TRUMP AND THE NFL

 

 

I rarely ever agree with Rush Limbaugh, I think he is a overly pretentious clown and a hypocrite. However, he is correct in this particular case.

The NFL is a business, the team owners are the business owners, and the players are employees.  There are laws that govern workplace behavior, for example: an employer may not discriminate against employees on the basis of race, gender, religion, etc: an employer must provide reasonably safe working conditions by observing certain safety rules; and employers must pay employees a certain minimum wage. The government is justified in creating these sorts of regulations, in order to ensure employees are not taken advantage of by unscrupulous or unethical employers.   

 

President Trump made the statement that NFL players that kneel during the National Anthem should be fired by their team owners. It is an extremely dangerous precedent that Trump is setting by publicly involving himself with the personnel decisions of the NFL owners. The "government", including the president, Congress, or any other public official, has no business telling businesses how to manage or discipline their employees; beyond the established general regulations.  This may seem like nothing more than Trump expressing his opinion on the matter; but as the President, Trump is not like other citizens. His words can have real consequences. As a matter of fact, most presidential speeches are carefully screened so a president does not cause an inadvertent public panic or some other sort of calamity. What did Trump accomplish? His words caused the NFL teams to circle their wagons and present a united front against him. The NFL is a wealthy organization, with billions of dollars available to wage a public relations war. What could have happened if the target of Trump's ire had been a small business that lacked the financial muscle to stand up against public outrage and the constant media bombardment? 

Was Trump justified in attacking the NFL? Perhaps if he was a private citizen, but not as the president. The NFL players have Freedom of Speech, and they can protest, kneel, sit, or lie down as it pleases them. However, there is a time and place for everything, and the football field is not the right place for players to be protesting. The public is expressing it's outrage against the NFL by not watching the games on television or attending the games in person. Ultimately, the NFL is most concerned with the opinion of the public. If the public gets outraged enough the NFL could face a real problem.

 

 

 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/10/11/rush-limbaugh-criticizes-trump-nfl-stance/756018001/

 

 http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/22/politics/donald-trump-alabama-nfl/index.html

A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY

Yesterday's mass shooting in Los Vegas was terrible tragedy, and an act of pure evil. I will not try to second guess the investigators as they examine the situation, and it will take some time for investigators to conclude their work.

However, what is certain is that there is something very wrong with the whole scenario. Of course, the crime itself is bad enough, but I am referring to the shooter a Mr. Stephen Paddock. He was an older man in his sixties, he made his career as an accountant, and was seemingly wealthy. He had good relations with his family, and had never been in any sort of trouble. There is no logical reason for such an individual to suddenly flip and go on a rampage. Well, this was not really a rampage, this was carefully planned and carried out.

At the risk of making an educated guess, I think Mr. Paddock may have come under the influence of either an extremist group of some sort or anti-depressants. An extremist group such as ISIS is very good at brainwashing people and turning them into fanatics. This could explain his sudden change in character. Anti-depressants have been involved with almost every non-terrorist mass shooting in the US over the past 25 years. People are fine while they are taking the damned things, but as soon as they stop using the medicine, they start going crazy.

Regardless of the cause of this tragedy, or circumstances which lead Mr. Paddock to act is this evil manner, we must keep the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers. May our loving God have mercy upon us all, and keep us safe from every evil.

DO NOT BRING POLITICS AND RELIGION TO THE WORKPLACE

The recent phenomenon of professional football players protesting the National Anthem, or the flag, or whatever it is they're doing, is a perfectly legitimate expression of Free Speech. Citizens of the USA have the RIGHT to speak out, to protest, to voice their opinion, to complain to their elected representatives, and to vote the bums out of office. These RIGHTS are spelled out very clearly in the US Constitution and nobody can deny people their RIGHTS. However, there is a time and place for everything. 

"It is the most basic rule of professional conduct, 

do not discuss politics or religion at work"

As we grow up and get jobs, we quickly learn it is highly inappropriate to discuss politics or religion when we are working. We are getting paid to do a certain job, and as adults we are expected to be responsible. We can't waste our employer's money by goofing off, doing personal stuff, doing other work, or by bringing our personal problems and opinions into  the workplace. NFL players are considered employees of the team, when they are on the field they are on the job. They have no right to push their personal beliefs onto to the audience; regardless if those beliefs are good or bad. When we watch a movie, do we want the main actor to stop in the middle of the act and lecture us? Can you imagine Harrison Ford stopping in the middle of a Star Wars movie scene and turning to the camera to say something about the benefits of going to church? It seems highly inappropriate, and a bit ludicrous. Why should the NFL be any different? The public paid good money to watch a football game, they are not interested in the players' personal opinions. It is the most basic rule of professional conduct, do not discuss politics or religion at work.

Expressing the wrong opinion on the job can have severe consequences. The football players have the RIGHT to protest and speak out, but they do NOT have the Right to force their opinion on the audience. The NFL is going to lose fans and advertisers, and the players will lose endorsement deals, because even if the players are right, politics and religion do not belong on the job.

 

LET'S GET REAL ABOUT HURRICANES

Let's be realistic about the situation with hurricanes, and other inclement weather. 

IT IS DANGEROUS!!!

If you happen to be in the path of one of these things, the best thing to do is move to safety. If you can't leave, prepare to batten down the hatches, secure anything that can blow away, and find a safe spot inside your bath tub. 

Don't be a fool by acting tough or brave. 

If you have a family and children, consider their safety in everything you do. You as a parent are responsible for the safety of your children, they depend on you to do the right thing.

To all of those in harm's way, I wish you good fortune, and I hope to continue our mutual search for the Truth when this crises has passed.

Due to the terrible nature of this situation, I wish to offer a prayer for everyone's safety. 

May the Lord watch over and protect each person that finds themselves in danger. May He shelter us all in His great goodness and infinite mercy. For He is a merciful God that loves humankind, and to Him belongs all Glory, Honor, and Worship. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

MOVIE IN REVIEW: BIRTH OF THE DRAGON

I wasted 89 minutes of my life watching this stupid movie.
For anyone with even the slightest admiration of the great martial artist Bruce Lee, this movie will piss you off. His daughter, and former students and friends that knew him, have all gone on record and criticized this piece of Hollywood nonsense.

Bruce Lee is portrayed as an arrogant and thuggish bully, whose only goal is teaching his students how to properly brawl in street fights. Lee ridicules everyone, including his own students and other martial artists; has a vast paranoia bordering on psychosis; and seems incapable of logical thought. His paranoia leads him to the fight with Wong Jack Man, and he barely manages to get out alive. He later teams up with Wong to save a girl, and the two of them take down the entirety of the local Chinese criminal syndicate.

Nothing in this whole film has even the remotest connection to reality. Lee was a cultured, polite, well educated, and highly intelligent man. His students loved and respected him, and he in return respected them. He had good relations with all of his fellow martial artists, and he did NOT engage in random street fights.

Do yourself a favor and don't watch this movie.

Here is a link to Lee's Wikipedia page, for anyone interested in learning about the great master.