US Military Oath of Enlistment.................

[ABikerSailor]

The premise is a true red herring. The flag and the anthem are symbols of the constitutional government which the military swears to defend. The protesting is a symbol of disrespect. You can't claim one symbol is valid and the other isn't. While using their symbol to disrespect the other symbol they are disrespecting the country and those who chose to defend it. It is truly ironic that those people who fought to give them the freedom to protest are the very people they are disrespecting.

Read the oath in the OP again. It doesn't say anything about the flag (which has changed a few times over the years), nor does it say anything about the anthem (which was adapted from an old English drinking song), it says we will support and defend the Constitution (the document our country was founded on) against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. That includes defending against people who would try to stop free speech.

And, while I will continue to stand and hold my hand over my heart, because that is who I am, I will not stop others from doing a peaceful protest as provided for in the Constitution just because it may affect the sensibilities of some so called "patriots".

 

[ABikerSailor]

Yeah, I know, some people might think this belongs in the Military forum, but the reason I put it in Current Events is because of the current NFL furor about players taking a knee.

Well, lots of people on this board, and on the television, have said that not saluting the flag during the anthem is disrespectful to the military, because they aren't saluting the flag during the anthem.

Hate to tell you people, but it's not. The military never swears an oath to the flag or the anthem. They swear an oath to the Constitution, and that oath to support and defend it also means that we support and defend the rights contained in it like free speech, even if we don't agree with the speech that is said.

Here, for all you people who have never seen the oath of enlistment........................

Be Ready To Raise Your Right Hand | Military.com

The Oath of Enlistment (for enlisted):

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

The Oath of Office (for officers):

"I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the _____ (Military Branch) of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

The only thing referred to in the oath, is the US Constitution, not the flag, not the anthem. And supporting free speech provided by that document isn't disrespectful to the military. Trying to stop others from exercising their right to free speech however, is.

Supporting the flag, and showing respect to it, is to show support for the FALLEN soldiers, those who have given their lives throughout our long history. You are trying to conflate the two issues.

Doesn't change anything, they signed the same contract and swore the same oath that I did to support and defend the Constitution. Not allowing people the free speech afforded us via the Constitution because your feelings are hurt is far more disrespectful, because that means even though they died for the Constitution, people like you would stop them, and therefore it is YOU who are disrespecting our fallen soldiers. They died for that document, as well as this country.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Yeah, I know, some people might think this belongs in the Military forum, but the reason I put it in Current Events is because of the current NFL furor about players taking a knee.

Well, lots of people on this board, and on the television, have said that not saluting the flag during the anthem is disrespectful to the military, because they aren't saluting the flag during the anthem.

Hate to tell you people, but it's not. The military never swears an oath to the flag or the anthem. They swear an oath to the Constitution, and that oath to support and defend it also means that we support and defend the rights contained in it like free speech, even if we don't agree with the speech that is said.

Here, for all you people who have never seen the oath of enlistment........................

Be Ready To Raise Your Right Hand | Military.com

The Oath of Enlistment (for enlisted):

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

The Oath of Office (for officers):

"I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the _____ (Military Branch) of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

The only thing referred to in the oath, is the US Constitution, not the flag, not the anthem. And supporting free speech provided by that document isn't disrespectful to the military. Trying to stop others from exercising their right to free speech however, is.

Bullshit. You are attempting to spin assholiness with word games. How about this oath which many more have sworn:

"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands..."

And heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military.

You're the one trying to spin things. You are comparing the oath of enlistment to the pledge of allegiance.

Both are two totally separate things.

And yeah, heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military, because they will be brought up on charges under the UCMJ, which is military law and only covers active duty and reserve military.

 

[ABikerSailor]

What a crock of shit. If you were in the military, taxpayers wasted money on you, boy.

He was a paper pushing clerk in the Navy....like radar O'riley in MASH

A very important job right next to supply sgt..

Well, I was good enough at my job to have my last two tours be independent duty tours. One was running the admin dept on an MSC vessel for 2 years (USNS CONCORD (T-AFS-5), and my final tour was running the MEPS in Amarillo TX for three years.

