Hello Bob,

>The United States Constitution guarantees the right of the people to
>peacefully petition their government for redress of grievances.  That
>right to peacefully petition the government has somehow grown into a
>right to harass, obstruct, disrupt and otherwise bother not only the
>government but private individuals and businesses.

Since when do NFL owners have the right to force NFL players
to stand at obedience and honor the national anthem as it is played
or sung before a game?

>The right of the people to speak freely has also somehow become a right
>to occupy - and damage and destroy - private property and nonpublic
>areas of public buildings and offices, and to obstruct public streets
>and sidewalks.  It has also become, at least in some jurists' minds, a
>right to force others to listen to them.

The right of NFL players to take a knee rather than be forced
to stand in protest of police brutality shall not be infringed ...

>The Constitution guarantees the right to speak freely, it does not
>guarantee an audience.  Just as people have the right to speak freely,
>other people have the right to ignore them.

Yeah.  Right.  Tell that to those 100,000 fans standing in awe as
their beloved NFL players take a knee ...

>Being ignored, however, drives these people to distraction and causes
>them to try to force others to pay attention to them, by yelling and
>screaming in people's faces, by using bullhorns, and sometimes by
>blocking building entrances, sidewalks and/or streets in order
>to make it impossible for others to ignore them.  This sort of thing
>used to be called a riot and used to carry heavy civil and criminal
>penalties.

NFL players taking a knee only irritates the president, who then
takes to twitterville and writes volumes of stuff for his own fans
to read ...

>Over the past half century people's behavior and respect for others has
> steadily deteriorated.

Oh, I dunno about that.  Earl K. Long was a much better name-caller
than what we have now.  And he was certified.

--Lee

-- 
Stop Workin', Start Jerkin'

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