Excerpts from nbcchicago.com:
A Chicago firefighter has come under fire from many of his own after taking a knee during the national anthem ahead of a memorial football game honoring a fallen officer and CFD rescue diver, who were both killed in the line of duty.
The game between Chicago’s fire and police departments took place Saturday to raise funds for families of fallen CFD rescue diver Juan Bucio and police Cmdr. Paul Bauer.
Pictures on Facebook showed a firefighter, who played in the game, taking a knee during the national anthem. The move is part of a national movement to protest police brutality that has swept through the NFL.
A spokesperson for the Chicago Fire Department said the actions “may have been distasteful to many, but he was within his first amendment rights and not subject to department discipline while protesting during any off-duty event and not in uniform.”
The firefighter could not be reached for comment and as of Thursday he remained on the roster for CFD’s football team.
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#1 by John Antkowski on June 9, 2018 - 8:16 AM
John, well spoken I too believe that if people exercised their right to get up and leave and furthermore ask for a refund. I’ll bet things would change quickly. Come on, we attend these games for entertainment and a break from current events. Not have it ruined by some ignorant loser trying to make a point; how pathetic.
#2 by John Struve on June 9, 2018 - 12:30 AM
My father, a 20+ year fire chief in suburban Chicago also fought heroically for all of our freedoms in WWII. Until the 50th anniversary of “D-Day” he would never, ever talk to us about his horrendous experiences, all to keep us safe back home as he tackled horror and death in places like, Omaha Beach, St. Lo, France, and a hundred other places there… Belgium’s Battle of the Bulge (both times), all the way into Berlin and then back down through northern Italy and again to France. In our 99% white community he would not tolerate the use of the “N” word or other derogatory terms for others. They had ALL fought side by side, drank out of the same canteens, cared for each other’s wounds. There were no Black, White, Jewish, or other races of American, Canadian, British, Australian, etc. soldiers. All were brothers in arms and covered each others backs. Yes, for us Americans there is the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and anyone is free to say or think as they please. But where your rights start where do my rights end? Some things are legal but they may not be wise. When a fireman is bold enough to kneel for the National Anthem in protest of racial disparity by the police department with whom he is playing a congenial ball game, I think it is the First Amendment right for all the other players to walk off the field and leave this unhappy, ingrate kneeling alone. The real bigot had a party and no one came. American’s love each other, take care of each other and peacefully, respectfully, yes… lovingly, talk their problems out with respect for each other together. Maybe that fireman does not know who his ancestors are but I’m willing to bet that some of them also fought on the sands of Tripoli, the destruction in Japan or in Soul, Korea. Where’s his respect for them? He;s free to kneel because of the freedoms they, too, fought for and won for him.
Sometimes, as the Polish used to say, “When the sausage gets too thick it bursts.” It’s getting thicker and sicker every day. 80% of all Americans try pretty hard to get along. We count our daily blessings and are thankful for good friends of all races and creeds. We thank God for those who sacrifice their lives for us on the battle fields and here at home in our police and fire departments. Without them we would have chaos… just like the sports kneelers and other pitiful, thankless souls are trying to create among us, and destroy for all of us today. Just let them kneel. I’ll get up and exercise my right to leave. The same for all our American football and other games. They have a right to kneel. I have a right to leave. If thousands of others used their rights to leave, things would change in a big hurry. If the overpaid crybabies find themselves ignored and the cause for a lot of lost corporate money a lot of knees would find new strength as their team owners gave them new ultimatums to straighten up and fly right! Let’s all try to get along. Life is too short for this grandstanding on our knees. America’s not perfect. I’ve been all over the world and I can tell you it’s a whole, whole lot better than any other place I have ever been. “God bless America, Land that I love!”