Disclaimer: I used this as my intro to one of my final papers. This is MY work.
September 2011 exactly 10 years after the horrendous attack on the World Trade Center, there was a New York
Jets football game. They played who we as Americans consider “America’s team”
the Dallas Cowboys. It was opening weekend for the National Football League and
a very emotional time for the nation; especially the city of New York. A man in
a Dallas Cowboys jersey (the away team) refused to stand up for the National
Anthem. His reasons were he was a Jehovah’s Witness, but ultimately he did not
really need an excuse or reason. We tote this saying “the land of the free” yet
when one does something out of the norm and exuberates being free, we chastise
them for it. This man was harassed by some Marines behind him for his actions
and fellow attendees at the game saw nothing wrong with it. The man in the
Cowboys jersey feared for his life and ended up using a taser on the group of
men harassing him. Now, how ironic is that? A man sporting the jersey of
“America’s team” doesn’t stand up for the national anthem and is harassed by
some Marines for exercising his right to not do something, which is what we are
told Marines fight for. No matter how free we think we are in America and how
individualistic we want to be, everything boils down to a civil religion and
obeying those unwritten rules in this country.
1 comment:
As someone who follows that religion to the best of my ability, it is taught to stand and respect it but not to put your hands over your heart or recite it along with the singer, I do the same, but I do stand as a sign of respect no different than pulling over on the side of the road when u see a funeral procession.
I've been on the other side of both and if feels good when people do a simple things as pull over on the side of the road and respect something u hold dear. Its all about respect and as an unbaptized Jehovah's Witness as much I don't hold CTha Gods dad against not standing up because maybe he was tired or something maybe he just didn't feel like standing up, there are always gonna be some dumb asses who wanna start some shit over nothing. Other than that respect is one of the most important things u can give or take or earn. Respect is everything.
I think he should have stood but as I said I cant hold it against him either way.
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