GetThoseKeysMilo said:

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What evidence do you have that he's a "thug"? I've never seen him that way. A little quirky, opinionated...but thug insinuates guns/drugs/violence/gang.

And yes, protesting this way is stupid, considering you're insulting the only country in the world that would make you a millionaire for being good at football.

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Seen him knock a guy out at a pool party

What an attention hore

peace said:

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What exactly, is Michael Bennett's statement? I mean, what is his protest saying, in as few words as possible? What is he hoping to accomplish?

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https://www.google.com/amp/ftw.usatoday.com/2017/08/michael-bennett-national-anthem/amp
He makes some pretty salient points. Whether they resonate with the general public, apparently not, is another matter. This country has some F'ed up sensibilities to be sure. I don't think he's doing it to be an attention hoor but that's how it will be received. If you defend a bunch of Hitler fanboys to march, you have to support him sitting.

GetThoseKeysMilo said:

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And yes, protesting this way is stupid, considering you're insulting the only country in the world that would make you a millionaire for being good at football.

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Other countries will make you a millionaire for being good at what they call "football".

Quote:

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Seen him knock a guy out at a pool party

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What happened right before that?

No respect for MB now. This great country gave him the opportunity to make millions and now he disrespects it. Bad Ag.

I think he's fighting for a good cause, just in the wrong manner

ILuvAgLand said:

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You would think he would have some respect after all the time he was exposed to the corps on campus
Very disrespectful. I'd like to see admission policies changed so we don't bring in this element to campus.

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with the direction this admissions department is going, breathing seems to be the only requirement for acceptance

Jesus, dude. It takes a special Zoo perspective to think that Michael Bennett hasn't made it.

I had a few friends that quit watching last year over the protests. Both of them said they enjoyed the extra time with their kids a lot more than watching football. I am getting there myself. MB doesn't even know what he is protesting. I am not paying to give those idiots more attention. Screw you NFL

The idea that immigrants typically come here and elevate their status is a bit of a myth. Typically the people that come here take a decrease in social standing, but they push their children to recover it.

The third verse of The Star Spangled Banner glorifies the murder of slaves to prevent their conscription by the British during the war of 1812. I am surprised that more people of color do no sit for the national anthem. If this country can't be bothered to select an anthem that doesn't glorify the killing of their people, why should they stand to honor it? Choosing not to acknowledge the third verse of The Star Spangled Banner doesn't change its history.

arontc09 said:

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The third verse of The Star Spangled Banner glorifies the murder of slaves to prevent their conscription by the British during the war of 1812. I am surprised that more people of color do no sit for the national anthem. If this country can't be bothered to select an anthem that doesn't glorify the killing of their people, why should they stand to honor it? Choosing not to acknowledge the third verse of The Star Spangled Banner doesn't change its history.

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Hold on here. There is very little academic agreement on what the disputed stanza is referring to exactly. Key himself never clarified what he meant by this stanza. So we don't really know. There are a bunch of theories of what it means which does include possible impressment of slaves to fight for the British (which would make them enemies of the United States).

However it could very well be referring the practice of the British using mercenaries. The "hireling" probably refers to the German Hessians. The "slave" could also be referring to the practice of impressment which also included American seaman and forcing them to fight for the British, which was an issue in the War of 1812. Nevertheless the verse itself is quite ambiguous so this too is speculation.

All of this misses the point that the official national anthem version of the Star Spangled Banner does not specify any particular arrangement. Most performance of the Star Spangled Banner only includes the first stanza. Which makes the conclusion that the national anthem of the United States glorifies the killing of African-American slaves quite a stretch.

I disagree. It is a reasonable decision to make, given that Key, a slave owner, referred to killing slaves. It is possible that he meant impressed sailors, but more likely that when he said hireling, he meant mercenary, and when he said slave, he meant slave.
It doesn't make sense that he would celebrate killing impressed American sailors.

That's okay! I don't watch the NFL anyway. And no way would I subsidize his salary by buying anything with an NFL logo on it.

these guys are illiterate about US history anyways. moral vanity at its best

TrillOBrien said:

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Amazes me how some of you are offended by this but found some reason to give the nazis in Charlottesville the benefit of the doubt.

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I wonder why that could be...

arontc09 said:

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The idea that immigrants typically come here and elevate their status is a bit of a myth. Typically the people that come here take a decrease in social standing, but they push their children to recover it.

