'I wanted to stand for something right': Isaiah Livers steps into leadership role with kneeling

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It takes more guts to do it when it is not what everyone else is doing. Just as it took guts for some to remain standing when everyone else was kneeling. Good for Isaiah keeping the issue alive. I hope we understand each other a little more now. It can’t continue to be us versus them. We are all “us”.

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Bravo 1989and.

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BLM isn’t about us versus them.

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I’m not saying that it is. What I mean is that I like teammates supporting each other. That doesn’t mean they have to make the exact same choices. It seems that Luke Wilson understands what Isaiah is doing and why. Also it seems that Isaiah gets that if other players stand for the anthem it doesn’t mean they are against him.

As a veteran, I simply want to say that kneeling during our National Anthem is disrespectful. The blood of patriots has been spilled on foreign soil so that citizens have the right to enjoy all the freedoms that this country offers. I served in Iraq from 2005-2006 and came back in one piece with all my mental faculties intact. My cousin served in the Marine Corps in Fallujah and shortly after I came home, I was attending his funeral…he was KIA.

The exercise of free speech is also guaranteed by our constitution and Mr. Livers is entitled to kneel or peacefully demonstrate any way he pleases. I take exception to " “There’s no disrespect to veterans at all,” “…a retort to thin air-…”, due to the fact that 1 percent of the United States population serves in the armed forces and of that group, 1 percent have actually served in combat zones. I would challenge Mr. Livers to seek out the opinions of combat veterans and see if they are offended by his kneeling for the anthem, yet understanding of his right to do so.

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I don’t think Isaiah’s decision to kneel is about the flag or the military.

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I am a naturalized citizen, and whenever I hear the national anthemn and I see the flag rising, my parents told me to show my respect standing up, regardless of political affiliation or issues of any injustice. I learned to do that for two flags. Patriots have spilled their blood and sacrificed for their flags and in my book this deserves more than my humble respect.

True story: We all know Giannis Antetokoumpo. His parents emigrated from Nigeria to Greece. He was born in Greece, went to a Greek school, was baptized Greek and he honors both Nigeria and Greece. I am sure he had been a subject of racial injustice growing up in Greece as a minority. In one of his recent NBA games, a bunch of Greeks gathered after the game, seeking autographs from him. One of them asked him to autograph the Greek flag he had. Giannis refused to sign on the flag out of respect to what the flag represented!!

There is a place and time to protest for racial injustice, and I am all for it. But to highjack the national anthem and the flag for this cause, is not acceptable in my book. Many patriots defended their flag paying the ultimate price with their life. They deserve my respect, no matter the color of their skin, and their political beliefs.

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Not a single person alive has shed blood to protect American freedoms. Our freedoms haven’t be threatened by a foreign nation since the war of 1812.

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Over/under on hours until this thread is locked: 1.5

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Dylan’s busy I guess :rofl:

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I would never kneel during the anthem. I would prefer others wouldn’t either. I hate to see it to be honest. But I truly believe Livers has good intentions. He is good young man trying to do what is right. I just don’t agree with his act which is fine. I like him the same. I like all of our players the same. These are good kids trying their best to figure it out. It is good to see—even though I hate to see him kneel.

I know it probably sounds like I am confused but I am not. I love this team. I love the players who are kneeling and who are standing. God bless America.

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No disrespect, but US citizens lost their lives in wars outside and inside the US (9-11) and US embassies around the world are considered on US soil (Kenya, Tanzania, etc).

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