For Drew Brees, kneeling during the national anthem still means 'disrespecting the flag'

[Auggie]

When Colin Kaepernick and NFL players took a knee during the national anthem to raise awareness of police brutality and social justice, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees had his reasons for choosing to remain standing.

With protests flaring across the United States after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died last week when a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, Brees says he hasn't changed his mind. He'll continue to stand, he said in a Yahoo Finance On the Move video.

"I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country," Brees told Daniel Roberts. "Let me just tell what I see or what I feel when the national anthem is played and when I look at the flag of the United States.

"I envision my two grandfathers, who fought for this country during World War II, one in the Army and one in the Marine Corps," Brees continued. "Both risking their lives to protect our country and to try to make our country and this world a better place. So every time I stand with my hand over my heart looking at that flag and singing the national anthem, that's what I think about. And in many cases, that brings me to tears, thinking about all that has been sacrificed."

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/For-Drew-Brees-kneeling-during-the-national-15314869.php

Drew respects the flag, I respect free speech. Kneel away, folks ...

[onecaliberal]

1. He is rightly getting fried on twitter.

[kacekwl]

2. Drew, did your grandfathers have to eat

separated from other soldiers at chow time ? Or refused to be sold a home when they returned from service ? Or be chased out of town because they may have looked at a white woman ? Or be refused a job because they were white ? Maybe just maybe if you could bring yourself to think of others you could understand.

[tishaLA]

16. Great post. This is what I've been saying

black soldiers in WW2 didn't get the same benefits, from voting to GI Bill benefits, that their white colleagues received when they came back to a country filled with Jim Crow and lacking voting rights. It's almost the very definition of white privilege to have that kind of tunnel vision about an idyllic past in which his grandfathers served.

I don't believe Brees is a bad guy--he donated 5 million to covid relief efforts in New Orleans, among other things--but he is clueless and unable to see past his very narrow world.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Drew Bees patriotic values

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Drew Bees, whiter than white, and 2 of his 4 kids have "Christ" in their middle names. . . . nt

[DanieRains]

5. They Aren't Disrespecting The Flag It Is The Corrupt Country Ran By Oligarchs

With order enforced by deadly killers above the law.

Not the flag.

[doc03]

6. MAGAts drive around with two flags on their

cars like General Patton. The flags end up shreaded from the wind lying in a ditch beside the road. They think that is respect.

[RockRaven]

7. Brees heartily protests being called a bigot, but he speaks bigots' words over and over again

so I'm fresh out benefits of the doubt. Fuck off, Drew.

FWIW, I'm nominating "Drew" as the male counterpart of "Karen"

[keithbvadu2]

8. To Trump supporters, the flag makes a nice snot rag.

How republicans respect the flag

To Trump supporters, the flag makes a nice snot rag.

Snot rag flag behind Donald's left shoulder.

MAGA - The flag makes a nice snot rag to Trump supporters.

[Ferrets are Cool]

9. Well, there goes my support of Mr Brees. I will never cheer for him again.

I was unaware of his feeling on this subject. That is my fault. Fool me once shame on you...fool me twice shame on me.

FU Mr Brees.

[LenaBaby61]

10. White, male privilege ....

Cares more about a piece of cloth than about a man being murdered by racist, rogue police.

If I was a black offensive guard, I wouldn't kill myself to block for his ass.

THE END.

[Docreed2003]

11. "Let me just tell you what I see..."

Drew, I've loved you as a player for many years, but, quite frankly, now is not the time for you to say jack crap. Now is the time to keep your mouth shut and listen.

[procon]

12. That guy hasn't a clue about what the flag stands for.

He only sees it as an object of power, a thing to flaunt. He doesn't understand the inherent Constitutional rights, values and ideals that are included with that piece of fabric.

[royable]

13. Who gets to decide what is respectful regarding a flag?

Last edited Wed Jun 3, 2020, 10:14 PM - Edit history (1)

The whole issue is complete asinine. How close does a flag have to be, and what group-sanctioned activity, such as the recitation of the pledge of allegiance, has to be going on, for people to be told they have to act respectfully? What if someone is disabled and can't, say, stand and put their hand over their heart? What if someone is mentally impaired and can't understand what is going on? What if you're working on projects at home while a national anthem is playing before a sporting event on the TV in the other room? What IS being respectful? Saluting, hand over the heart, sign of the cross, tap-dancing, acting out the "Stella!" scene from "Streetcar"? Where's the boundary? Why is kneeling not considered respectful? People kneel in (some) churches all the time. Are they not being respectful to their god? What if people are "acting" respectfully but thinking disrespectfully, or via versa? Are we getting into the issues of mind police? Oh, I'm burning a flag! What's going on in my mind? Am I burning it in a riot as an act of protest, or "respectfully" following the protocol of the US Flag Code? What if I'm following the protocol for burning the flag respectfully but I'm thinking disrespectful thoughts? What if I'm driving my jacked-up 4x4 with a 12-foot flag hanging off the back that has been reduced to tatters, each little bit slowly wearing off and landing in a ditch or street gutter somewhere? This whole issue just needs to shrivel up and blow away.

[Auggie]

14. +1,000,000

[world wide wally]

15. Very disappointing that Brees swallowed Trump's bullshit

[BHDem53]

17. Too many hits

to the helmet. Oh wait, he's a quarterback. Retire already.

[JonLP24]

18. I'm tired of people bringing the military into this

I served in the military and I stand with Kaep.