The third verse of The Star Spangled Banner glorifies the murder of slaves to prevent their conscription by the British during the war of 1812. I am surprised that more people of color do no sit for the national anthem. If this country can't be bothered to select an anthem that doesn't glorify the killing of their people, why should they stand to honor it? Choosing not to acknowledge the third verse of The Star Spangled Banner doesn't change its history.

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You are assuming that the United States is the only nation ever to have slaves. Slavery in Britain goes back to 1066, long before Key penned the Star Spangled Banner. Ancient Rome, France, Greece, Spain, Portugal are just a few examples of slavery.

TrillOBrien said:

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Amazes me how some of you are offended by this but found some reason to give the nazis in Charlottesville the benefit of the doubt.

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I don't think there's any comparison. I don't even remember neo-Nazis being discussed on the football board.

But I believe everyone has a right to to peaceful protest. And other people have a right to express disagreement with them.

There has never been a time and a place, in the history of the world, where more people, with regard to their race, ethnicity, color, gender, religion,... etc. have more opportunity and freedom to pursue their personal goals. I am not saying it's perfect and I am not saying it's equal - nothing is. Can we improve and should we endeavor toward that end? Yes. MB's statement as posted above by Potcake has little salient fact. If he wants to effect real change and make a true difference, disrespecting the county by disrespecting the anthem undermines that goal. Personally I don't care if he sits, kneels, or stands on his head, but if he expects to be taken seriously he needs to have something say of much more substance than I have heard thus far.

I agree with Clay Travis's take. Everyone doing this post Krapperdihck is doing it for money. Don't play politics at work etc. Total non-story.

ChiliBeans said:

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TrillOBrien said:

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Amazes me how some of you are offended by this but found some reason to give the nazis in Charlottesville the benefit of the doubt.

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I don't think there's any comparison. I don't even remember neo-Nazis being discussed on the football board.

But I believe everyone has a right to to peaceful protest. And other people have a right to express disagreement with them.

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some of the names on this thread were all over the politics board a few days ago voicing their opinions on the Charlottesville situation. That's why I made the comparison

Is this a serious post? We live in the 21st century in the greatest country on Earth if black people have it so bad here why don't they try to make it in their homeland...eeerr, wait.....

RebelgentlemenE2 said:

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Tell me again why Asians, Eastern Indians, and Mexicans come over here...make straight A's...open businesses, get scholarships, and are infinitely more successful than black minorities...and NOT SPEAK A WORD OF ENGLISH

BUT you black guy cant make it???

Whatever dude.

Fix your culture.

Pathetic.

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1) He's made it and he's successful---he makes more multiple times more money in a year excelling at something he enjoys than most people of any race will make in a lifetime in this country.

2) What an absurd overbroad characterization of ethnicities.

Quote:

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some of the names on this thread were all over the politics board a few days ago voicing their opinions on the Charlottesville situation.

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First rule of Fight Club.

Guess what? Nobody sings the racist 3rd verse of the anthem. Problem solved.

Nothing to see here. He is and always has been an attention *****

TXAggie2011 said:

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RebelgentlemenE2 said:

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Tell me again why Asians, Eastern Indians, and Mexicans come over here...make straight A's...open businesses, get scholarships, and are infinitely more successful than black minorities...and NOT SPEAK A WORD OF ENGLISH

BUT you black guy cant make it???

Whatever dude.

Fix your culture.

Pathetic.

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1) He's made it and he's successful---he makes more multiple times more money in a year excelling at something he enjoys than most people of any race will make in a lifetime in this country.

2) What an absurd overbroad characterization of ethnicities.

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What is so absurd and overboard in suggesting that all minorities except African Americans are successful?

Just play the anthem before the players come out before the game. No grandstanding then.

Dumb question, but why do we sing the national anthem before sports? Follow up would be to vets - do you feel honored when this is done?

I don't feel honored, necessarily, but I do feel proud as hell.

I think the anthem is a good thing- it reminds everyone in the stadium that whatever differences we have, we are all Americans and ultimately in it together.

Most of the rest of the world hates us and always will. When, not IF, the sh-- hits the fan, we will have to rally together and defeat the next Kaiser, Fuhrer, Emperor, Premier, Mufti, Sultan, Ayotollah, or whatever the hell the next enemy of freedom will call himself/herself/itself.

Aggies and sips or whatever athletic program we are facing should remember that- relative to the rest of the lousy world, we have a lot in common.

The CFL is calling !

10andBOUNCE said:

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Dumb question, but why do we sing the national anthem before sports? Follow up would be to vets - do you feel honored when this is done?

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You can look it up and read about how they started playing the national anthem for sporting events during WWI and WWII to rally support behind the troops, back then no one had a problem with this...