Colin Kaepernick wins Amnesty International's most prestige award.

Courtesy of Time Magazine:  

Colin Kaepernick may not have a job on the football field, but much of the world is still cheering for him. 

Amnesty International, the global human rights organization, gave Kaepernick its highest honor — the 2018 Ambassador of Conscience Award — in Amsterdam on Saturday. Past winners of the award, which “celebrates individuals and groups who speak out for justice,” include former South Africa president Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, the education activist from Pakistan who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban, and rock group U2. 

The organization recognized Kaepernick for his protest against police violence: his action, kneeling during the national anthem before NFL games, sparked a movement replicated across America and the world, starting a debate about free speech and patriotism that was inflamed by the President of the United States, one of Kaepernick’s most relentless critics. 

“When high-profile people choose to take a stand for human rights, it emboldens others,” says Augusta Quiney, Amnesty International’s director of Art for Amnesty, a program that works with artists and entertainers on human rights activism. “For us, this is an opportunity to be on the right side of history.”

By the way they don't mention it very much in the new but athletes are still taking a knee all over the country.

And that includes ex-athletes.

#ThursdayThoughts This is why I #TakeAKnee #StephonClark pic.twitter.com/XMe9qSLzMY

— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) March 30, 2018

Colin Kaepernick may have lost the opportunity to play for the NFL forever as far as we know.

But being remembered in the fight for justice is far more prestigious than being remembered for passes thrown or touchdowns scored anytime.

Well, at least in my book. 

The Children Shall Lead Them. #MarchForOurLives. Update!

The March For Our Lives takes over DC.

I have been around for some time now, and I have participated in more than a few protests, starting with anti-Vietnam war protests in the early seventies.

This..this...was like nothing I had ever seen before.

Now don't get me wrong, I was blown away by the Women's March right after Trump's inauguration.

But this protest, led by these children, was fucking amazing!

Before I left to join protesters here in town..

Anchorage #walkforourlives pic.twitter.com/UfEPU2qVeK

— Gryphen 2009 (@Gryphen2009) March 24, 2018

(Here is one of my tweets)

...I watched in awe as these young people around the country, and the world, put my intermittent activism to shame.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Delaney Tarr at #MarchForOurLives rally: "We are here to call out every single politician...they know that if there is no assault weapons ban passed then we will vote them out." https://t.co/rFLdpVwg4i pic.twitter.com/0P2SJK912m

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 24, 2018

It seemed as if every one of these students was born to change our world, and I was blown away by their passion, their determination, and their grace in the face of ugly adversity.

I can’t wait to vote today’s students into office and vote out yesterday’s dinosaurs. #yourtimeisup #Resisters #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/MPE62fqKyS

— Kelly Mantle (@thekellymantle) March 24, 2018

And I am not just talking about the teenagers.

11-year old Naomi Wadler: "I am here to acknowledge and represent the African-American girls whose stories don't make the front page of every national newspaper, whose stories don't lead on the evening news." #MarchForOurLives  (via @CBSNews) pic.twitter.com/1JIGsj0VJ1

— HĪP MAGAZINE (@hipmagazines) March 24, 2018

There was this eleven year old girl, who quite frankly took my breath away.

Yes the students had some very talented, and charismatic back up.

VIDEO- Miley performing The Climb at #MarchForOurLives today pic.twitter.com/YuUcvFHyKQ

— MileyCyrus Updates (@CyrusIsMyVirus) March 24, 2018

(Damn, I love that song now.)

But in the end this was the student's march, and it was they who stole the show.

And for my money this incredible moment from Emma Gonzalez was the most powerful of all. (Wait for it.)

Emma Gonzalez stayed on stage at the D.C. #MarchForOurLives rally for 6 minutes and 20 seconds - the duration of the Parkland shooting. https://t.co/B7yFTn23Nz pic.twitter.com/jdyYagtZCO

— ABC News (@ABC) March 24, 2018

Watching this damn near broke my heart.

I am not going to lie, I was choked up and leaky eyed for most of the day today.

But I was also incredibly reassured that the future of this country is in some of the most capable hands imaginable.

And even some of our leaders from the past recognize that.