 

[Tax Man]

Yeah, I know, some people might think this belongs in the Military forum, but the reason I put it in Current Events is because of the current NFL furor about players taking a knee.

Well, lots of people on this board, and on the television, have said that not saluting the flag during the anthem is disrespectful to the military, because they aren't saluting the flag during the anthem.

Hate to tell you people, but it's not. The military never swears an oath to the flag or the anthem. They swear an oath to the Constitution, and that oath to support and defend it also means that we support and defend the rights contained in it like free speech, even if we don't agree with the speech that is said.

Here, for all you people who have never seen the oath of enlistment........................

Be Ready To Raise Your Right Hand | Military.com

The Oath of Enlistment (for enlisted):

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

The Oath of Office (for officers):

"I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the _____ (Military Branch) of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

The only thing referred to in the oath, is the US Constitution, not the flag, not the anthem. And supporting free speech provided by that document isn't disrespectful to the military. Trying to stop others from exercising their right to free speech however, is.

Thank you for clearing that up for the others.

 

[9thIDdoc]

Yeah, I know, some people might think this belongs in the Military forum, but the reason I put it in Current Events is because of the current NFL furor about players taking a knee.

Well, lots of people on this board, and on the television, have said that not saluting the flag during the anthem is disrespectful to the military, because they aren't saluting the flag during the anthem.

Hate to tell you people, but it's not. The military never swears an oath to the flag or the anthem. They swear an oath to the Constitution, and that oath to support and defend it also means that we support and defend the rights contained in it like free speech, even if we don't agree with the speech that is said.

Here, for all you people who have never seen the oath of enlistment........................

Be Ready To Raise Your Right Hand | Military.com

The Oath of Enlistment (for enlisted):

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."



The Oath of Office (for officers):

"I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the _____ (Military Branch) of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

The only thing referred to in the oath, is the US Constitution, not the flag, not the anthem. And supporting free speech provided by that document isn't disrespectful to the military. Trying to stop others from exercising their right to free speech however, is.

Bullshit. You are attempting to spin assholiness with word games. How about this oath which many more have sworn:

"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands..."

And heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military.

You're the one trying to spin things. You are comparing the oath of enlistment to the pledge of allegiance.

Both are two totally separate things.

And yeah, heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military, because they will be brought up on charges under the UCMJ, which is military law and only covers active duty and reserve military.

Thanks for making my point. If the oath of enlistment pledges a person to abide by the UCMJ (which it does) and the UCMJ requires that the flag be respected (as it does) then the oath of enlistment does in fact require respect to be shown to the flag.
"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG..." speaks for itself.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Yeah, I know, some people might think this belongs in the Military forum, but the reason I put it in Current Events is because of the current NFL furor about players taking a knee.

Well, lots of people on this board, and on the television, have said that not saluting the flag during the anthem is disrespectful to the military, because they aren't saluting the flag during the anthem.

Hate to tell you people, but it's not. The military never swears an oath to the flag or the anthem. They swear an oath to the Constitution, and that oath to support and defend it also means that we support and defend the rights contained in it like free speech, even if we don't agree with the speech that is said.

Here, for all you people who have never seen the oath of enlistment........................

Be Ready To Raise Your Right Hand | Military.com

The Oath of Enlistment (for enlisted):

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."



The Oath of Office (for officers):

"I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the _____ (Military Branch) of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

The only thing referred to in the oath, is the US Constitution, not the flag, not the anthem. And supporting free speech provided by that document isn't disrespectful to the military. Trying to stop others from exercising their right to free speech however, is.

Bullshit. You are attempting to spin assholiness with word games. How about this oath which many more have sworn:

"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands..."

And heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military.

You're the one trying to spin things. You are comparing the oath of enlistment to the pledge of allegiance.

Both are two totally separate things.

And yeah, heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military, because they will be brought up on charges under the UCMJ, which is military law and only covers active duty and reserve military.

Thanks for making my point. If the oath of enlistment pledges a person to abide by the UCMJ (which it does) and the UCMJ requires that the flag be respected (as it does) then the oath of enlistment does in fact require respect to be shown to the flag.
"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG..." speaks for itself.

