There Is No Tomorrow, There Is Only Now : Forget Kaepernick and Cheadle; Fight for America

On Sunday, a true friend who reads my blog and offers comments privately to keep me sharp, sent me this email : "I can't believe after all the suspensions, and the Dallas Cowboys being told not to wear patches on their uniforms for the policemen killed there, that the NFL Commissioners Office has NOTHING to say about Kaepernick. Freedoms carry a high degree of responsibilities with them, none of which, I'm beginning to believe, the Black community (for the MOST part) understands or wants any part of." Then, later on Sunday, as I was posting the blog about Hillary Clinton's hiding from the press, I read this comment on Saturday' blog : "In recent months, we’ve seen the rise of a movement known as the “Alt-Right,” which seeks to replace constitutional conservatism -- rooted in ordered liberty, patriotism, and in the Judeo-Christian foundation -- with European-style nationalism/populism. Hillary Clinton is set to deliver a speech today addressing her feigned outrage over the rise of the Alt-Right, and in her mind, how it embodies the entire Right in this country. What nobody in the media bothers to mention is that we are having all of these debates on the Right precisely because there are different points of view. On the Left, there is no longer any debate. Every single elected Democrat is now a full-throated member of an extremist coalition the media refuses to recognize : the “Alt-Left,” and Hillary Clinton herself was the original pioneer of the modern movement. This is a movement that is not just liberal but seeks to fundamentally alter the character of our nation as founded." These two messages made me return to the Colin Kaepernick private war on the American flag -- something I had dismissed as merely the tantrum of a pampered professional jock whose brain was probably destroyed sometime during his high school JV days. I've spent the better part of today trying to get hold of the reality of the Kaepernick affair. ~~~~~~ The Patriot Post published on Monday the details of just how pampered Colin Kaepernick is : "San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick signed a six-year, $114,000,000 contract, as well as a $12,328,766 signing bonus, $61,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $19,000,000." ~~~~~~ Despite his great good fortune, last Friday, Kaepernick refused to stand for the National Anthem before the San Francisco 49ers pre-season game, later saying he is "not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color." The Patriot Post concluded that Kaepernick must not know that "the vast majority of murdered people of color are killed by other people of color. He also neglected to mention that he was adopted by white parents." ~~~~~~ The 49ers declared that it is Kaepernick's "right" to not stand for the anthem : "The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem." ~~~~~~ That, more than the stupidly, frankly sophomoric actions and comments of Colin Kaepernich, sent me scurrying to my keyboard. What the 49er team statement contained was not wrong -- it was insufficient. The 49ers are right as far as they go -- nobody has said that Kaepernick didn't have the "right" to be a first-class jerk. But his use of his uniquely American freedom of speech doesn't make him any less a jerk. To show such contempt for the country that made him a wealthy man, that has treated him as the near-great quarterback he is, smacks of the ingratitude of a philistine. What the 49er team statement should have said is that every American has the duty to show respect for the American flag -- as Aretha Franklin sang, "R-E-S-P-E-C-T." Those Stars and Stripes are the living symbol of the freedom of speech Kaepernick knows he has, but that he obviousml has little real understanding of or appreciation for. ~~~~~~ The NFL Commissioners Office has basically agreed withthe 49er team statement on Kaepernick's disrespectful action. This is the same NFL Commissioners Office that denied the Dallas Cowboys' request to wear a helmet decal honoring fallen Dallas police officers killed last month in an ambush in Dallas. The attack was the deadliest single incident for law enforcement in US history, except for the terror attacks on 9/11 when 72 officers died. The team had been wearing a decal with the words “Arm in Arm” since the first day of training camp this summer. Dallas police Chief David Brown and Mayor Mike Rawlings paid the team a visit on that day, according to Fox 4 News. The NFL said its strict rules on uniforms forced the league to deny the Cowboys’ request to wear the decal for the upcoming season. