NFL Players Make The Case That Protesting In A Peaceful Manner Isn’t Disrespecting The Flag Or The Anthem

(1/2) LeSean McCoy answers questions about NFL players kneeling during the anthem, President Trump, and the #Bills team meeting yesterday: pic.twitter.com/FaPqFauO5f

— Prescott Rossi (@PrescottRossi) September 24, 2017

Donald Trump continues to tweet about ratings and wanting the NFL to loosen its rules so the CTE-ravaged athletes can continue on gaining concussions for the enjoyment of the masses, while NFL players are kneeling on the sidelines during the National Anthem in protest of racial inequality across the country. Many nationalists predictably reacted to this situation like Trump, who has doubled down on his “get that son of a bitch off the field” comments by tweeting that disrespecting the flag is disrespecting the brave men and women who have fought for freedom of speech in this country. Ironically, it seems as if they are not allowed to use their platform to exercise their freedom of speech, which then, in Trump’s logic, makes the sacrifice of our honored military all for naught.

Not only did dozens, if not hundreds of players kneel during the anthem, or raise their fist after scoring a touchdown, but the entire Seahawks and Titans teams stayed off the sidelines. LeSean McCoy, didn’t just kneel, in what’s sure to be a divisive decision, he stretched on the sidelines during the anthem.

#Bills RB LeSean McCoy just continued stretching during the National Anthem. (via @Matt_Bove) pic.twitter.com/3TneU4Phfb

— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) September 24, 2017

After the game, McCoy explained why he did what he did, and why athletes around the nation are kneeling and following Colin Kaepernick’s lead.

The flag, the national anthem means a lot to me and my teammates. We had a meeting Saturday night and I was very bothered by the comments of our president of this country. As a president you’re supposed to lead us, you’re supposed to bring us together. Your’e supposed to lead this country, you know, and I can’t stand and support something when our leader of this country is acting like a jerk.

Angry and upset about NFL players protesting in a peaceful manner. In this country a lot of different things are going on, people protesting in a violent way. Where if a guy takes a knee and wants to express himself in a different manner, he has that right. And the biggest thing is that it’s in a peaceful manner. So that really bothered me. And I think us as a group, as a team, we wanted to display that ‘Hey, we’ve come together as a team and showed to the world that no matter how different each other as a person are we can come together, it’s as simple as that.

Bill player Lorenzo Alexander echoed his teammate and responded to Trump’s comment, calling Colin Kaepernick’s mother a “bitch.”

Dolphins safety Michael Thomas started to get emotional when speaking about the President’s words:

Mike Evans called Trump “childish.”

And DeSean Jackson further cemented the point being made by players and protesters across the nation:

Cam Newton also weighed-in:

https://twitter.com/JourdanRodrigue/status/912063103281565696

If Hillary Clinton can rally a base by saying “basket of deplorables,” then one can only wonder what “son of a bitch” is going to do when it comes to energizing those that simply want equality and police to be held accountable for their actions.