To Stand or Not to Stand? That is the Question
Two days ago, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that players could continue to kneel or sit during the National Anthem without facing any penalties. The next morning, President Trump predictably took to Twitter to decry the decision: “The NFL has decided that it will not force players to stand for the playing of our National Anthem. Total disrespect for our great country!”
As I reflected on this ongoing controversy, I found myself thinking about my dad, who passed away a little over a year ago, and what he would likely say about it all.
Lt.Col. (USMC) William C. Holmberg was a bootstraps-kind-of-guy and one who loved, fought for (Navy Cross honoree; veteran of WWII, Korea and Vietnam ) and found a hundred-and-one ways to serve this country.
Over his 88 years he developed and nurtured an acute sense of justice and fairness. Much of that was born from empathy. As someone raised on the wrong side of the tracks and holding the short-end of the stick, Dad understood the pain, fear, hopelessness and anger that often gnaws at those whose color, economic status, upbringing, etc. can push them towards the margins.
Back before it was cool, he ruffled feathers advocating for total equality and respect for the black soldiers under his command and later throughout the entire military.
Forced to retire after a heart attack in Vietnam, Dad’s next “tour of duty” was with the Selective Service. The feather ruffling continued as he fought for the rights and honor of conscientious objectors, including perhaps the most famous and important incident of an
athlete taking a principled stand against what he believed was injustice in America. (One can only imagine the Twitter-equivalents that would have gushed forth if Trump had been president when Muhammad Ali refused induction into the military.)
Connecting the dots between kids being raised in blighted inner-city neighborhoods and systemic poverty and crime, he started a program to place them in a more regulated and rural environment for two weeks in the summer. There, at a semi-retired military base, they lived in the barracks, experienced military style discipline and physical training from actual drill instructors (significantly dialed down and fun-infused, of course), went to school, played games, and engaged in basic-life-skills exercises. For most, it was their very first step onto the path to the the true American dream.
Finally, literally up to the day his old heart gave out, Dad did what he could to fight for the family farm, for the environment, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy….and the little guy.
So what would Big Bill say about this kneeling brouhaha?
Well, I heard his voice almost perfectly channeled in an interview with Nate Boyer, a former Green Beret who played football briefly with the Seattle Seahawks. Nate had spoken out last year when Colin Kaepernick got the whole NFL protest train rolling. Then they
met, talked and found a very interesting and compelling place of understanding and compromise. Instead of sitting during the national anthem, Kaepernick began taking the knee.
And now, as more and more NFL players are also kneeling , Nate has spoken out again, this time in a letter to “Every Single American.”
His bottom-line?
“So please, no more lines in the sand, not at home, not among our people. No more choosing sides, no more “for or against.” I believe our Veterans will be called upon to lead the way in healing the world and solving its problems; right now our country needs that more than I can remember. So I’ll be here, standing in the radical middle, doing what I can to continue fighting for those that can’t fight for themselves. Let’s get this thing fixed together, you and me. I love you all with all my heart.”
De Oppresso Liber” (To free the oppressed)
It’s great to hear your voice again, Dad, cheering from the sidelines.
(As for my thoughts: like it or not, you introduce an element of politics into any event where The Star-Spangled Banner is played. And that anthem is there to commemorate our national creed, which has at its very heart the freedom of speech and political expression.
That speech and expression becomes most meaningful and important to the vitality of our country when it is born out of thoughtful engagement with the transcendent values of truth, justice and mercy. I know that not everybody who sits or kneels is doing it out of this type of engagement with the issues. But not everyone who stands is doing it from that place either. Personally, I think it’s great for America that there is this type of debate and reflection going on right now.
Lastly, as Americans we should applaud anyone who takes the playing of our anthem seriously rather than just going through the motions and/or following the herd. (I would that we took our other civic responsibilities—particularly voting—more seriously and thoughtfully as well.) Standing, singing along, covering one’s heart or lifting up our eyes and hands to the great hill (and, FYI, it’s not the Capitol version) from which our redemption comes is great. But so is kneeling as a sign of humility, compassion, contrition, reverence and prayer. Again, while not everyone will have hearts and minds that truly reflect their respective postures, I will choose to look at them, smile to myself and think, “Well, it’s at least a beginning.”
I would recommend that “every single American” consider doing the same.
Nate Boyer’s interesting, six-minute radio interview can be heard here.