Michelle and I are so inspired by all the young people who made today’s marches happen. Keep at it. You’re leading us forward. Nothing can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for change.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 24, 2018

Listening to the students from Parkland and across the country today is a reminder of what is possible when our future is in the right hands, and when we match inspiration with determination. https://t.co/fhiEBIw15B

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 24, 2018

However our current leader remained unimpressed.

Courtesy of The Hill:  

President Trump arrived at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida as hundreds of thousands of students gathered in Washington, D.C., to call on him and Congress to act on gun control.

Still hiding out from the truth, huh Mr. Trump?

Update: Oh yeah, there was also this.

March for Our Lives draws bigger crowd than Trump inauguration, organizers say https://t.co/q6eQuw5yFI pic.twitter.com/1Vk5DYK8T1

— The Hill (@thehill) March 25, 2018

So what are your plans for today? #MarchForOurLives

Courtesy of March for Our Lives:  

March For Our Lives Anchorage students advocate for a number of solutions, which include: 

• Reclassification of the AR-15 and other military pattern semi-automatic rifles as Class III, Title II under the NFA. Semi-automatic rifles are only fractionally different than fully-automatic rifles, and are just as lethal. Military grade weaponry deserves to be regulated as such. 
• Reclassification of magazines over 10 rounds of ammunition as Class III, Title II under the NFA. According to a 2013 study on active shooters done by the FBI, active shooting incidents take place over a matter of minutes. Being limited to 10 rounds per magazine, as opposed to 20, 30, or 40 can save potentially dozens of lives within a mass-shooting timeframe. 
• Repeal of the Dickey Amendment, a 1996 measure which effectively bans the CDC from researching preventative measures for gun violence. 
• Purchase age increase to 21 years. 
• Mandate for gun show and private sale background checks. 
• Mandatory gun safety training accompanying first legal purchase. 

All of these measures comply with the modern understanding of the 2nd Amendment, and in no way infringe on the right of Americans to bear arms. Furthermore, each one individually, and certainly all of them together, show real promise in reducing the risk posed by mass shooters.

Here in Anchorage this march will take place on the Delaney Park Strip starting at 12:00 PM.

I am hoping to get there, but unfortunately I am actually working today so I am trying to move some things around.

But if I can swing it I will see you there.

So while those brave kids were protesting for more stringent gun legislation this is what the NRA was tweeting out.

I'll control my own guns, thank you. #2A #NRA pic.twitter.com/jqbZzwcWf6

— NRA (@NRA) March 14, 2018

Jesus Christ was assholes!

I am really going to enjoy watching this terrorist organization finally come to an end. 

Students all over the country are walking out to protest gun violence. I could not be more proud.

Courtesy of the New York Times: 

Thousands of students, emboldened by a growing protest movement over gun violence, stood up in their classrooms on Wednesday and walked out of their schools in a nationwide demonstration, one month after a gunman killed 17 people at a high school in Florida. 

The 17-minute protests unfolding at hundreds of schools are intended to pressure Congress to approve gun control legislation after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and come 10 days before major protests in Washington and elsewhere. 

Here’s what to know:

 • The first large wave of students began to leave their classrooms at 10 a.m. Eastern time. Across the country, others are walking out at 10 a.m. in their local time zones. 

• The demonstrations were not limited to school property. In New York, students marched in the streets, while in Washington, sign-clutching students gathered outside the White House and on Capitol Hill. 

• School administrators have been grappling with how to respond. Some districts welcomed or even tacitly encouraged walkouts, while others threatened disciplinary action against students who participated.

Apparently the threats of disciplinary action has done little to dissuade the students who are showing up in huge numbers.

And they are making the most of the media attention.

Boston students show up on school snow day to protest gun violence https://t.co/Wfh9fZTMTE pic.twitter.com/5akFg8eMWd

— The Hill (@thehill) March 14, 2018

Atlanta students take a knee as part of gun violence protest https://t.co/Imt9seLAzz pic.twitter.com/zPpUU56bx8

— The Hill (@thehill) March 14, 2018

"In an ideal world, the 20 first graders and kindergartners who died at Sandy Hook would be in middle school... the 32 students who died at Virginia Tech would be at work.
The students at Stoneman Douglas would be eating lunch right now.” (via CBS) pic.twitter.com/OKOONTx1hN

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 14, 2018

It's things like this which put my mind at ease about the future of our planet.