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told the media that NFL officials said every team “must be uniform” and the stickers were not allowed. Jones said the team will “respect their decision” and drop the plans to show support for the Dallas PD.The Dallas Police Department thanked the Cowboys for their support : “Their concern for the families of our fallen officers, the Dallas Police Department, and the City of Dallas is what matters most, and we know that support will continue for the immediate and long term future." Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and tight end Jason Witten, who created the decal, said they were disappointed with the league’s decision but said they believed the stickers already served its purpose. The Dallas Fallen Officer Foundation told TMZ they were “extremely upset” over the NFL’s decision : "The NFL had an opportunity to be leaders and advocates for change in law enforcement," Sgt. Demetrick Pennie, president of the foundation, told the website. These are our friends and our loved ones...it hurts to not have the NFL fully support us. The NFL is in a very influential position and has the ability to evoke change, raise awareness and show its support for law enforcement by making the decals available to all NFL teams,” Dallas Fallen Officer Foundation President and Dallas PD Sergeant Demetrick Pennie told Breitbart Texas that the NFL missed an opportunity to facilitate positive change, as well. But, Dallas Morning News Sports Columnist Tim Cowlishaw applauded the decision, however, noting that the NFL was wise not to open a “political door” when honoring fallen officers, tweeting : "NFL gets stuff wrong but got this right. Other ways to honor them without opening this political door." Cowlishaw said in a live chat regarding the decision : “If you allow that, do you allow decals saying Black Lives Matter? Pro Life? Pro Choice? Repeal Obamacare? John 3:16? Where does it end? I think there’s a place for protest and there’s a place to honor victims in different ways.” Sergeant Pennie strongly disagreed, noting that honoring police should be held above the political fray : “[That statement is] unbelievable. We’re talking about the loss of five police officers. We’re not talking about Obamacare or Hillary 2016 -- we’re talking about police officers that lost their lives protecting individuals that were protesting against them. There’s no greater honor than what the [Dallas Cowboys] did for us. This is above politics. This was the greatest loss of law enforcement life since 9/11. The individual teams should have been left to decide.” But, just a reminder -- the NFL that doesn't mind when Los Angeles Rams players take the field in the "hands up, don't shoot" posture, but refuses to let the Dallas Cowboys wear a helmet sticker showing solidarity with Dallas police. Freedom of Speech?? Only for those who show disrespect for the American flag or for police officers. ~~~~~~ In this regard, in addition to accusing police of racism, Barack Obama has a new training program for police, as reported by Patriot Post. Officers will learn how to treat transgender individuals through the Social Justice™ Department's Community Relations Service. In one of the [training] examples," according to the DOJ, "the video demonstrates an officer laughing [at] a transgender individual who appears to be the victim of a crime, and the officer's partner pulls him aside to correct his behavior. Afterwards, the offending officer apologizes for his prior conduct and approaches the rest of the interview with the necessary respect and professionalism. This illustration not only highlights how officers should act with members of the transgender community, but also addresses the need for officers to say something to their peers when they see problematic behavior." Obama seems less inclined to teach Black Lives Matter marchers that reverse racism directed at police is "problematic behavior." Patriot Post also reported that Obama issued an "incredibly patronizing reminder" to emergency personnel responding to massive flooding in Louisiana : "Care must be taken to ensure that actions, both intentional and unintentional, do not exclude groups of people based on race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency), religion, sex, or disability." One particular response printed by the Patriot Post was a bullseye : "Dear Mr President, I want to thank you for reminding us in South Louisiana not to discriminate against anyone based on race or religion. Had you not reminded us of this I don't know what we would have done. See we rode around in a boat saving people and well race or religion never entered my mind. Not once. It didn't enter my buddies mind or my wife's. Just saving people. I understand you may be miss informed because of all the race baiting that the media did a couple months ago here is South Louisiana. But I assure you that's not what we stand for in South Louisiana. We love each other when the times get hard. We look out for our own. Now I know this doesn't fit your agenda. But facts are