анонимная наркологическая помощь в москве http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-23.ru .
1xbet g?ncel adres 1xbet g?ncel adres .
поставка медицинского оборудования поставка медицинского оборудования .
1xbet mobi 1xbet mobi .
вывод из запоя москва клиника http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-23.ru/ .
купить диплом техникума до 1996 года купить диплом техникума до 1996 года .
1xbet giri?i 1xbet giri?i .
поставщик медоборудования medoborudovanie-postavka.ru .
медицинская техника медицинская техника .
нарколог психолог http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-23.ru .
поставщик медицинского оборудования поставщик медицинского оборудования .
поставщик медицинского оборудования поставщик медицинского оборудования .
Источник https://lerosa.com.br/
купить диплом во всеволожске http://rudik-diplom13.ru .
Интеллектуальные боты для анализа данных становятся всё более востребованными.
Они позволяют изучать открытые данные из интернета.
Такие боты подходят для журналистики.
Они умеют оперативно обрабатывать большие объёмы данных.
глаз бог тг
Это помогает создать более полную картину событий.
Отдельные системы также обладают инструменты фильтрации.
Такие сервисы широко используются среди специалистов.
Эволюция технологий позволяет сделать поиск информации доступным и удобным.
Интеллектуальные онлайн-сервисы для поиска информации становятся всё более популярными.
Они помогают изучать публичные данные из социальных сетей.
Такие инструменты подходят для исследований.
Они могут точно систематизировать большие объёмы данных.
базы данных глаза бога
Это позволяет создать более объективную картину событий.
Некоторые системы также предлагают инструменты фильтрации.
Такие сервисы популярны среди специалистов.
Эволюция технологий позволяет сделать поиск информации эффективным и быстрым.
медтехника https://medicinskaya-tehnika.ru/ .
кто нибудь работает медсестрой по купленному диплому frei-diplom14.ru .
поставка медоборудования http://medoborudovanie-postavka.ru .
поставщик медицинского оборудования поставщик медицинского оборудования .
поставщик медицинского оборудования поставщик медицинского оборудования .
1xbet giri? linki 1xbet giri? linki .
купить диплом техникума легкой промышленности купить диплом техникума легкой промышленности .
xbet xbet .
смотреть здесь
ARKADA бонус
поставщик медоборудования http://medoborudovanie-postavka.ru .
Hey there this is somewhat of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or
if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding skills so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
https://topprowellness.com/
1xbet tr giri? https://1xbet-17.com/ .
xbet giri? http://1xbet-14.com .
мед оборудование мед оборудование .
1xbet lite 1xbet lite .
bahis siteler 1xbet bahis siteler 1xbet .
bahis sitesi 1xbet bahis sitesi 1xbet .
клиника наркология narkologicheskaya-klinika-23.ru .
оборудование медицинское оборудование медицинское .
Здесь вы найдёте массу полезной информации.
Сайт посвящён на тех, кто ищет практическая поддержка.
Статьи, размещённые здесь, позволяют лучше разобраться в множествах вопросах.
Информация постоянно дополняется, чтобы оставаться современными.
https://aktualno.biz
Меню простая, поэтому найти нужный раздел удобно.
Каждый гость сайта может найти информацию, релевантные его вопросам.
Эта платформа организован с заботой о читателях.
Открывая этот сайт, вы получаете ценный ресурс полезных сведений.
медицинское оборудование для больниц http://www.medicinskoe–oborudovanie.ru .
вывод из запоя москва клиника http://www.narkologicheskaya-klinika-23.ru .
1xbet giri?i 1xbet giri?i .
поставка медоборудования medoborudovanie-postavka.ru .
медтехника http://medicinskaya-tehnika.ru/ .
номер наркологии http://narkologicheskaya-klinika-23.ru/ .
оборудование медицинское оборудование медицинское .
поставщик медоборудования http://medoborudovanie-postavka.ru .
bahis sitesi 1xbet bahis sitesi 1xbet .
поставщик медоборудования http://www.medoborudovanie-postavka.ru .
медицинская техника медицинская техника .
Become a 1xbet agent or join the affiliate and referral program and earn money without risky casino and sports betting https://x.com/TimeTravel21488/status/1982001629328261371
аппараты медицинские http://medicinskoe–oborudovanie.ru/ .
1xbet turkey 1xbet turkey .