Mike Pence Shows What He's Really Made Of

[Shadow Wolf]

Did he ever say they couldn't protest? Actions have consequences.

I doubt he said it himself. However, clearly, it deeply offends him, and I live in the state that suffered him as governor, and for such Conservatives that is the line of thought. Respect freedom of speech, except when it offends me/something that doesn't make nationalism sacrosanct. And by walking out, Pence shows he doesn't respect the player's rights enough to "rough it through" and just deal with it. Of course you don't have to support the players on the issue, but do try to respect their rights enough to not be a cry baby over it and walk out.

 

[Father Heathen]

He's not allowed to protest their protest?

Seriously, kid?

Since when did scoffing at something become the same as disallowing it?

 

[Father Heathen]

Consequences are consequences. These "protest" at the football games are highly subjective, poorly defined, and apparently very self-serving. It should come as no surprise that, consequently, 68% of the country does not agree with these overpaid prima donnas.

Then they can by all means stay home, change the channel, etc. Besides, it's because of the public's excessive obsession with pro sports that they're overpaid to begin with. Grown men chasing balls around isn't really important when it comes to what going on in the world.

 

[Father Heathen]

No, of course not. You see, you are responding to an alleged ¨progressive¨, which means that his opinion must be accepted, without question. How dare you make a cogent and logical response to him ? Apparently he believes that total disrespect for symbols of the Republic by a whiny bunch of over payed performers, who are ¨protesting¨ an imaginary narrative based upon a tissue of lies is a wonderful thing.

Speaking of imaginary narrative, no one said that people couldn't counter-protest the protest. As for "cogent and logical", how does your flag idolatry fit in with that? The flag is supposed to represent freedom, rights, equality, and justice. When it no longer does so, it's just a piece of cloth.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Big deal, he walked out.

A roughly $242K political stunt at taxpayer expense.

 

[Wirey]

The protest by the players has a basis in fact. Black Americans get murdered by the police. Not every black man shot by them is an innocent victim, but enough are that this NFL protest has arisen. Pence, knowing that San Francisco of all teams would take part in this protest, came to the game specifically so he could leave. His actions are not a protest, they are a little staged drama so he can claim that somehow he is standing up for the military, unlike those horrible protesting darkies, who are really urinating on the flag and the brave soldiers dying in a war in Afghanistan that Trump said he would pull them out of. This grandstanding piece of human garbage should start hoping he's wrong about God, because if the Christian god exists, Pence better get buried with a big jug of sunblock. What does he know about sacrifice? What does he know about serving your country? Let's hear about the protests from someone who does know:

Transcript: Steelers' Alejandro Villanueva explains anthem 'ordeal'

A military vet, a man who lives Army, apologizing for not protesting properly. An actual American. Someone Pence has decided he won't represent.

Great job, Veep!

 

[Shadow Wolf]

This grandstanding piece of human garbage should start hoping he's wrong about God, because if the Christian god exists, Pence better get buried with a big jug of sunblock. What does he know about sacrifice? What does he know about serving your country? Let's hear about the protests from someone who does know:

If he's right, I think in Hell I'm going to direct a stage production of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Guess who gets to play Dr. Frankenfurter?

 

[shunyadragon]

He's not allowed to protest their protest?

Yes, he is, but Pence and Trump reject their right to protest, and express their view they should be fired and prosecuted legally.

It was a deliberate staged event, and it is unlikely that he normally attends football sport events.

It is likely that the increased protests are in direct response to Trump and Pence's aggressive responce.

 

[Quetzal]

Yeah really. Seems like it's only okay when your own opinion is seen as a protest. God help anybody who opposes any different view and responds in his or her own way.

Big deal, he walked out.

I don't have a protest that he walked out. My protest is that coming from a party that wants to limit government spending, they spent hundreds of thousands on a political stunt. He never had any intention of staying. He knew they would go forth with their protest. Knowing all of this ahead of time, it was weak, transparent, and a waste of time and tax payer money. If you are a conservative voter and you see this as okay, your entire "government spending" argument falls through on principle.Then again, with as many vacations as Trump has already taken combined with the additional security needed because the Mrs refuses to live in the White House...

 

[Valjean]

He is. But do you think he respects the rights of others to equally protest? These "Hoosiers" don't, they believe it is a great offense to the troops who fought and died for that flag, a great insult to this country, and if they don't like it they can get out. It does not even matter we are allowed to fly the flag upside down during a time of distress, so why not a symbolic gesture during the anthem? Nor does it matter the fact that yes those troops did fight and die for that flag, including the right to burn it.
"Hoosier" Conservatives like Pence do not like hearing that line of thought, and while the Klan protests are more just a matter of something we have to accept, a symbolic gesture of injustice that involves disrupting or disturbing absolutely no one who gives a crap other than those who actually give a crap, don't even go there.

I was under the impression that this whole kneeling thing began as a protest against police brutality and racism. Apparently the Republicans have co-opted it as an opportunity to demonstrate their patriotism (read: chauvinism) and denounce the left as anti-American and anti-Christian.

Personally, I find it curious that a supposedly devout Christian would be so nationalistic and pro-military -- neither of which Jesus supported, as I understand it.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

Why do people opposed to the protests keeps bringing up the wealth of football players as if that somehow negates their position?

"You are wealthy, therefore you are not allowed to take a stance on a subject you feel strongly about in this Country!"
"Gee, I guess that discounts basically all politicians then, huh?"

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I was under the impression that this whole kneeling thing began as a protest against police brutality and racism. Apparently the Republicans have co-opted it as an opportunity to demonstrate their patriotism (read: chauvinism) and denounce the left as anti-American and anti-Christian.

