What’s the Point?

This and That

The latest in double-speak and hyperbole coming out of our White House involves the verbal censure — complete with cuss words — of some of our national Hero/Gladiators, the players of the National Football League.   By implication, other sports organizations may soon join in a general incident.

This brouhaha, is featured on the same Headline News sites as 1) the annihilation of North Korea and/or the rest of the World;  2) the devastation by multiple Hurricanes which are literally wiping out much of the Caribbean countryside; and 3) wreaking another type of havoc in the good old US-of-A in the form of political wreckage of our health care system, such as it is.

Is the point that the people involved are demonstrating disrespect for the U.S. Flag?   Or that the efforts and sacrifices of our military personnel in the wars that reinforce our system are being insulted and dishonored?

Should our great stadiums and ball courts be boycotted because of this perceived disrespect?

Do we want a system where the leaders can stand and demand certain responses from crowds gathered for games or other patriotic event… is it okay for anyone, as in the president of the country, to demand a specific response?     Should there be a law stating that the flag MUST be saluted?   That the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag MUST be said whenever the law requires?

These implications are that if patriotism is the law of the land…how soon will mandatory punishments follow?  When a pledge is required, at risk of breaking a law, with penalties…what happens then?

At risk here is the whole point of our system of government—freedom from tyranny and dictatorship.    In some nations of the world any big gathering, sports, political speeches, military show of strength….any one of these events show the threat that these kinds of rhetoric and neo-fascism promises to inflict on us down a very slippery slope.

It is tempting to think that this stirring-of-the-pot has an ulterior motive…more red-herrings dragged in front of our noses.

 

 

4 thoughts on “What’s the Point?”

    1. the congress is all scared to death of Trump, or more specifically their “base” voters. This new NFL (football league) thing is over-the-top, even for our media, especially when Puerto Rico is in shambles and begging for help. Fortunately they are US Territory, voters … except they can’t vote for president. Those islands are the eastern line of defense over there, except Cuba.

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