Kneeling during the anthem seems better than burning down a Fudruckers.
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To be fair, the interviewer asked him about Kaepernick and others kneeling back in 2016 and the expectation that it will happen again this season.
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Sure, but his view doesn't change. And for a lot of people, that's the problem. It's like his view is frozen in ice regardless of the evolution of the situation.

I thought the Malcolm Jenkins response was very powerful. Maybe it's not how some of you feel, but are you saying he's just too sensitive? Or is it more likely it's just difficult to empathize with what black people experience?
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No one was kneeling directly on a grave. There is such a thing as context, don't be obtuse.

Mocking the death of a fallen soldier is within the rights protected by the first amendment. And I wouldn't have a problem if they rolled up an hour after the burial, and protested, but because the members of the soldier's family are directly harmed by the protests, I have an issue with it.

But, I have never heard nor seen any family members of fallen soldiers talking about the pain and anguish that kneeling football players are causing them directly, and to my knowledge no family member of a fallen soldier has ever said so in any interview.

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We shall protest the flag and what it stands for (like giving us the freedom to kneel)


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Or is it more likely that Brees does empathize with what black people experience, but he has his own experience regarding reverence for the flag and the anthem that Malcolm doesn't quite feel.

It's tough to be critical when people are emotional and trying to express themselves, but not doing a great job. But Malcolm says BOTH that his relationship with the anthem and flag aren't as rosy as he assumes Brees' is, AND that he was 'just trying to raise awareness.'

Remember that old commercial where the husband takes a sip of coffee and says 'mmm, good coffee' and the wife then goes into a depressive funk because 'he always used to say GREAT coffee?' Sometimes people take anything less than complete and undivided acclaim as total rejection.

And sometimes people get overly invested in their own intentions and lose sight of how they hurt others. And that's an ironic blindspot to have when you are seeking empathy and connectedness.

The presentation of the flag and the playing of the anthem is supposed to a moment where everyone forgets all other concerns and remind themselves for a moment of what connects us. And if you kneel, or turn your back, or sit on an exercycle, . . . WHATEVER IT IS YOU INTEND TO SAY, you are saying at that moment 'this moment of unity is not for me.'
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But you said that protest is what they fought and died for. By your exact reasoning, a protest at a funeral is the ultimate patriotic act.

It's not obtuse, it's applying your reasoning, . . unless you concede your reasoning is obtuse.

I mean, all Brees is saying that his family is hurt by people kneeling during the anthem, given their service. So he personally wouldn't do it. But the caveat of personal direct harm doesn't appear in your initial proclamation.
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A separate observation on Jenkins. He alleges that the first thing Brees wanted to do after the week of protests, looting and riots, was criticize something from 4 years ago.

That doesn't seem fair, as he was answering a question posed directly to him, unless MJ has evidence Brees requested the question be asked.
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One can think they're empathizing, but that doesn't just make it so. I make plenty of money in my job and give plenty of money away to charity. I'd like to say that I empathize with those less fortunate but I'm 100% certain I have blind spots I'm not aware of. I think we all do.

I absolutely think Drew Brees is a good person. I absolutely do not think Drew Brees is a racist at all. But I do think he made some thoughtless comments at an inopportune time that are both hurtful for many and counterproductive. I suspect we'll see a genuine mea culpa in the next 24hrs.
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Why are Brees' comments thoughtless and hurtful, but people who criticize his concerns aren't?
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Because there are some people in this country suffering due to systemic racism who are set back because of his comments. Brees is not suffering from this inherent issue.

Hence, the protests you may have heard about. Genuine suffering and struggle versus a tone deaf majority who often feign empathy without making any dent in the problem.
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No issues are set back by Brees' comments.
And people's empathy isn't feigned just because the world is imperfect.
You think you are empathetic because you advocate for a single narrative. But you miss all the empathy you are rejecting by insisting on the soveriegnty of that single narrative.

Year and years the complaints have continued, and the message has overwhelmingly been 'I'm mad, fix it, or I'm going to get more mad.'

That is an expression of sentiment. It's an expression of intentions. But it's not a plan, or even a roadmap to satisfaction.
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It isn't necessarily his feelings towards the flag or anthem that are hurtful, but his statement lends a very public face to the sentiment that racism isn't really a problem in this country, and the protests are unwarranted.

I am absolutely not saying that is what he believes, or said, but the people out there, or the racists out there, will seem validated by his statement.

He probably should have just deflected the question, and spoken about standing with his teammates, condemning the death of Floyd, etc. Not because what he said was inherently wrong, but the current climate calls for a message of unity, and his friends and coworkers are largely comprised of the community most hurt by the systemic racism in this country.

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That has nothing to do with what he said outside your own imagination.

You guys are stuck in this rhetorical rut where you think that the message is so sanctified that the medium should not be open to criticism.

People aren't rejecting the notion that police shouldn't kill in the course of their job. They are saying 'well then why does the manner you seek to raise awareness look EXACTLY like you reject every aspect of America.'

Make your message clear, free it from distractions, and offer up at least a modicum of a roadmap to satisfaction. It's called effective communication. And when you say 'the only things I can think of is either rejecting the flag or rioting' it puts reasonable people at their wits end as to how to make progress.
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Wow talk about an epic, dumbshit projection. JFC :-)
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