It isn't a Republican thing but specifically a Conservative thing. Even among Democrats here, I've encountered some who are fiercely opposed to the NFL players taking a knee. America is sacrosanct to them, nationalism is how they worship, and any slight against their sense of how patriotism ought to be is just not acceptable. They may even care about the police violence against the black community, but, to them, how dare you, how. f'ing. dare. you. take a moment during the national anthem to do anything at all to bring it up.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

Did he ever say they couldn't protest? Actions have consequences.

No, but his boss (and the person who ordered him to walk out of the game) told them they should be fired for it.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

It isn't a Republican thing but specifically a Conservative thing. Even among Democrats here, I've encountered some who are fiercely opposed to the NFL players taking a knee. America is sacrosanct to them, nationalism is how they worship, and any slight against their sense of how patriotism ought to be is just not acceptable. They may even care about the police violence against the black community, but, to them, how dare you, how. f'ing. dare. you. take a moment during the national anthem to do anything at all to bring it up.

I find it very bizarre that people seem to think that more respect is due to the "anthem" and the "flag" than the actual ideals both the anthem and the flag are supposed to represent. This is why it baffles me when people accuse the NFL protesters of "disrespecting" the flag and anthem, when I always thought the whole point of taking a knee isn't saying "Screw the USA", but to say "We as a nation are not living up the ideals espoused by our forbears and represented in our national anthem, and to stand in tacit approval and acceptance of these ideals when they are not being practiced is to exercise hypocrisy and ignorance".

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I find it very bizarre that people seem to think that more respect is due to the "anthem" and the "flag" than the actual ideals both the anthem and the flag are supposed to represent. This is why it baffles me when people accuse the NFL protesters of "disrespecting" the flag and anthem, when I always thought the whole point of taking a knee isn't saying "Screw the USA", but to say "We as a nation are not living up the ideals espoused by our forbears and represented in our national anthem, and to stand in tacit approval and acceptance of these ideals when they are not being practiced is to exercise hypocrisy and ignorance".

That's my position. The Founders, after all, they didn't sit by and mentally masturbate to the Crown, but rather formulated a list of things that suck and need to change, to the point of blatant and willful treason. It's just not patriotic to condemn those who say something sucks and it needs to change, especially when that something is a great disparity in racial justice. And what the players are doing, it's less than Trump's cryptic "second amendment people might be able to do something" statement while campaigning, it makes no noise, it causes no disturbances or disruptions, but it does involve a plea that not everything in their country is as it should be. Blind obedience is not patriotism, it's blind obedience.

 

[metis]

Big deal, he walked out.

Ya, he walked out after flying from LV to Indianapolis and then back to LA, all at taxpayer's expense. Let's be real, it was a publicity stunt.

These "protest" at the football games are highly subjective, poorly defined, and apparently very self-serving. It should come as no surprise that, consequently, 68% of the country does not agree with these overpaid prima donnas.

And Trump and Pence are not "overpaid prima donnas"?

Remember that if you are an American you paid for this protest (travel, security etc). Some people my object to their taxes going for such a pathetic display.

And it truly was pathetic as he darn well knew what was going to happen. It was just for show to try and ramp up his base.

But I think it is wiser not to take the bait and just ignore the twit.

I agree.

A roughly $242K political stunt at taxpayer expense.

Yep.

I was under the impression that this whole kneeling thing began as a protest against police brutality and racism. Apparently the Republicans have co-opted it as an opportunity to demonstrate their patriotism (read: chauvinism) and denounce the left as anti-American and anti-Christian.

Yep, change the narrative, and this isn't the only time they've done this. Hey, whaddya expect-- they can't get anything of significance done.

Personally, I find it curious that a supposedly devout Christian would be so nationalistic and pro-military -- neither of which Jesus supported, as I understand it.

Amen to that, but this is what all too many in the religious right have done, namely to turn Jesus into a flag-waving American willing to bomb at a moment's notice. I was at a religious service in a fundamentalist Protestant church two weekends ago that just turned my stomach. Basically it was Jesus, the American Super-Patriot! Sick.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I wonder what would happen, hypothetically, if the NFL just told Pence to leave because they hold a "sincere religious belief" that his lack of support for the rights of Americans makes him bad for business?

 

[ImmortalFlame]

Consequences are consequences. These "protest" at the football games are highly subjective, poorly defined, and apparently very self-serving. It should come as no surprise that, consequently, 68% of the country does not agree with these overpaid prima donnas.

So, it's "very self-serving" to do something that the majority of people disagree with you for doing, rendering you a social pariah in many circles, costing you millions of dollars in revenue and sponsorship deals and potentially jeopardizing your career all for the intention of bringing to people's attention the injustices that are enacted mostly against people who are significantly less wealthy and successful than you?

Yeah, that totally fits the definition of "self-serving".

 

[Shadow Wolf]

And it truly was pathetic as he darn well knew what was going to happen. It was just for show to try and ramp up his base.

The way Pence has remained rather silent and in the background, and suddenly this, it makes me wonder if he has any intention of running in 2020? At this point, he has to know such a gesture will do nothing for Trump, but it puts him out as the forerunner/champion of Conservative values that has become his image. Is it really him "counter protesting," or him developing a "highlights reel" to campaign on and declare he stood up for America?

 

[PureX]

If this were the worst thing I could expect from Pence, I'd be happier than a pig in....uh....a mud wallow.
(Dang RF....ruined a perfectly vivid image.)

Amen! Unfortunately, he has a far, FAR more sinister agenda roiling around in that nasty, spiteful little brain of his than that phony "protest".