Freedom of religions and expression is for everyone no matter what others think of what is expressed…
There is an NBA player named Dion Waiters who refuses to stand for the National Anthem. He claims that as a Muslim it violates his religion. I don’t know how it could but I am not a Muslim and it is not my place to judge or interpret his religion so long as what he does in no way infringes on my rights or the rights of others.
The fact is he has a right not to stand for the National Anthem and if he chooses to exercise that right it is his business. A lot of people do not agree and have been calling him out and that is their right as well but the one thing they can’t and shouldn’t try to do is force him to comply.
This is Veteran’s Day, a day when we honor those who have served this nation. We served to protect the rights of the citizens of this great nation and that means that sometimes folks will do things within their rights that we don’t like. When they do it means veterans did their jobs and did them well.
It might not go over well that I feel this way but freedom is for everyone no matter what they choose to do or not to do so long as they don’t hurt or bother someone else. I don’t like the fact that he will not stand to pay tribute to the nation that allowed him to succeed and gave him all the opportunities in the world BUT I will die defending his right to do just that.
I think it is a dishonor to the nation when people do not stand for the National Anthem particularly when there are so many veterans who can’t stand at all BUT the reality is freedom means people get to choose things that others might not like and when they do those things without fear of punishment it affirms that our veterans have done their jobs well.
People do not have to like what this guy does (that is THEIR right) but if they are unwilling to tolerate his right to do as he wishes (in this case based on his religious beliefs) then those folks have no claim when their rights are violated.
When one of us loses our freedom we all lose our freedom…
Cave canem!
Never surrender, never submit.