Female Democratic lawmakers are planning to wear black to Trump's first State of the Union speech in solidarity with the #MeToo movement.

NEW -- Washington following Hollywood's lead: A group of female Democratic lawmakers is planning to wear black to President Trump's first State of the Union address in a show of solidarity for #MeToo and #TimesUp

— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) January 9, 2018

Courtesy of Yahoo News: 

A number of women in Congress are planning to wear black to the State of the Union later this month as a show of support for women affected by sexual misconduct. 

The show of support echoes actresses who wore black to last Sunday's Golden Globes to support the Me Too and Time's Up movements. 

NBC News was first to report Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., was calling for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to dress in black. President Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address on Jan. 30. 

The movement is being championed by the Democratic Women's Working Group, which includes all female Democratic members of the House of Representatives.

Damn!

And that's not all. Some Democrats are also planning to bring victims of sexual assault to the speech as their guests.

I was planning to boycott Trump's SOTU speech, but now I am a little intrigued to see if this fucks with his head.

Looking out over a sea of women dressed in black, sitting next to victims of sexual assault, and knowing they are there to send him a message, could render Trump even more incoherent than usual.

People have been calling on the Democrats to start upping their game.

Well from Dianne Feinstein's brave actions the other day, their push back on the border wall, their call for a more comprehensive response to Russia election meddling, and now this. I would say they are doing exactly that.

Conservative boycott of GQ Magazine to happen in 3..2..1.

.@GQMagazine names Colin Kaepernick its Citizen of the Year. pic.twitter.com/7Vnw7Dx9A7

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) November 13, 2017

Courtesy of GQ:  

Much has changed in the four years since Colin Kaepernick was last on the cover of GQ. Back then he was a rippling superhero of a quarterback on the rise. But a simple act—kneeling during the national anthem—changed everything. It cost him his job. It also transformed Colin Kaepernick into a lightning rod and a powerful symbol of activism and resistance. 

Though Colin Kaepernick continues his silent protest, he agreed to collaborate with GQ on a special project for our December Men of the Year issue in an effort to, as the piece explains, "reclaim the narrative of his protest." He helped us assemble a ten-person team of his closest confidants—including rapper J.Cole, director Ava DuVernay, activist Harry Belafonte, and Women’s March co-organizer Linda Sarsour—to speak on the subjects of activism, protest, and equality, and to offer some rare insights into Colin Kaepernick himself.

I am guessing that Donald Trump will not be gracing the cover of GQ any time soon.  

Papa John's is now the "official" white supremacist pizza. You know, just in case all that cross burning gives you the munchies.

Courtesy of Newsweek: 

Neo-Nazis and white supremacists have always been distasteful, but now it turns out their taste in pizza is terrible, too. 

The white supremacist website the Daily Stormer announced Thursday that Papa John’s pizza is the official pie of the alt-right, posting a picture of a pizza with a swastika fashioned from pepperoni slices. The caption reads, "Papa John: Official pizza of the alt-right?"

The pronouncement came after Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter, whose pizza is an official NFL sponsor, blamed his company’s recent losses on NFL players protesting police brutality during the national anthem. 

Schnatter was widely accused of racism and of making bad pizza. But white supremacists came to his defense. 

“This might be the first time ever in modern history that a major institution is going to be completely destroyed explicitly because of public outrage over their anti-white agenda,” Daily Stormer writer Adrian Sol posted, referring to the NFL and adding disturbingly, “The Negro fatigue caused by this whole NFL fiasco is reaching heights that even I didn’t fully expect.”

Uh...okay.

 By the way after Schnatter made his remarks about the NFL protests hurting pizza sales he was trolled pretty hard by other pizza outlets.

Papa John's CEO is blaming poor sales on the NFL. Other pizza brands aren't having it. pic.twitter.com/CzGau6O9L9

— AJ+ (@ajplus) November 4, 2017

So just remember, if you support white supremacy Papa John's Pizza is your go to racist food provider.

However if you are a reasonable person, who just wants a tasty slice, then just about every place else in the country is significantly better.

So apparently today begins the Civil War 2.0. Or not.

Courtesy of The Guardian:

If you are inside the “alt-right” information bubble, you might be preparing yourself for a civil war to commence this Saturday. 

