Great point, let's ask his employer to see what they said and then you would fine with it. But that was not good enough for the rest of the world. That is why the arguments often fail because his employer let him do it. Everyone went up in arms about him kneeling and using the employer argument but never said "Oh...his employer said it was OK? My bad..." The NFL said in a statement Saturday (at the time of the Colin kneeling) that “players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the national anthem.” Colin played the whole season and after finishing 2-12 I think he was going to be released but colin quit before he was fired. Part of it was his record, part was new coach coming in and perhaps part of it was the bad attention but that is the 49ers right. But everybody always brings up the employer having anything to say and the NFL and 49ers both said fine. As for religion, amost every player thanks Jesus Christ who was instrumental in helping them catch that touchdown or avoid that tackle or does the cross before entering the field or after a big play.
To refute the myth and bold face lie that players kneeling for prayer is screamed at and lefties twitch... Amazing at claims being made when the proof is right there for all to see.. Eagles praying after a game a few years ago Prayer with members of both teams after the game RGIII praying after a TD Muslim player kneeling who was penalized and then the NFL said the officials made a mistake in reading the rule, religious demonstrations are not to be penalized: So there you have it....
A lot of the pushback in the country to Kapernick was just regular folk exercising their right to protest as well. There can be areas where a person has rights and/or their employer agrees to it but customers/fans/the public get to protest and pushback anyway. It works both ways, eh? It is pretty much how the protest game has worked for more than 200 years.
True but I still see a difference between "I do not like that he is kneeling during the national anthem even though it is not required and there is no law that says you must stand." "If the NFL allows him then I will not watch the NFL" v. "I cannot believe he kneeled! Even though he did not violate any law or league policy he should be thrown out of the league and beaten down and never allowed to play ever again!" I think there is a difference.
Yeh, well I am scanning my post to see where I said that the NFL did. Employers and employees or people under contract can work out all sort of agreements or don't-ask, don't tell arrangements. It is up to them. And not binding on another employer who might exercise a different position.
In the rough and tumble world of protest, I dont actually see much difference between those two positions, assuming you are just quoting the public or John Q. Fan. People pipe up and spout off about what they would like to see. When the employer is the one saying the latter then that touches off a whole bunch of issues. Similarly this country is wall-to-wall with chowderheads and zamabonis saying everyone who has every worn a police uniform should be canned and scorned for life. I understand that and let em have their say, it goes with the turf right now. But when people actually in power/employers etc start taking action on that view then that is another matter. If Colin pipes up and the people pipe up in protest that does not set off any alarms for me nor do I automatically assume that the counterprotesters are deplorables.