The UCMJ only covers active duty and reserve personnel. It has no jurisdiction over civilian personnel, so therefore, you cannot stop someone from expressing their opinion if they are a civilian (which the NFL players are). The UCMJ does not require anyone other than the military to respect the flag.

And, like I said, you show more disrespect to the military by trying to shut down a person's free speech, because the Constitution allows it, and the Constitution is what our military swears to and defends.

 

[Sunni Man]

Curious as to the number of blanket parties you endured while in the service? .......

 

[ABikerSailor]

Curious as to the number of blanket parties you endured while in the service? .......

None. Everyone liked me, or at least was friendly to me. Why? Because I held their personnel record. Not only was I really good at getting stuff done, but if a person had a problem with pay? I was able to have it fixed and correct within 2 pay periods. My error rate for pay was at around 2 percent. Any pay error rates that are below 5 percent are considered to be outstanding. Mine was less than half of the rate to be considered outstanding.

 

[9thIDdoc]

Yeah, I know, some people might think this belongs in the Military forum, but the reason I put it in Current Events is because of the current NFL furor about players taking a knee.

Well, lots of people on this board, and on the television, have said that not saluting the flag during the anthem is disrespectful to the military, because they aren't saluting the flag during the anthem.

Hate to tell you people, but it's not. The military never swears an oath to the flag or the anthem. They swear an oath to the Constitution, and that oath to support and defend it also means that we support and defend the rights contained in it like free speech, even if we don't agree with the speech that is said.

Here, for all you people who have never seen the oath of enlistment........................

Be Ready To Raise Your Right Hand | Military.com

The Oath of Enlistment (for enlisted):

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."



The Oath of Office (for officers):

"I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the _____ (Military Branch) of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

The only thing referred to in the oath, is the US Constitution, not the flag, not the anthem. And supporting free speech provided by that document isn't disrespectful to the military. Trying to stop others from exercising their right to free speech however, is.

Bullshit. You are attempting to spin assholiness with word games. How about this oath which many more have sworn:

"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands..."

And heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military.

You're the one trying to spin things. You are comparing the oath of enlistment to the pledge of allegiance.

Both are two totally separate things.

And yeah, heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military, because they will be brought up on charges under the UCMJ, which is military law and only covers active duty and reserve military.

Thanks for making my point. If the oath of enlistment pledges a person to abide by the UCMJ (which it does) and the UCMJ requires that the flag be respected (as it does) then the oath of enlistment does in fact require respect to be shown to the flag.
"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG..." speaks for itself.

The UCMJ only covers active duty and reserve personnel. It has no jurisdiction over civilian personnel, so therefore, you cannot stop someone from expressing their opinion if they are a civilian (which the NFL players are). The UCMJ does not require anyone other than the military to respect the flag.

And, like I said, you show more disrespect to the military by trying to shut down a person's free speech, because the Constitution allows it, and the Constitution is what our military swears to and defends.

You keep preaching about a non-issue. Who exactly do you think is attempting to deny any of anybodies constitutional rights? Ain't happening as far as I can tell. But people also have every right to avoid spending money to see someone doing something they consider offensive. And money makes the world go 'round and the footballs fly. Or not.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Yeah, I know, some people might think this belongs in the Military forum, but the reason I put it in Current Events is because of the current NFL furor about players taking a knee.

Well, lots of people on this board, and on the television, have said that not saluting the flag during the anthem is disrespectful to the military, because they aren't saluting the flag during the anthem.

Hate to tell you people, but it's not. The military never swears an oath to the flag or the anthem. They swear an oath to the Constitution, and that oath to support and defend it also means that we support and defend the rights contained in it like free speech, even if we don't agree with the speech that is said.

Here, for all you people who have never seen the oath of enlistment........................

Be Ready To Raise Your Right Hand | Military.com

The Oath of Enlistment (for enlisted):

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."



The Oath of Office (for officers):

"I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the _____ (Military Branch) of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

The only thing referred to in the oath, is the US Constitution, not the flag, not the anthem. And supporting free speech provided by that document isn't disrespectful to the military. Trying to stop others from exercising their right to free speech however, is.

Bullshit. You are attempting to spin assholiness with word games. How about this oath which many more have sworn:

"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands..."

And heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military.