Since late September, the idea has been circulating on Facebook groups, subreddit message boards, Twitter, and leading conspiracy media outlets that on 4 November, anti-fascist groups will begin a violent insurrection. 

Some websites are telling their readers that antifa groups are “planning to kill every single Trump voter, Conservative and gun owner” this weekend. Hundreds of Facebook posts show how seriously consumers of such media are taking the news, and comments like “One more threat against white people and I swear to God I’m going to take a goddamn car and run over every fucking one of them” are not unrepresentative of the response. 

But antifa groups have no plans to protest that day, and the small leftist groups who are planning protests have only dubious connections to the antifa movement. So what gives? 

Beginning in late September, three things kicked it a into higher gear. First, Refuse Fascism, a small group linked to the Revolutionary Communist party, staged a visually spectacular protest in Los Angeles. They blocked the 101 freeway and held up signs that enigmatically spelled out “Nov 4 it begins”. This is the same group that is organizing a series of protests around the country against the “Trump-Pence regime” this weekend. 

Second, a video posted on a Facebook page called Vets Before Illegals went viral. The video, entitled “Antifa sets a date for civil war”, claimed that “on their website, they are calling for an open civil war that will start in November”, and set out alleged plans for attacking police officers, then citizens and the government. 

Last, but by no means least, the rumor was picked up and amplified by Alex Jones, the radio star with an audience of millions. As Sunshine explains, Jones “is a kind of meta-conspiracy theorist now” who “harvests other people’s theories” and repackages them to fit his narratives and his audience.

Good old Alex"I never met a conspiracy theory I didn't like" Jones.

So helpful isn't he? 

There was also a report from Gateway Pundit based on a bad joke written on a Twitter account, with no actual connection to the antifa movement, which claimed that on November 4th  a leader of that movement promised to "behead white parents."

Now my first thought is that this is much ado about nothing , and that there will likely be NO actual armed conflicts or violence today. Especially since there do not seem to be many protests actually available for these wingnuts to flip out over. 

However this could also be a dry run just to see now many people can be agitated in anticipation for a REAL call for violence against a larger antifa, or progressive protest.

That could easily result in a number of fatalities, which I would assume is the whole goal here.

I would also like to know if the Russians are involved in promoting this thing, since it sounds like it is right up their alley.

The major message to take away from all of this, is that people are incredibly high strung right now, and in all honesty it would only take a small spark to ignite a very real, and very dangerous civil war in this country.

It behooves all of us to watch our rhetoric and to make sure that while we are expressing our very reasonable anger and outrage, that we are not also giving others an excuse to turn to violence.

Florida brewery has the perfect response to a white nationalist showing up in their community to inspire hatred and instigate violence.

Here's Alligator Brewing Co's response to Richard Spencer's upcoming speech. This is amazing. pic.twitter.com/moN8dzAUtv

— Socktober Koebi (@koebimoonlight) October 18, 2017

Here is more about the event: 

A state of emergency has been declared in Florida ahead of a controversial college event featuring Richard Spencer, the infamous white nationalist who helped organize the deadly rallies in Charlottesville. 

Gov. Rick Scott made the move Monday, issuing an executive order as officials prepared to deal with the fallout from Spencer’s speaking engagement. 

“I find that the threat of a potential emergency is imminent and hereby declare a state of emergency in Alachua County,” Scott wrote in the order. 

Spencer, 39, is scheduled to speak at the University of Florida on Thursday. He will also be addressing issues during a question-and-answer session, according to the Orlando Sentinel. 

Floridians reportedly are furious about the event, with protests already taking place in Gainesville.

You know a racist has stepped over a line when even Florida does not want him around.

As it turned out there were far more protesters than supporters.

Protesters likely to exceed supporters of white nationalist Richard Spencer today in Gainesville. More here: https://t.co/LsXfLWYpkY #SpencerAtUF pic.twitter.com/x6huE1Gqp9

— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) October 19, 2017

During the speech Spencer was heckled and shouted down, which ultimately forced him to just give up.

This is what it sounds like during the Q&A. Spencer trying to explain white ethno-state. Audience keeping up the noise. #SpencerAtUF pic.twitter.com/W0umTCmIuv

— Claire McNeill (@clairemcneill) October 19, 2017

Courtesy of The Hill: 

He was eventually forced to beat an early retreat as protesters drowned him out with chants of "go home Spencer."

