The Police vs The NFL
I guess this was kind of inevitable. If you play for the St. Louis Rams, I would be very careful and not drink at the Gentleman's Clubs in the area. "The Hands Up" gesture of support for Ferguson by the players on the Rams will easily be understood and misunderstood all at the same time. The local police union is offended and the players of the local team are expressing themselves.
At this particular point I have no horse in this race. The Miami Heat wore hoodies in support of Travon Martin, some folks at my congregation did the same. Somewhere over the weekend I watched an episode of Cops. The police officers on the show seemed reasonable, but who really wants their front door kicked in, put in handcuffs and taken "downtown". Most people I know don't live that way, but that is not to say that shit doesn't happen and at the same time I intuitively understand reluctance to call police if it can be avoided and why folks clam up if the police come knocking at the door.
I live in a big urban area and generally I don't think anybody really trusts the police beyond writing reports for the insurance company. This is a pretty sad situation. Having the police officer's union saying they have rights as well is a little bit scary. Rights and responsibilities go hand. The players shouldn't be reprimanded or fined and the NFL has no reason to apologise either. I remember the "Black Power Salute" of Juan Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics. 1968 was a volatile time in this country, but free speech, is still free speech even if you don't agree with what is said.
At this particular point I have no horse in this race. The Miami Heat wore hoodies in support of Travon Martin, some folks at my congregation did the same. Somewhere over the weekend I watched an episode of Cops. The police officers on the show seemed reasonable, but who really wants their front door kicked in, put in handcuffs and taken "downtown". Most people I know don't live that way, but that is not to say that shit doesn't happen and at the same time I intuitively understand reluctance to call police if it can be avoided and why folks clam up if the police come knocking at the door.
I live in a big urban area and generally I don't think anybody really trusts the police beyond writing reports for the insurance company. This is a pretty sad situation. Having the police officer's union saying they have rights as well is a little bit scary. Rights and responsibilities go hand. The players shouldn't be reprimanded or fined and the NFL has no reason to apologise either. I remember the "Black Power Salute" of Juan Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics. 1968 was a volatile time in this country, but free speech, is still free speech even if you don't agree with what is said.
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