facts. Thanks, The true citizens of Louisiana." ~~~~~~ The Gatestone Institute, led by John Bolton, on Monday published an article entitled "Greece: The Freedom-of-Speech Canary Died," written by Maria Polizoidou. The article reports that the Bishop of the Greek island of Chios, Markos Vasilakis, is being prosecuted for incitement to racial hatred under a 2014 anti-racist law, because he correctly observed that most of the migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey were not refugees but illegal migrants. Polizoidou says : "The Minister for Immigration Affairs himself, repeatedly stated that 50% to 70% of migratory flows to Greece were illegal migrants and the rest were refugees. The illegal migrants come from 77 different countries." She then asks : "If it is a "racist crime" for a citizen to express accurately the percentages of refugees and illegal migrants entering the country, what will come next, the Thought Police?" For Polizoidou : "The real reason for prosecuting Bishop Markos, it seems, is that the government expects that Turkey's migration deal with the EU will collapse, and that if it does, the migrant flows in the coming months will increase dramatically. The government, according to some members in the opposition, has no friendly way to manage illegal migration and therefore prefers to impose restrictions on freedom of speech and prosecute anyone who objects. The government might scare the Bishop of Chios Island by pressing charges against him and trying to stigmatize him as a racist. But the government will still not scare the angry majority of Greeks. In coalmines, from 1911 to 1986, canaries operated as an early warning system for the leakage of hazardous gases. Whenever the birds showed signs of distress, the miners knew trouble was coming. Greece has deep problems. Greece is presently in the "coalmine" of an endless economic and immigration crisis." Chios is only 3.5 nautical miles from Turkey, and therefore migrants and refugees easily cross from Turkey into the European Union. Chios is also one of a few Greek islands that has received the largest waves of migrants. Its population of 51,320 inhabitants now accommodates, according to the latest official data, 3,078 migrants, with more on the way. Polizoidou reports that : "It seems the government coalition, through the Secretary of Human Rights, has decided that the solution of Greece's migrant/refugee problem will come if the Bishop of Chios Island is prosecuted for incitement to racial hatred, and if the constitutional right of Greek citizens to freedom of speech is overturned. Secretary of Human Rights Kostas Papaioannou asked the district attorney to prosecute Bishop Markos for these specific charges. Is Bishop Markos Vasilakis a Greek Orthodox fanatic or a neo-Nazi? Did the church close its doors to refugees and migrants? Did the bishop try to turn the population of Chios against anyone? Not at all. Bishop Markos is highly educated, with a PhD in Byzantine Philology from the Philosophical and Theological School of Athens University. Since the beginning of the migrant crisis, according to the residents of Chios, Bishop Markos opened all the island's churches to accommodate the refugees and illegal migrants. Under his command, all the available spaces on the island were given to caring for whoever left his homeland and home. He has fought hard to collect clothing, shoes and food for refugees and illegal migrants. His work speaks for itself." Bishop Markos' "crime" was to speak the truth. He said that the people arriving in Greece were not refugees but illegal migrants. According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, for the period of July and August 2016, of the 1,950 people who illegally entered Greece from Turkey, only 500 -- or 25% -- were refugees from Syria; all the others were illegal migrants. But, the government might scare Bishop Markos of Chios Island by pressing charges against him and trying to stigmatize him as a racist. The government forced him to publish a press release claiming that for him, all people are created in the image of God and that all he had explained to his congregation was the legal difference between refugees and illegal migrants. But the government will still not scare the angry majority of Greeks." As we well know, Greece has suffered terribly during seven years of economic downturn and is in practical term bankrupt, but each municipality will have to accommodate 1,000 migrants, whether it wants to or not; in a country, sqys Polizoidou, that sees on the news migrants fight each other, the natives and the police; in a country where 12 municipalities are already in quarantine because of the migration problem, according to the Health Ministry, and where gun sales increase day by day : "The last thing we need is to abolish the constitutional rights of citizens. Violence and social unrest