Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
I think back to this scene from Easy Rider
when people start ripping into protesters who kneel during the national anthem...
George Hanson (Jack Nicholson): They're not scared of you. They're scared of what you represent to 'em.
Billy (Dennis Hopper): Hey, man. All we represent to them, man, is somebody who needs a haircut.
George Hanson: Oh, no. What you represent to them is freedom.
Billy: What the hell is wrong with freedom? That's what it's all about.
George Hanson: Oh, yeah, that's right. That's what's it's all about, all right. But talkin' about it and bein' it, that's two different things. I mean, it's real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Of course, don't ever tell anybody that they're not free, 'cause then they're gonna get real busy killin' and maimin' to prove to you that they are. Oh, yeah, they're gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em.
Billy: Well, it don't make 'em runnin' scared.
George Hanson: No, it makes 'em dangerous.
Billy (Dennis Hopper): Hey, man. All we represent to them, man, is somebody who needs a haircut.
George Hanson: Oh, no. What you represent to them is freedom.
Billy: What the hell is wrong with freedom? That's what it's all about.
George Hanson: Oh, yeah, that's right. That's what's it's all about, all right. But talkin' about it and bein' it, that's two different things. I mean, it's real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Of course, don't ever tell anybody that they're not free, 'cause then they're gonna get real busy killin' and maimin' to prove to you that they are. Oh, yeah, they're gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em.
Billy: Well, it don't make 'em runnin' scared.
George Hanson: No, it makes 'em dangerous.
A few minutes later, Jack Nicholson had his skull smashed in by a "patriotic" redneck wielding an ax handle.
Colin Kaepernick is a free individual who represents freedom (daring to call-out racial injustice), and that scares 'em.
They hate it. They must squelch it.
The ultra-nationalist, the neo-fascist, the demagogue, and the simpleton will twist themselves into knots when they
try to portray NFL players -- and anyone who protests during our national anthem/drinking song -- as unpatriotic.
They conflate the protest with disloyalty to "the flag" and "our troops". Hypocrites and the self-righteous accuse the
protesters of insulting those who fought for their freedom, and that their protest is an expression of ingratitude. Pithy,
bumper-sticker cracks about "freedom not being free" roll off their wagging tongues. All talk, talk, talk.
The truth is, these blind authorities on freedom are terrified by real freedom. Their conception of freedom is the lock-
step conformity of fascism. They love to brag about how Americans have died to provide our freedom, but they
hate it when someone actually uses that supposed freedom to express any challenge to their authority, power
and self-righteousness delusions about life in America.
In other words, "Here is your gift of freedom; now, don't you ever dare to use it."
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
FOR THEM to do whatever they want to become supremely rich and powerful: keep slaves, pay starvation wages, rig elections, you name it. THAT'S freedom!
You're free to do whatever you can to help them become supremely rich and powerful. If you don't like your freedom then please disappear.
It's pretty simple really.
