Using a right to be wrong. The Colin Kaepernick story.

       As much as I am loathe to give an idiot more free press than they deserve, I don't believe my readership numbers will have much of an impact on the story.  So by now you've heard more than you care to of the story of the Big Time Football Star using his celebrity as a Bully Pulpit.  What more can be said, really?

       Well, I am of the opinion that he has a right to protest by sitting during the National Anthem.  We all have a right to freedom of expression.  That right does not require that the person exercising it have any facts straight, or even any point to make.  Which in this case is fortunate.

       Since it is his right to protest, he should not be criticized for doing so.  However, there is plenty of criticism to go around about not having a reason to complain.  It's not like he knows the pain of struggling.  Colin Kaepernick was adopted by a loving family after his father abandoned him and his mother.  As a youth he had a gigantic pet tortoise.  Let's face it, he had more money than me before he ever started playing football.

       So, we will assume at least a middle class upbringing.  Not exactly a kid who could possibly relate to the street life.  I would add to this, that his making a judgement of every American, based on the actions of a few police officers, makes him more bigoted than those few police officers.  In fact, given that the stories that made the news almost exclusively exonerate said police officers (outside the city limits of Chicago, of course) One could assume he is either ill informed or...

       He is the type of immature tool that was despondent over not being in the news lately for his, played-out, signature touchdown display, and felt the need to do something to draw attention to himself.  It is also the right (obligation) of his employer, and the National Football League, to fine him for his silliness.

       Hell, if he were in the NHL, NBA or MLB he would be fined, and possibly suspended.  Why do we tolerate so much bad behavior from football players?  I mean really, at least he's not in the news for rape, domestic abuse, or substance abuse.

       Sp while I will defend his right to be an immature, ill-informed, protesting moron; I would remind him that there are better ways to make a point.

Free speech culture

       In order to shine a light on a certain brand of hypocrisy; I will be writing a paragraph from the perspective of an outraged liberal.  I have read several such articles explaining to all the "Sheeple" that "American Gun Culture" is the reason why we still have gun rights, which should, due to the actions of a few be taken away.  (By the way, if you ever want people to immediately tune you out, use the word "Sheeple")  Instead of using the term "Gun-Culture" however, I will be using the term "Free Speech Culture.  (the only differences will be a lack of spelling errors, and a lack of egregious grammatical errors).  I hope that this will show just how flimsy, and frankly how Anti-American, those arguments are.

       Well, here we go again.  Another day another incident of someone causing pain and suffering because the Free Speech Culture wont allow the government to protect us by taking away these idiot's right to disagree.  As long as people have the right to say whatever they want, whenever they want, this will keep happening.  Certain places are not even safe anymore because these sociopaths get to spread their idiocy wherever they choose.  How many lives have to be lost, just because someone wants their individual freedom preserved.  How many children need be injured or die, just because a selfish few, feel a need to speak freely.  Distracting billboards, political speech on the radio.  I can't even concentrate on driving!  People protesting gets in the way of emergency vehicles and causes economic disruption!  By disagreeing with necessary policy choices, children won't have access to free services.  By speaking out against these things, children die.  Think of the children.  And how dare they impose this disease of theirs on the rest of us.  I'm not saying that these people can't practice their free speech in appropriate places, like designated lounges, but they should not be allowed to shove their beliefs in our faces.  I should not have to feel threatened by their disagreement.  When can we just ignore this Free speech culture and do what is best for society?  We should really just round up all the transmitters and printing presses and take them away so no one would have them.  Free speech is not a guaranteed right when children get hurt.  

       Now I hope I don't need to point out that the above paragraph is farcical in nature.  But this is how the arguments against the second amendment go.  It cannot be said enough: My rights should never be curtailed due to someone else's actions.  That isn't gun culture.  That is one of the founding principals of our country.  To say that my firearms pose a threat to someone, because an illegally obtained pistol in Chicago was used in a crime, is erroneous thinking.  There is no gun culture in America.  We have a culture of being at liberty.  We have a culture that allows divergent viewpoints to peacefully coexist.  When my rights are eroded because someone else committed a crime, we have a fundamental violation of civil liberties.  

To put things another way, when someone is arrested the 15th time for drunk driving, or road rage, no one hesitates to blame the local DA for not keeping them in prison.  No one blames the car, or the road, or sues GM; no matter how many people this person killed.  They blame the person.  To do otherwise is ridiculous.  Why then, do we blame an inert piece of machinery when there is a shooting.

Bonus, in case you missed it: Bloomberg admits his racism, and that the problem is the shooter, not the gun.  Of course he is asking the press not to distribute the video of him saying it.  (Not that he controls a significant potion of the press)  Bloomberg's Hypocrisy