Well it looks like the score is 1 for the ale brewery and 0 for the white supremacist. 

Trump fundraising committee uses Mike Pence's NFL walkout to raise money.

Mike Pence walkout 'stunt' at NFL game after players kneel 'cost at least $250,000' #PenceResignhttps://t.co/cVi8ITCxQz

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) October 8, 2017

Courtesy of Bloomberg: 

President Donald Trump’s joint fundraising committee sent an email Monday asking donors to show support for Vice President Mike Pence’s decision to leave an NFL game in Indianapolis after some members of the San Francisco 49ers kneeled during the national anthem. 

The solicitation from the Trump Make America Great Again Committee, which jointly raises money for Trump’s presidential campaign committee and the Republican National Committee, asks supporters to give at least $5 to the campaign to receive a “I STAND FOR THE FLAG” sticker. 

“Immediately after the vice president’s honorable display of leadership and patriotism, the Fake News Media relentlessly ATTACKED him,” the email says. “The media is NOT going to win this fight, because we have the AMERICAN PEOPLE standing on our side.”

So the whole thing was a phony ass attempt to get the suckers to pony up more money.

Gee, I so wish I could feign surprise here.

Russian operatives used Facebook to organize armed anti-Islamist protest and targeted military vets in 2016.

Courtesy of Think Progress: 

Last May, nearly 100 demonstrators gathered around the Islamic Da’wah Center in downtown Houston, squaring off against one another in competing camps. 

The “Stop Islamization of Texas” protest was, on its face, largely similar to any number of other tense, vitriolic demonstrations that percolated through 2016. On the one end: a crew carrying Confederate flags, #WhiteLivesMatter banners, and heavy weaponry. On the other: counter-protesters with signs decrying Islamophobia, calling for communal unity, and a bubble machine going at full blast. 

Despite the presence of AR-15s, the demonstrations ended without violence. The white supremacists screaming “Fascist and proud!” dissipated, as did those supporting the Islamic center. 

The organizers behind the anti-Islam protesters, however, never showed. And now, over 16 months later, we know why. 

As CNN reported last week, the protest was put together by the “Heart of Texas” Facebook page – a page that was revealed last month as one of the fake accounts operated out of Russia. Unlike the November anti-Hillary Clinton, pro-secession rallies the page attempted to organize across Texas, the May protest not only brought armed protesters, but a raft of counter-protesters to face down those calling for “white power!”

Just let that roll around in your mind a little.

That means that the Russian government used an American social media platform to organize a situation where American people could easily have been shot and killed.

Who needs more bombs and bigger armies when you can so easily accomplish something like that?

And the Russians clearly knew which Americans were most susceptible to their manipulations.

Courtesy of McClatchy:

Russia has exploited social media networks to target current and former U.S. military personnel with propaganda, conspiracy theories and other misinformation, achieving “significant and persistent interactions” over Twitter during a one-month period last spring, a British research team found. 

The Oxford University study, which traced the reach of three websites with clear ties to the Russian government, adds a new dimension to revelations of a Kremlin cyber campaign aimed at undermining Americans’ trust in democracy during last year’s U.S. elections and helping Donald Trump win the presidency. 

“We’ve found an entire ecosystem of junk news about national security issues that is deliberately crafted for U.S. veterans and active military personnel,” said Philip Howard, a professor of internet studies who led the research. “It’s a complex blend of content with a Russian view of the world – wild rumors and conspiracies.”

Remember when I told you about that buddy from the gym who claimed that his opinion of Hillary was altered when he saw a meme on social media showing Hillary standing among a bunch of dead bodies and calling her a "war monger?"

Yep, you guessed it, he is ex-military.

I remember at the time wondering how he was targeted as he is essentially apolitical.

Now I know.

And we are still everyday learning more and more about how easily the Russians manipulated the American people.

It is enough to make you feel disgusted that you have to share the planet with such fucking morons.

VP Mike Pence got his tiny little feelings hurt and went home when some mean old football players took a knee during the national anthem. Update!

I left today's Colts game because @POTUS and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem.