will then be the next stage in a drama that will have a bad end. In Greece -- the "coalmine" of the Eurozone -- the canary seems to have died. If this is the beginning of a methodical abolition of constitutional rights such as freedom of speech, Greece could turn into a Turkish style of democracy -- like that of Erdogan, which he seems hell-bent on turning into an Islamic caliphate. What a very sad fate that would be for Greece, the nation which gave birth to democracy." ~~~~~~ Why compare the tragedy that is Greece to a young idiot millionaire quarterback? That question led me to an August 29 article published by The Catholic Thing, a Newsmax affiliate, titled "Meddling and Puritanical Jacobins," in which Brad Miner writes : "The worst thing that can happen is the despair that arises when too many feel the loss of the trust that binds. This is largely what drove Brexit; it’s mostly what’s driving discontent in the United States. Personal power slips away; the social fabric frays. And we see and fear the proliferation of factions about which James Madison warned in Federalist #10." Thomas Jefferson, at the time of America’s founding, wrote : "Ours is a nation built from the ground up..." G.K. Chesterton, when he visited America, wrote that America is the “only nation in the world founded on a creed. We begin with that creed and not with hierarchies of wealth or class...a nation," Chesterton wrote, “with the soul of a church.” A century before Chesterton visited America, Alexis de Tocqueville surveyed the intersection of Catholicism and Americanism and expressed his belief that there were reasons to worry and reasons for hope for religion in America. But, Miner writes : "None of these luminaries could ever have imagined that factions would take possession of two of America’s separated powers or that the nation’s younger citizens, abetted by the Executive and the Judiciary, would see traditions, moral and legal, as inimical to justice, now become merely a synonym for equality." In 1790, writes Miner, Edmund Burke made a similar analysis of the first Jacobins...noting what he termed the “profligate disregard of a dignity which they [elites] partake with others, whereas: to love the little platoon we belong to in society, is the first principle (the germ as it were) of public affections. It is the first link in the series by which we proceed towards a love to our country, and to mankind. . . . [N]one but traitors would barter it away for their own personal advantage." For Miner, the intuitive loss of this first link is behind the anger so much in evidence this year. Our political parties care little about it, though they pander to it, and America seems evermore a nation with the soul of an infomercial, our patrimony bartered away for the political equivalent of thirty pieces of silver." (Brad Miner is senior editor of The Catholic Thing, senior fellow of the Faith & Reason Institute, and a board member of Aid to the Church In Need USA. He is a former Literary Editor of National Review. His book, The Compleat Gentleman, is available on audio and as an audio iPhone app.) ~~~~~~ Dear readers, we have come full circle. Freedom is lost because countries lose their soul -- the glue that binds them together as fellow citizens with the same ethical values and sense of justice. When that glue is destroyed -- as Barack Obama has deliberately set out to do, succeeding to convince different groups of Americans that they can 'win' only by destroying other groups -- when Americans cease to trust each other and to feel that government is not their champion but their enemy, when the symbol of that deliberate destruction of the social glue of America becomes a silly young man sitting out the National Anthem, or when a 51-year-old actor who ought to know better, Don Cheadle, feels it appropriate to attack the half of America he feels estranged from by saying that he hopes Donald Trump will "die in a grease fire" -- then we need to come to full-dress attention. There is no tomorrow. There is only now. And it may be the last 'now' America will ever see. President Ronald Reagan said : "I won a nickname, 'The Great Communicator.' But I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a difference: it was the content. I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation -- from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in the principles that have guided us for two centuries." Many, perhaps most, Amricans are near despair. The great nation that was America is dying, may already have been killed while we, polite and good citizens who believe in the Constitution, sat by, giving our killers the keys to the kingdom. If you care -- even a little bit -- about the future of your country, your children, yourselves -- yes, it has finally come down to that, yourselves -- then for the love of Heaven get up, stand up, fight for America.