Police unions pull out of Dolphins game over anthem issue

[Stanyon]

But the police are a group and part of the state. An individual police officer may agree with the protesting of the flag. But they are being instructed, for political reasons, to boycott the game.

The wording in the O.P. does not support that view as they merely suggested that others do the same, it was not a mandate, the relevant parts are in bold:

“The Broward County PBA recently offered our members discounts to a Miami Dolphins game because that franchise said they were going to honor all First Responders,” the Broward County Police Benevolent Association said on Facebook. “We entered into this partnership with the understanding that the Dolphins organization would require their players to stand for the National Anthem. This did not happen at last night’s preseason game against Tampa Bay. As a result, the BCPBA will no longer participate in this ticket program, and we are asking all of our members, as well as members of the Dade County PBA and Palm Beach County PBA, not to participate either. If you have already purchased tickets to this game, we encourage you to call the Dolphins ticket office to request a refund because this organization obviously DOES NOT honor First Responders and the dangers they put themselves in every day.”

 

[Loviatar]

I love the David Duke-esque spin on making a bunch of white supremacists seem like activists.

This. If you're forming a "volunteer force" that looks like a biker gang, are using symbols mainly associated with Nazism and the SS, have slogans like "white pride worldwide"... yeah, I'm going to assume you're a Nazi.

 

[Altfish]

The wording in the O.P. does not support that view as they merely suggested that others do the same, it was not a mandate, the relevant parts are in bold:

“The Broward County PBA recently offered our members discounts to a Miami Dolphins game because that franchise said they were going to honor all First Responders,” the Broward County Police Benevolent Association said on Facebook. “We entered into this partnership with the understanding that the Dolphins organization would require their players to stand for the National Anthem. This did not happen at last night’s preseason game against Tampa Bay. As a result, the BCPBA will no longer participate in this ticket program, and we are asking all of our members, as well as members of the Dade County PBA and Palm Beach County PBA, not to participate either. If you have already purchased tickets to this game, we encourage you to call the Dolphins ticket office to request a refund because this organization obviously DOES NOT honor First Responders and the dangers they put themselves in every day.”

But, if you are up before a promotions board or facing an annual appraisal, how will it look if you have ignored your senior officer's advise and attended a game. It may be voluntary but there are other factors in play which will make you reluctant to disobey the advice.
It is like these school coaches who pray before a game, if you do not pray will that affect your selection chances?

 

[BSM1]

It is sad that the police are taking sides in issues like this.

You saying they don't have the right to protest on the job?

 

[Stanyon]

But, if you are up before a promotions board or facing an annual appraisal, how will it look if you have ignored your senior officer's advise and attended a game. It may be voluntary but there are other factors in play which will make you reluctant to disobey the advice.
It is like these school coaches who pray before a game, if you do not pray will that affect your selection chances?

That is a lot of what-if's and guesswork, wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.

 

[Stanyon]

This. If you're forming a "volunteer force" that looks like a biker gang, are using symbols mainly associated with Nazism and the SS, have slogans like "white pride worldwide"... yeah, I'm going to assume you're a Nazi.

The police and federal agents call some motorcycle clubs "gangs" that doesn't make them so, Most of the symbols used pre-date Nazism and "white Pride World wide" is basically the white affirmation and encouragement to activism and volunteerism I was talking about.

Looks like a biker gang?

Hoodie thugs...

 

[Altfish]

You saying they don't have the right to protest on the job?

No

 

[Loviatar]

The police and federal agents call some motorcycle clubs "gangs" that doesn't make them so, Most of the symbols used pre-date Nazism and "white Pride World wide" is basically the white affirmation and encouragement to activism and volunteerism I was talking about.

I see no reason to use the sunwheel together with "WPWW" (a slogan that originates with Stormfront owner and former KKK leader Don Black) unless it's an amazingly thinly-veiled fascist dogwhistle. This is not a Celtic cultural festival where the sunwheel is apolitical, it's a political rally and being used in unison with Nazi slogans.

This is really like saying "well, that guy waving a swastika and talking about the triumph of his will isn't necessarily a Nazi, so that's just fake news media smears."

 

[Altfish]

That is a lot of what-if's and guesswork, wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.

It is called life and particularly in the army, police, etc. obedience is an expected part of the job.

