exercise right to not participate in anthem

cheap Canada Goose The rest of the Steelers chose a unique protest in response to Donald Trump’s unprovoked verbal assault on their rights, as American citizens, to protest whatever injustices they might perceive. They canada goose coats on sale remained in the stadium tunneluntil it was time to begin the game. cheap Canada Goose

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canada goose black friday sale “We didn’t ask for this. This was placed upon us by circumstance,” buy canada goose jacket coach Mike Tomlin said following the Steelers’ overtime loss to the Bears. “My contention was that we would not allow politics to Canada Goose Parka divide us. We’re football players. We’re a football team. If many of them felt like something needed to be done, I asked those guys to discuss it and whatever they discussed we have 100 percent participation or we do nothing. canada goose black friday sale

“They canada goose clearance couldn’t come to an understanding, so they chose to remove themselves from it.”

canada goose deals Previously, the Steelershad avoided any on field cheap Canada Goose national anthem protests subsequent to Colin Kaepernick’s visible campaign regarding several episodes of harsh or deadly police treatment of African Americans that occurred in summer 2016. Steelers players always had maintained it was out of respect for Villanueva, https://www.canadagoosepark.com a valued teammate. canada goose deals

However, Trump’s rant this weekend at a rally in Alabama coerced every cheap canada goose jackets NFL locker room into making some sort of decision.

Canada Goose Outlet The Steelers canada goose chose wisely: They decided not to take Trump’s bait. Canada Goose Outlet

canada goose clearance What Trump wished to accomplish with his frantic Friday night vitriol was to entice every NFL player but particularly those who are African American into canada goose clearance sale wider and perhaps canadian goose jacket more involved protests so that those peoplewho have followed every one of his ludicrous Canada Goose online convolutions could view their opponents more clearly. canada goose clearance

canada goose store That Trump Canada Goose Coats On Sale continued to underscore his antipathy with tweets that were presented both Saturday and Sunday only reinforced his determination to force the players’ hands on this. canada goose store

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canada goose clearance sale The man who was elected to serve as the president of the nation in which they work and reside had labeled some of them “sons of bitches” for choosing to exercise their First Amendment right to protest and declared they should be suspended from their jobs or fired for these actions. This represented both fouler language and stronger condemnation than he applied to the white supremacists whose Charlottesville protests in August resulted in the death of an innocent young woman. canada goose clearance sale

Canada Goose online Sunday morning on ABC News, treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin uk canada goose had attempted to justify his boss’ histrionics by explaining such protests should not be transacted while one is working one’s job; Mnuchin criticized the NFL for policing other personal statements the players might make through their apparel but not with their conduct during the national anthem. Canada Goose online

Canada Goose Jackets However, work rules are a matter for the employer to decide in concert with whatever representation the work force might maintain. So if this were the subject of Trump’s rage, then perhaps the profanity should have been unleashed toward the NFL owners who either neglected or chose not to force such language into the collective Canada Goose sale bargaining agreement reached in 2011. Canada Goose Jackets

Trump declared the course he wanted those owners to follow emphasis on the word “follow” here but only opted to debase the players choosing to protest. canada goose factory sale He knows which Americans he values, and he wants those people to gain an unobstructed view of Canada Goose Outlet the ones he does not.

canadian goose jacket “Many of them were not going to accept the words of the president,” Tomlin said of his Canada Goose Online players. canada goose uk black friday “So we decided to sit it out, to not take the field, to remove ourselves from it to focus on playing uk canada goose outlet football. So those were our intentions. canadian goose jacket

buy canada goose jacket cheap “Man, these are divisive times in the United States. It’s a shame what it is, but we’re not politicians. We’re coaches and professional athletes. To be quite honest, I Canada Goose Jackets did not appreciate our football cheap canada goose uk team being drug into politics this weekend. And I’m sure that’s a global perspective. buy canada goose jacket cheap

“We understand that we’re given a platform. People apply pressure to us to do things because of that platform, and the bottom line is, canada goose uk outlet we chose not to play ball todayin that regard. Maybe we will. But today, we just said no.”

Canada Goose sale The Steelers were criticized by former coach Bill canada goose store Cowher on CBS’ “The NFL Today”for their silent protest. “I think there’s a strongest message to be sent to be out there,” Cowher said. “You can still be united, but you can also have different thoughts on it. Whether you are kneeling, or whether you are standing, it’s an individual right. And I think it’s a stronger message than not going out there at all We can be united, but we can think differently.” Canada Goose sale

OPINION: Ray Lewis takes a knee, backpedals at same time

The Steelers’ action reflected an awareness, however, that nothing about Trump’s words or actions indicates unity to be among his goals.

canada goose coats on sale “People died for freedom,” Steelers Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw said on Fox’s “NFL Sunday.” canada goose coats on sale

“I’m not sure our president understands that freedom.”

Sunday before they played the Chicago Bears, the Pittsburgh Steelers freely exercised their right not to participate in a benign pregame ritual that Donald Trump had chosen to turn into a referendum on fitness to live in his America. Theirs was a most eloquent silence.