As a contemporary of Mr. Jones and Cowboys fan from their inception (when you’ve suffered through 0-11-1 that’s a hard habit to break) I am dismayed by the posturing of Mr. Jones. It also is so sickening that I may not be able to watch some really interesting players. It needs to be noted however, that he is speaking for virtually all of ownership meaning that fans simply should be content watching the owners own. I on the other hand have no use for peppermint piety or sunshine patriotism different sides of the same disgustingly dangerous coin. Worse still though is that in adopting the posturing of the moronic usurper in the White House, he is being dishonest. He also has so far as can be determined thesame military experience in which his severe but shallow patriotism is grounded.
While Mr. Jones like the Trumpet surely does not know that on Flag Day 1943 the Supreme Court released its decision stating that no onecould be compelled to salute the flag. Interestingly that decision was the last of five only one of which had got it wrong. While neither Mr. Jones nor I was conscious when the decision was published, we did learn about what was going on that year and following. I had two uncles in the Navy and a father who mirabile dictu managed to get into the Army, and they were pleased to talk often about those times. Undoubtedly Mr. Jones did as well. The decision did not rely on religious freedom by the way but rather adopted the ACLU’s point that the right to speak included the right not to speak. Much later, the Court declared that defiling the flag was within the ambit of free speech.
So it not only is the right of people to disrespect the flag and the anthem, they can burn the flag legally. As for “respecting” the emblem, how few “patriots” have the slightestknowledge of what that entails? Given the numbers of them shredded on car antennae, the numbers flying at night unlighted, the number of people who wear it as clothing, ad nauseam, I doubt seriously whether most of us know or actually care about proper respect for our flag.
As for the anthem, I’ll bet that Mr. Jones isn’t aware that it is among the most roundly criticized pieces of popular music. Musicians claim that itis terrible, next to impossible to sing. (For myself, I justcringe at “perilous” sung as “pe roo liss.”) People who know the lyrics of the poem beyond the first verse, cringe at some of their contents. And all this to a tune said to have been an old drinking song.
What long has been a source ofcuriosity and resentment for me is what the flag and anthem have to do withsports. Just recently I read that they were engrafted onto NFL games by the league during the ‘60s as we were experiencing the racial paroxysm that lead to so much of necessary societal improvement as well as the most divisive war in our history. Good going guys!
Nevertheless, Mr. Jones doesn’t really believe that the players are failing to demonstrate proper civic righteousness. He might even be able to think that a league70% of whose players are members of minorities could feel real need to express resentment at injustice so freely visited upon them, their families and friends. But the fact is that the Trumpet has raised such emotional upset about nonsense over these simple demonstrations that people are not watching the games. So what? One estimate is that if continued, the league will lose $200,000,000. That is the real concern here rather than the stupidity of the twit in chief or even the ignorance of the owners.
Of course, the league and its owners are not in the habit of communicating with but to their players. It always has been so much easier and more effective to threaten people however silly the threats. Nevertheless, if they really wanted to fix this problem they could address the players explaining that their little boat has a leak and that all are likely to get wet. They then could work together to find ways to cure the problem as well as provide means to address the very real social concerns or at least provide means for acknowledging them.
But that is not the real world of neofascism in which wefind ourselves. So “raise high the roof beam, carpenters!” Guess I’ll take up papier mache and baking cupcakes…