— Vice President Pence (@VP) October 8, 2017

While everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I don't think it's too much to ask NFL players to respect the Flag and our National Anthem

— Vice President Pence (@VP) October 8, 2017

Pence thought this was so important that it warranted an official statement.

I stand with @POTUS Trump, I stand with our soldiers, and I will always stand for our Flag and our National Anthem. pic.twitter.com/B0zP5M41MQ

— Vice President Pence (@VP) October 8, 2017

Drama queen.

I imagine that Pence thought this was somehow going to be his shining moment, when he demonstrated his independence and took a stand for America.

But Trump can't allow that, now can he?

I asked @VP Pence to leave stadium if any players kneeled, disrespecting our country. I am proud of him and @SecondLady Karen.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2017

So much for being your own man there Mikey, now the whole world knows that you are just Trump's tiny yapping little lapdog.

Update: And yes this was all premeditated: 

Maybe you agree with Trump and Pence and believe kneeling during the anthem is an affront to the country. Or maybe you side with the players’ workplace-granted right to protest. Or perhaps you just don’t care (the third group is arguably the largest here). 

No matter what, this was almost certainly a predetermined attempt to gain political points by stirring up an issue that, once again, had begun to die down. Pence even quickly released a statement expressing his outrage.

Trump and Pence believe these tactics work with their ever shrinking base, and that is really the only people they care about.

Update 2:

Pence's stunt likely cost more than $250,000 at minimum. https://t.co/Y9E9LqvhPG

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 8, 2017

Yeah screw the taxpayers, Trump and Pence have a base to pander to. 

No, you cannot sue Black Lives Matter.

Courtesy of CNN:

The Black Lives Matter movement cannot be sued, a federal judge ruled Thursday, dismissing a case against the group and an activist brought by a police officer injured during protests after the July 2016 fatal shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

Black Lives Matter is not an entity, but a social movement, Louisiana Middle District Judge Brian A. Jackson wrote. "Therefore, all claims against 'Black Lives Matter' must be dismissed because social movements lack the capacity to be sued." 

The suing Baton Rouge police officer, who remained unnamed in the lawsuit, said he was hit by concrete or rock-like objects while responding to a demonstration led by DeRay Mckesson for Black Lives Matter and had "several serious injuries," according to court documents. 

Protests, vigils and memorials sprang up nationwide after the shooting of Sterling by police outside a Baton Rouge convenience store. In a graphic cellphone video that was widely shared on social media, police officers can be seen on top of the African-American man before shots were fired. 

The injured officer said Mckesson and Black Lives Matter were liable for his injuries because they were negligent and should have known the protests would turn to riots and become violent.

Well that is just ignorant.

It is too bad this officer was injured, but his anger is misplaced.

That would be like if you sued the free love movement in the 60's because a hippie got your daughter pregnant.  

Or if you sued Christianity because your grandmother gave her life savings to some televangelist.

I really feel that a lot of the anger and vitriol directed at BLM is the result of racism and that a lot of people really do not understand the movement.

If you are one of those visiting this link may prove helpful.

Trump supporters burn football tickets and merchandise to protest players taking a knee.

NFL​ fans burn season tickets and team paraphernalia in response to football players taking a knee to protest. https://t.co/Ec5CRF7TZu pic.twitter.com/fUKQX4chHX

— ABC News (@ABC) September 26, 2017

Courtesy of New Jersey.com:  

In a video posted by ABC News, several NFL fans are shown burning season tickets and NFL licensed gear in relation for teams or individual players kneeling (or stay in the locker room) during the national anthem on Sunday. 

"I'm a season-ticket holder, love the NFL, always have, always been a huge fan," Rodney Heard from Indiana said on a video shared on Facebook. "Wish I could have played in the NFL, if I'd have the athletic ability. Instead I went into the Marine Corps, I served my country, my grandfathers served our country, both of them fought in World War II. There are a lot of people who fought and died for that flag and to disrespect it like you did yesterday, I'm done."

Damn Trump supporters are ignorant.

But I guess if they weren't they would not be Trump supporters.

I don't think there is any way to explain to these idiots that taking a knee before the game is not to protest the military veterans or the flag, any more than you could explain to them that BLM is not a racist group attempting to suggest that ONLY black lives matter.

Simply put they are unreachable.

But I can guarantee you that once this whole thing blows over that they will rush right out and replace those tickets, pendants, and jerseys again.

