Quote:
Originally Posted by BigCat
"I'm sure you've heard we are here to do a job, and we are here for kids and this isnt the right time or right place. I agree with that thinking...but kneeling is legal, we live in the greatest country on earth. Try kneeling in Saudi Arabia etc...you would be missing your head and your arm..and not in that order. If you want to kneel then kneel. What i would tell you though is i dont think your helping your cause. you are trying to call attention to a problem in this country. When i see you kneel, it makes me think of how great this country is. When you kneel out there tonight, there probably wont be many people thinking like I do.
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A couple things need to be said here. We do not live in Saudi Arabia. I do not care what they do there. If I get to Saudi Arabia and I do a game, I will worry about that when I get there. But I doubt seriously that is ever going to happen in my lifetime. I doubt seriously they are playing many if any sports I officiate, so I will not be in that country for any reason. I live in this country and licensed to only work sports in my state or work college in the adjoining states. And I do not live in a state that has even needed to address this. So this argument about what country would do in an unrelated protest we are in rings hollow.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigCat
But do you know what those people and I have in common? Neither of us are thinking about your issue. I'm thinking how great the country is when you want me to see a problem with it and others are thinking how ungrateful/disrespectful you are and wont hear a thing you have to say. You need people to hear you and be moved to action. There are many many reasonable people in this country who will not give you the time of day because your kneeling. If you want change you need people to listen, you need them to want to act on your issue. Kneeling just doesnt do it. If your goal is to piss alot of people off, well then that will do it. That wont bring about change. Go to a city council meeting, run for election...
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I am sure that the person that would do this, whether they are a well known athlete (and it might be the athletes you officiate in that game BTW), fan or fellow official, they do not honestly care how disrespectful or ungrateful you or others might think it is. Well maybe they do, but they are trying to make you uncomfortable at the very least. Kind of the point of the situation is to make it clear they are not agreeing with the stance of showing respect for something you or others might value.
Oh, are you going to do something different if the players in your game do some kind of protest since you will show how unhappy you are with your partner that does this?
I have already had players in one of my football games put up a "fist" in the air which has become kind of common in recent weeks in the NFL. There were even several kids across the area that also took a knee as well.
Peace