANTED TO PROTEST THE BUSH APPEARANCE,
THEY STUCK YOU IN A PIN TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM ALL THE ACTION
AND THAT WAS YOUR FREE SPEECH SOUND.
THE IDEA THAT 9/11 IS A
SACROSANCT MOMENT WHERE WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PROCESS ANYTHING
AGAIN, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ATTACK ON AMERICA AN ATTACK ON
AMERICA'S FREEDOMS, ONE OF THOSE FREEDOMS IS TO SENSE AND IS THE
RIGHT TO PROTEST OUT WHAT MAKES THIS COUNTRY GREAT IN THE WAY A
LOT OF COUNTRIES ARE IS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE RIGHT
TO STAND UP AND VOCALLY COMPLAIN ABOUT GOVERNMENT AND POINT OUT
WHEN OUR GOVERNMENT IS DOING THE WRONG THING.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE
EXCHANGES ABOUT THIS WAS ON TWITTER YESTERDAY.
ROB LOWE WAS
PLAYING THE 9/11 CARD AND SAYING NOT TODAY.
AND WHOEVER WAS
TWEETING AT HONEY BADGER 10
BASICALLY SUGGESTED THAT MISTER LOGO READ MLK'S LETTER FROM
A BIRMINGHAM JAIL WHEN IT COMES TO WHITE MODERATES TELLING
BLACK PEOPLE WHEN THEY SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T PROTEST OUT.
I THINK YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT ABOUT CALLING Her NECK AND
HOW WE ARE ARTICULATING THIS ISSUE.
PEOPLE BILL AND I'D HIM
FOR I HAD EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO SEE WHAT HE IS SAYING AND THAT
WAS REALLY A DISSERVICE THAT WAS DONE BY THE MEDIA BUT WHEN YOU
LOOK AWAY HE IS SAYING, HE IS BEING INCREDIBLY REASONABLE AND
RESPECTFUL.
TO ME IT'S LIKE THE PINNACLE OF A PEACEFUL PROTEST.
HE IS USING THE PLATFORM THAT HE HAS BEEN GIVEN WITH HIS TALENTS
TO PROTEST TO MAKE A STATEMENT PEACEFULLY, RESPECTFULLY, AND I
THINK THAT YOU MADE A GOOD POINT ALSO, IT IS NOT SAYING ANYTHING
ABOUT OUR MILITARY.
I THINK THAT IS SUCH A MISCHARACTERIZATION OF WHAT
IS GOING ON HERE.
A LOT OF THINGS I'M SEEING ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK, THEY
KEEP BRINGING THE MILITARY AND INNER SERVICEMAN AND THAT
IS REALLY NOT WHAT ANYONE IS PROTESTING HERE.
THAT IS SUCH A TYPICAL RIGHT WING DODGE NOTES OVER HIDE
BEHIND THE TROOPS, THE SAME TROOPS WHOSE BA FUNDING YOU ARE
CONSTANTLY UNDERCUTTING AND WHO YOU ARE KNOCKING TO SUPPORT IN
THE FIELD OR NOT GOING TO SUPPORT WHEN THEY COME HOME THAT
THE SECOND ANYONE TRIES TO SAY ANYTHING THAT IS A PROCESS, OH
NO, OUR PRECIOUS TROOPS.
HOW DARE YOU ARE DEFAME OUR COUNTRY.
IT'S THAT BULL SHIP AMERICA RIGHT OR WRONG LOVE IT OR
LEAVE IT KIND OF THING.
NO, THAT IS NOT HOW AMERICA WORKS TO THE POINT OF
AMERICA IS WHEN SHE IS BROKEN YOU TO SAY IT OUT LOUD AND
YOU GET TO BE THE SQUEAKY WHEEL UNTIL SOMEONE FIXES THE THING.