You're the one trying to spin things. You are comparing the oath of enlistment to the pledge of allegiance.

Both are two totally separate things.

And yeah, heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military, because they will be brought up on charges under the UCMJ, which is military law and only covers active duty and reserve military.

Thanks for making my point. If the oath of enlistment pledges a person to abide by the UCMJ (which it does) and the UCMJ requires that the flag be respected (as it does) then the oath of enlistment does in fact require respect to be shown to the flag.
"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG..." speaks for itself.

The UCMJ only covers active duty and reserve personnel. It has no jurisdiction over civilian personnel, so therefore, you cannot stop someone from expressing their opinion if they are a civilian (which the NFL players are). The UCMJ does not require anyone other than the military to respect the flag.

And, like I said, you show more disrespect to the military by trying to shut down a person's free speech, because the Constitution allows it, and the Constitution is what our military swears to and defends.

You keep preaching about a non-issue. Who exactly do you think is attempting to deny any of anybodies constitutional rights? Ain't happening as far as I can tell. But people also have every right to avoid spending money to see someone doing something they consider offensive. And money makes the world go 'round and the footballs fly. Or not.

Every last one of you idiots that is screaming that the players should be fired or worse. If the owners want to enforce it, fine, write it into their contracts. But, because it's not against their contracts, they should be allowed to take a knee if they want.

 

[9thIDdoc]

Bullshit. You are attempting to spin assholiness with word games. How about this oath which many more have sworn:

"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands..."

And heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military.

You're the one trying to spin things. You are comparing the oath of enlistment to the pledge of allegiance.

Both are two totally separate things.

And yeah, heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military, because they will be brought up on charges under the UCMJ, which is military law and only covers active duty and reserve military.

Thanks for making my point. If the oath of enlistment pledges a person to abide by the UCMJ (which it does) and the UCMJ requires that the flag be respected (as it does) then the oath of enlistment does in fact require respect to be shown to the flag.
"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG..." speaks for itself.

The UCMJ only covers active duty and reserve personnel. It has no jurisdiction over civilian personnel, so therefore, you cannot stop someone from expressing their opinion if they are a civilian (which the NFL players are). The UCMJ does not require anyone other than the military to respect the flag.

And, like I said, you show more disrespect to the military by trying to shut down a person's free speech, because the Constitution allows it, and the Constitution is what our military swears to and defends.

You keep preaching about a non-issue. Who exactly do you think is attempting to deny any of anybodies constitutional rights? Ain't happening as far as I can tell. But people also have every right to avoid spending money to see someone doing something they consider offensive. And money makes the world go 'round and the footballs fly. Or not.

Every last one of you idiots that is screaming that the players should be fired or worse. If the owners want to enforce it, fine, write it into their contracts. But, because it's not against their contracts, they should be allowed to take a knee if they want.

Thanks for finally agreeing with the obvious.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Only problem is, there are zero NFL rules, and zero contracts that require players to stand during the national anthem.

 

[Hossfly]

Only problem is, there are zero NFL rules, and zero contracts that require players to stand during the national anthem.

Then again there's fan appreciation and approval.

 

[Roudy]

Yeah, I know, some people might think this belongs in the Military forum, but the reason I put it in Current Events is because of the current NFL furor about players taking a knee.

Well, lots of people on this board, and on the television, have said that not saluting the flag during the anthem is disrespectful to the military, because they aren't saluting the flag during the anthem.

Hate to tell you people, but it's not. The military never swears an oath to the flag or the anthem. They swear an oath to the Constitution, and that oath to support and defend it also means that we support and defend the rights contained in it like free speech, even if we don't agree with the speech that is said.

Here, for all you people who have never seen the oath of enlistment........................

Be Ready To Raise Your Right Hand | Military.com

The Oath of Enlistment (for enlisted):

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

The Oath of Office (for officers):

"I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the _____ (Military Branch) of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

The only thing referred to in the oath, is the US Constitution, not the flag, not the anthem. And supporting free speech provided by that document isn't disrespectful to the military. Trying to stop others from exercising their right to free speech however, is.

So what? The NFL players aren't in the military. (But they are disrespectful to our flag and national anthem.)

Another red herring...