Until then I guess they can always watch NASCAR.

It's Sunday so why wouldn't Donald Trump attack NFL players? Update!

If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017

...NFL attendance and ratings are WAY DOWN. Boring games yes, but many stay away because they love our country. League should back U.S.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2017

These two tweets are from just this morning as Trump apparently decided to triple down on his infantile attacks directed at football players who exercise their First Amendment rights.

(This of course was briefly interrupted when Trump switched gears and briefly got into a kerfuffle with NBA players yesterday.)

Unfortunately for Trump while all of this might play well with the slack jawed morons who attend his thinly disguised KKK rallies, it does NOT play well in the rest of the country.

Instead Trump has now made national heroes of defiant football and basketball players, as well as some of their moms.

Guess that makes me a proud bitch!

— Teresa Kaepernick (@B4IleaveU) September 23, 2017

Last night even the great Stevie Wonder waded into the controversy.

 Courtesy of CNN:

Legendary musician Stevie Wonder took both knees at a New York music festival, seemingly showing solidarity with NFL players criticized by President Donald Trump hours earlier. 

"Tonight, I'm taking a knee for America; but not just one knee, I'm taking both knees," he said on stage Saturday before his performance at the Global Citizens Festival. 

"Both knees in prayer for our planet, our future, our leaders of the world and our globe. Amen ..." 

During the event, Wonder also spoke about interrupting hate, bigotry and condemning sexism.

One of Trump's supporters, who also happens to own an NFL team, had this to say:

One of Donald’s Trump most prominent NFL supporters offered his regrets on Sunday following the President’s comments on NFL players remarks kneeling during the national anthem. 

“I’m pissed off, I’ll be honest with you,” Rex Ryan said on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown. “I supported Donald Trump. When he asked me to introduce him at a rally in Buffalo, I did that. But I am reading these comments and it is appalling to me. And I am sure it is appalling to almost any citizen in our country. It should be. I mean, calling our players S.O.Bs and that kind of stuff, that is not the men that I know. The men I know in the locker room, I am proud to be associated with them in the locker room. 

“I apologize for being pissed off but that’s it. Right away I am associated with what Donald Trump stands for because I introduced him. I never signed up for that. I never wanted that.”

And just today NFL players in London also took a knee in protest:

 And that included both teams by the way.

Donald Trump just lit a fire under a protest movement that is surely going to spread throughout the country.

I expect soon we will see players in every sport, and athletes of every ethnicity, following these examples and sending Trump a simple message.

FUCK YOU!

Update: Yep, it's spreading.

Mike Tomlin just told me @NFLonCBS #Steelers will NOT be participating in the #NationalAnthem today in CHI. Staying in the locker room.

— Jamie Erdahl (@JamieErdahl) September 24, 2017

So does Trump want the entire Pittsburgh Steelers team to be fired now?

Breitbart celebrates Trump's decision to repeal DACA while the rest of the country recoils in disgust.

Oooh, a brown skinned person! How'd he get in here?

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is still notching policy wins after his return to the right-wing website Breitbart. President Donald Trump’s decision to end Obama-era protections for undocumented immigrants brought as children to the U.S. by their parents is a major victory for Bannon and Breitbart — and they know it.

“This is a huge step in the right direction for the Trump administration, and for Breitbart as we cover the stories that most of the rest of the media ignore on immigration like crimes committed by illegal aliens including so-called Dreamers, the economic and cultural effects on American workers of large scale legal and illegal immigration, and the forgotten man and woman President Trump honed in on during the 2016 race and in his inauguration speech,” a senior Breitbart editor who was not authorized to speak on the record told HuffPost. 

Breitbart was a primary source of the push to repeal DACA, which covers approximately 800,000 people. The site has sometimes published multiple stories per day promoting repeal and praising DACA opponents, while attacking Democrats and Republicans who support the program. At one point on Tuesday, nine of the site’s 10 most popular stories were about Trump’s DACA repeal (or, in one case, about Hillary Clinton’s DACA support). It’s no surprise that Breitbart sees a victory here: The site has served for years as the most prominent platform for anti-immigration organizations and politicians to promote their views.

However while Steve Bannon and the racist visitors to Breitbart are partying like it's 1899, the rest of the country is having a completely different reaction.

