Signs of Protest

[HARDCORE]

4-21-2017

First if all, “IT IS NOT THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE - IT IS RATHER THE PEOPLE’S HOUSE!” And when one attempts to make a purely political statement by snubbing things that are, have been, and always will be, symbols of our nation (and “The White House” is just that), then they are taking a swipe at us all, each and every one, in my opinion! Respect after all, is a commodity that goes part and parcel with what we are all about, even if we may not agree with all of the policies of any given individual!

And for the record, and again in my opinion, “This House - The Executive Mansion” has long been the seat of “Our Government” and ever since 1792 when its construction was begun, “The White House” was always far more than merely “The Abode of Presidents” – it was our heart and our soul! And even when “The Bloody British” burned it down during “The War of 1812”, they could only destroy the building, but never the spirit of men like James Madison who inhabited it at that time!

And again, by taking a cheap shot at “The White House”, like members of that professional football team just did, those well paid professional sport’s jocks were taking a jab at us all, in my opinion! For this building, like “The Liberty Bell Itself”, should and must be beyond protest and contestation!

Hardcore

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http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/d...triots-w465990


Why New England Patriots Players Won't Visit Trump's White House

Dont'a Hightower and Chris Long are the latest members of the Super Bowl 51 squad to publicly say they won't make the trip to visit the president
By Sean Stephens
February 9, 2017 Update 3: As it stands, six Patriots will not be visiting the White Hosue: Martellus Bennett, Devin McCourty, Chris Long, LeGarrette Blount, Alan Branch and Don’t a Hightower. Robert Kraft has responded.
UPDATE 2: Running back LeGarrette Blount and defensive tackle Alan Branch have also stated they will not be going to the White House. That brings the total number of Patriots skipping the White House visit to six.
UPDATE: Patriots defensive end Chris Long has said he plans to skip the White House visit as well. Responding to an open letter written by Chuck Modiano of the New York Daily News, Long tweeted, "Oh Chuck. Planned on skipping, hadn't been asked. Don't need an open letter explaining my own words to me. Not *joining* anyone. My call."
Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Tom Brady are some of the more famous names to snub the commander-in-chief
Add Pro Bowl linebacker Dont'a Hightower's name to the list of New England Patriots players that won't be visiting President Donald Trump at the White House to celebrate the team's Super Bowl 51 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Unlike teammates Martellus Bennett and Devin McCourty, however, Hightower says his reasons aren't so much for protest sake, but because he's "been there, done that," according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.
Hightower – who won his first championship ring with New England in the team's Super Bowl XLIX victory over the Seattle Seahawks, gets set to enter unrestricted free agency this offseason. He told ESPN's Adam Schefter, "I love what I have in New England."
While his reasoning doesn't sound much like teammates McCourty or Bennett, who were both very clear as to why they were skipping the ceremony, Hightower is still the latest in what could be a growing number of Patriots players who will give some excuse as to why they're not going to the White House.
McCourty explained his decision for not visiting was, "I don't feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won't." Bennett took to Twitter not long after the news broke to post a series of enlightening and inspiring tweets, including his plans to start publishing his own books.
While Hightower not going to the White House might very well not be politically motivated, but it fits into the ongoing narrative of a stark contrast between one group of members within the Patriots franchise and their political beliefs and ties, and other members and fans who hold opposing beliefs. Whether or not Hightower fits into that discussion is unclear, but players don't often turn down a chance to visit the president unless it's out of protest.
Leading up the Super Bowl, much was made of the ties quarterback Tom Brady, head coach Bill Belichick and team owner Bob Kraft have to Trump. Many fans were vocal about supporting the Atlanta Falcons based largely on those connections, while some Patriots fans decided to get charitable and donate to nonprofits like the NAACP and ACLU whenever their team scored