NFL is a private organization, and does have rules that require players to stand and respect the anthem, including consequences for those that don't. However, they are picking and choosing which rules to enforce. The fans will remind the players and the owners who provides their big salaries.

 

[Roudy]

Only problem is, there are zero NFL rules, and zero contracts that require players to stand during the national anthem.

Here’s what the game operations manual says regarding the national anthem, according to an NFL spokesperson:

‘The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.

‘During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.’

 

[ABikerSailor]

Only problem is, there are zero NFL rules, and zero contracts that require players to stand during the national anthem.

Here’s what the game operations manual says regarding the national anthem, according to an NFL spokesperson:

‘The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.

‘During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.’

The operations manual isn't binding on the conduct of the players. If it were, they would have been fined a long time ago. Yeah, lots of others have brought up the GOM, but it's not binding, and offers no punishment for non compliance.

And, I've got a hunch that if a player was a first round draft pick, but refused an anthem clause in their contract, the team would cave to attract the talent.

 

[eagle1462010]

Bullshit. You are attempting to spin assholiness with word games. How about this oath which many more have sworn:

"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands..."

And heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military.

You're the one trying to spin things. You are comparing the oath of enlistment to the pledge of allegiance.

Both are two totally separate things.

And yeah, heaven help the poor SOB who disrespects the flag while in the military, because they will be brought up on charges under the UCMJ, which is military law and only covers active duty and reserve military.

Thanks for making my point. If the oath of enlistment pledges a person to abide by the UCMJ (which it does) and the UCMJ requires that the flag be respected (as it does) then the oath of enlistment does in fact require respect to be shown to the flag.
"I pledge allegiance to the FLAG..." speaks for itself.

The UCMJ only covers active duty and reserve personnel. It has no jurisdiction over civilian personnel, so therefore, you cannot stop someone from expressing their opinion if they are a civilian (which the NFL players are). The UCMJ does not require anyone other than the military to respect the flag.

And, like I said, you show more disrespect to the military by trying to shut down a person's free speech, because the Constitution allows it, and the Constitution is what our military swears to and defends.

You keep preaching about a non-issue. Who exactly do you think is attempting to deny any of anybodies constitutional rights? Ain't happening as far as I can tell. But people also have every right to avoid spending money to see someone doing something they consider offensive. And money makes the world go 'round and the footballs fly. Or not.

Every last one of you idiots that is screaming that the players should be fired or worse. If the owners want to enforce it, fine, write it into their contracts. But, because it's not against their contracts, they should be allowed to take a knee if they want.

Freedom works both ways..................Your MAJOR MALFUNCTION.

They have the right to kneel.................we have the right to disagree..........Companies have the right to end sponsorship to them.........Fans can stop watching them............stop watching TV.............Stop buying their products that make them money.

The Team Owners are PRIVATE BUSINESS OWNERS............they have every right to fire employees that make a NEGATIVE PERSPECTIVE of their team....and COST THEM MONEY...........

They will pay for these protests through LOWER RATINGS, LOWER REVENUE....................because what's good for the goose is good for the gander..............

They have made their statement and shown their beliefs...............NO ONE HAS STOPPED THEM.............NOW WE DO THE SAME........ENJOY.

 

[JimBowie1958]

Yeah, I know, some people might think this belongs in the Military forum, but the reason I put it in Current Events is because of the current NFL furor about players taking a knee....

The only thing referred to in the oath, is the US Constitution, not the flag, not the anthem. And supporting free speech provided by that document isn't disrespectful to the military. Trying to stop others from exercising their right to free speech however, is.

This has nothing to do with free speech, idiot as no one is questioning that.

The point is that the NFL is able to stop it since it on the clock for these retards, and they wont stop it.

IF someone came out to the field and burned an American flag and the NFL let them do it; I would never watch another NFL game again.

The NFL letting these bastard disrespect the flag or not is within the authority of the NFL since they own the game.

BikerSailor, you plainly do not know what the fuck you are talking about, once again.

 

[JimBowie1958]

Reading comprehension dude............I said that there are a lot of people who are saying that the military is being disrespected by the players who take a knee. I'm saying that they aren't because free speech is allowed under the Constitution, ....

You are a fucking idiot.