Courtesy of Politico:  

Voters overwhelmingly support allowing undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to stay in the country, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, placing President Donald Trump’s decision to wind down the controversial Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program at odds with public opinion. 

A majority of voters, 58 percent, think these undocumented immigrants, also known as Dreamers, should be allowed to stay and become citizens if they meet certain requirements — a sentiment that goes well beyond the existing DACA program. Another 18 percent think they should be allowed to stay and become legal residents, but not citizens. Only 15 percent think they should be removed or deported from the country.

I guess most of these folks are not fans of Breitbart.

And then there were the protests: 

Thousands marched across the Brooklyn Bridge Tuesday evening in protest after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the Trump administration is ending the DACA program. 

At least 13 were arrested, including one New York council member, adding to the 34 who were arrested hours earlier outside Trump Tower. 

Earlier in the day, hundreds of immigrants and advocates from across the tri-state demonstrated in Manhattan and in Washington, D.C. 

There were also other protests in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, just to name a few.

But what be most troubling to Trump is that this decision has created a rift between him and many of his evangelical supporters.

Courtesy of the Washington Post:  

Religious leaders, including some of the evangelicals who have remained steadfast in their support for Trump, expressed their disappointment that Trump would reverse the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. 

In a strongly worded statement, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called the decision “reprehensible.” 

“Now, after months of anxiety and fear about their futures, these brave young people face deportation,” they wrote. “This decision is unacceptable and does not reflect who we are as Americans.” 

The Catholic Church’s ties to dreamers are direct. About 1 in 4 U.S. Catholics are foreign born, and 34 percent of all Catholics are Hispanic, according to Pew Research Center. Still, the overall Catholic vote in 2016 was split between Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, though Hispanic Catholics overwhelmingly supported Clinton. 

The criticism was echoed by local Catholic leaders, including Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, who has a close relationship with Pope Francis. He called the decision “very regrettable and harmful.” 

The United Methodist Church was even sharper in its rebuke, calling the efforts to “rescind these protections, not only unconscionable, but contrary to moral work and witness.” The Evangelical Lutheran Church, a major mainline Protestant denomination, wrote that its members would “pray today for those that will suffer undue repercussions due to the end of this program.” 

Even some of the faith leaders closest to Trump urged him not to end the protection for young immigrants. Some prominent evangelicals signed joint letters compelling Trump to leave the program in place while Congress works on a more permanent legislative solution.

This decision has essentially only satisfied the most racist fringe of Trump's base, the neo-Nazi/KKK branch if you will.

No wonder Trump sent Jeff "The Keebler Elf"  Sessions out to make the actual announcement, while Trump himself hides under his bed.

It almost seems as if Trump is trying to get as many people as possible to hate him before he leaves office. 

Great sign from the March for Truth.

Favorite Signs #MarchfForTruthChicago #MarchForTruth pic.twitter.com/mJ6fMBLubF

— Josefa C (@onthewineroute) June 4, 2017

Okay how many anti-Trump protests, numbering in the thousands, have been held since the election?

I keep losing count.

More anti-Trump marches organized for this Saturday.

Courtesy of The Hill: 

Protesters will gather in Washington, D.C., and 135 other cities on Saturday to call for an independent commission to investigate possible collusion between President Trump's campaign and Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. 

The "March for Truth" is the latest in a series of weekend protests opposing the Trump administration that has included the Women's March in January and the Tax March and March for Science in April. 

Organizers of the latest demonstration are also demanding that Trump release his personal income tax returns. 

The march in Washington will include remarks by several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who has called in recent weeks to impeach Trump. Jill Wine-Banks, a former Watergate special prosecutor, and Javier Muñoz, a star of the Broadway musical "Hamilton," are also expected to speak at the D.C. rally.

And people said that Donald Trump could never bring people together.

Just look how many people he has inspired to get involved and work together in solidarity to solve a terrible problem that affects the whole country.

The true sign of a real leader.

The Resistance lives!

200 members of Indivisible San Pedro form the word RESIST! Sat. at Trump National Golf Course, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. #standindivisible pic.twitter.com/QoRDWsdrkT

— Indivisible SanPedro (@indivisible_sp) May 13, 2017

Trump better just learn to live with this, because this is his life now.