 

[Stevicus]

Not sad at all, if you disrespect the people that you expect to protect you I don't think that entitles them to a damn thing from them. You should think about that before you 'take a knee' or 'shoot off your damn mouth'. It's not about free speech it's about decency -- being decent to people is a mutual exchange. You want help and they want to help you, but you can't be happy with that you gotta dig.

There may be other ways of looking at it, I suppose.

What are the protesters protesting against anyway? They don't want the police to shoot innocent people. I think the police (at least as far as their public image is concerned) also want to make it clear that they don't want to shoot innocent people either.

So, in essence, both the police and the protesters agree on exactly the same thing: They don't want innocent people to get shot.

But by failing to back a protest against innocent people being shot, it makes the police look like they want to have the power to go around shooting people indiscriminately. They're against the idea of people protesting or questioning what they do. They're against transparency and accountability. At least, that's what it looks like.

 

[Augustus]

The police and federal agents call some motorcycle clubs "gangs" that doesn't make them so

A lot of them are though...

Most of the symbols used pre-date Nazism and "white Pride World wide" is basically the white affirmation and encouragement to activism and volunteerism I was talking about.

In the whole world of symbols and slogans it was purely coincidental that they chose ones with certain very strong racist connotations.

They're just poor, misunderstood civic minded folks who are reclaiming the true meaning of the symbols and slogans so unfairly tainted by Nazism and violent racist movements.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

And they say millennials are whiny and entitled. Why should a sports team 'honour' first responders in the first place? It's entertainment. You watch because it's fun not because you expect the players and teams to explicitly respect your chosen profession.

Can't say the police get too much respect at football (soccer) games across the rest of the world, they are often targets of abuse or violence from the fans. Don't see them whining about it though.

And why should first responders be expected to "honor" a sports team?

 

[Rational Agnostic]

You saying they don't have the right to protest on the job?

Seems to be what he's saying. It's ironic how everyone is so quick to defend these multi-millionaire narcissistic attention seeking sports players but will not defend actual heroes like soldiers and first responders.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

And why should first responders be expected to "honor" a sports team?

Who's asking them to?

 

[YmirGF]

This seems like whinging. They got a discount, but the team owners didn't make an explicit mandate that its players stand for the pledge, so now the local police are boycotting the team. I hardly see the team allowing its players to express their conscience, in a sensitive political climate, as "lacking decency." The people protesting literally were offered a discount a priori, purely based on their profession.

I say this as someone who disagrees with BLM more than I agree with it, really; who thinks that while police brutality should be prosecuted strongly when it exists, it's more overstated than not. This in particular looks to me like a nontroversy.

Nontroversy... I love it. Can I steal this new word?

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Seems to be what he's saying. It's ironic how everyone is so quick to defend these multi-millionaire narcissistic attention seeking sports players but will not defend actual heroes like soldiers and first responders.

May I field this one, as a former soldier and nurse?

The difference is, when first responders don't do the8r job, people die. Soldiers' jobs specifically include an amount of ceremonial and drill, it's literally part of what they signed up for. Neither is true of athletes.

 

[Revoltingest]

Nontroversy... I love it. Can I steal this new word?

Aye, tis even better than "yawntroversy".
@Jayhawker Soule sent me that word telepathically.

 

[Augustus]

And why should first responders be expected to "honor" a sports team?

I didn't say they should be expected to 'honour' the team, I said it's somewhat entitled and more than a bit pathetic to whine about a few sportsmen being mean to their chosen profession.

 

[Loviatar]

Nontroversy... I love it. Can I steal this new word?

Feel free, I'm pretty sure I stole it from somewhere too. xD

 

[Stanyon]

In the whole world of symbols and slogans it was purely coincidental that they chose ones with certain very strong racist connotations.

The Swastika has been used by many cultures around the world and at times were incorporated into religions for over 12,000 years and other symbols such as Nordic runes had a very long history as well long before they were adopted by the Nazis.

They're just poor, misunderstood civic minded folks who are reclaiming the true meaning of the symbols and slogans so unfairly tainted by Nazism and violent racist movements.

They are not victims nor do they claim victimhood but I will admit that they have adopted benign ancient symbols that have an unfortunate recent history, as as far as being positive, civic minded folks, that does apply.