THINGS ARE HAPPENING, PEOPLE

Sumi Kailasapathy, a third-term councilwoman, was one of four who knelt in protest, and she holds issues of social injustice close to heart.

According to CNN, Councilwoman Kailasapathy came to the United States as a refugee after losing her home during the Sri Lankan civil war.

***The Sri Lankan civil war took place from 1983 to 2009.***

The source states that, after moving to the U.S., she continued her education and became a professor at Eastern Michigan University.

Now, Kailasapathy works as a public accountant and has since encountered many forms of discrimination.

The councilwoman mentions as follows.

“People tell me to go back to my country and I don’t know how to tell them that this is my country, this is my home, and I work very hard to take care of and support my community. If I leave, where am I going to go?”

So, during Monday night’s council meeting on October 16, she asked several council members to join her in protest. According to CNN, Chip Smith, Jason Frenzel, and Chuck Warpehoski agreed to take a knee with their fellow council member.

After taking the knee, Warpehoski composed a blog post explaining his actions. In the post, he mentioned as follows.

“I can’t speak to what is in each person’s heart, but for me to ‘take a knee’ is an act of attention, of concern, and of respect.”

Likewise, Warpehoski said it wasn’t his intention to offend anyone by his actions — let alone dishonor those who have sacrificed for this country.

BUT, THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH KNEELING

Overall, Kailasapathy said she believes there’s nothing disrespectful about kneeling during these ceremonies.

Ann Arbor City Council Members Kneel For Pledge Of Allegiance…https://t.co/09rl3Y44gE pic.twitter.com/2fOMFHgCWM

— Captain MAGA (@dailyreverb) October 17, 2017

***And, honestly, they’re just customs. They’re not rules. The Constitution actually says no one should be FORCED to take part in patriotic rituals.***

According to the councilwoman, it’s our duty as citizens to contribute to this country.

“If you are someone who works hard to make your community and country a better place, you have the right to be treated with respect,” Kailasapathy notes.

In this, she mentions that no one should judge and dehumanize you simply because you take a different course of action than the common collective. There is nothing illegal, disrespectful, or dishonorable about taking a knee in protest of social injustice.

***Why…the very rally against taking a knee is part of the social injustice being protested.***

Nevertheless, CNN reports that Kailasapathy and Warpehoski have received a lot of negative and positive feedback from the public regarding the protest. However, they haven’t received any backlash from other city leaders.

NFL players have continuously taken a knee during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Professional quarterback Colin Kaepernick actually reignited anthem protests last year over social and racial injustice.

And according to the source, this is what inspired Kailasapathy to take action in her own way.

Even veterans have knelt during the pledge as well.

https://twitter.com/Ryan_Lillis/status/915368857774186496

Yet, the source says she doesn’t plan on kneeling at any meetings anytime soon. By kneeling on Monday, she said she just wanted to “take a stand and get her point across.”

Interesting…

All in all, we’d love to know your thoughts about this ever-growing movement. If you have any comments about it, feel free to share them via our Facebook page.

[Featured Photo via Twitter]

The post Pledge Of Allegiance Protest — City Council Members Take A Knee During Chamber Meeting appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

The same year that iconic sprinters, John Carlos and Tommie Smith, bravely raised their fists in protest, during the medal ceremony at the 1968 Olympic Games to protest for Black civil rights, former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman danced around the ring waving an American flag. It should therefore come as no surprise that Foreman is an avid Donald Trump supporter and a critic of athletes who are protesting today.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX7SdnvHtSb/

Offended America

On a recent podcast called “Offended America,” the head of his own grilling empire was highly judgmental of Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee during the National Anthem. He also took a shot at the NBA’s Kevin Durant for refusing to visit the White House as long as Trump is in office. He called the men unpatriotic and misguided.

“(Kaepernick and Durant) haven’t been brought up with people who were patriotic to even point them in the right direction,” Foreman said.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYHj3oEl144/

Ouch. Did he just diss their mommas? Foreman seems to believe that people died so that we could recite the anthem. Guess no one told him about that third verse. And for some reason, the boxing great thinks that passing on a trip to Capitol Hill is a move that Durant will soon regret. While Foreman didn’t support former President Richard Nixon, he hates that he missed out on a photo-op.

“Your guy doesn’t win and you figure something is wrong, I’m not going to like the guy,” Foreman continued. “I’m against him and everything but that’s all there is, sore loser. Sore loser. I was one.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYJPk-Ohd84/

Trump Is A ‘Good President’

In spite of Trump’s failure to denounce White supremacy, his avid decision to build that wall, and his racist stance on immigration, Foreman still holds him in high regard.

“He’s a good president,” Foreman said. “A lot of people don’t like him, but evidently more do because he was elected President of the United States.”

Actually, it was the whole electoral college thing that worked in Trump’s favor. But Foreman has a personal allegiance to the man. Trump helped him get out of bankruptcy by investing in the 1991 pay-per-view fight between Foreman and Evander Holyfield. He will always be grateful to Trump for that:

“I was broke, too. Bankrupt. Put me back, he was part of writing those checks, so I could be on the wealthy side again. So I’ll always be grateful to the entrepreneur Donald Trump,” [Foreman] said. “And now President Donald Trump.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTcwPpClPuD/

So while Kaepernick sits in the stands as the NFL season kicks off and Durant takes the heat for staying away from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, George Foreman will keep stumping for Trump. Guess every man has his price.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYGW_ZhhQh_/

The post Fans Surprised Foreman Supports Trump But His Reasons Why Are Just As Surprising Too appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

We’ve witnessed many NFL athletes take the chance, putting their careers on the line to fight injustice via their platforms.

And, unfortunately, some have lost hard-earned endorsement deals due to their active protests.

It seems that America loves Black athletes’ abilities, just not the abilities to use their voices and be heard … even without speaking.

Russell to the Rescue

After hearing about linebacker Brandon Marshall’s severed endorsements with CenturyLink and Air Academy Federal Credit Union, Russell mentioned he was interested in picking up the player for a RUSHCARD endorsement.

“Which other company is supporting Brandon? It says two endorsements. RUSHCARD is in. We will find Brandon and make him an offer and make him a deal.”

This is what it means when the Black community wields its own power.

As protesting is concerned, it’s a major dilemma for players who want to speak out. They, literally, have everything to lose.

As a nation, we just realized that the current national anthem is a song which glorifies the abuse and death of slaves. Yet, America knowingly continues to honor the song and punishes those who refuse.

What kind of forced sellout is that?

The Internal Battle

Within 24 hours of initial protest, Brandon Marshall lost his Air Academy endorsement. Shortly thereafter, CenturyLink followed.

The source notes that CenturyLink also holds various Seattle Seahawks player endorsements as well. However, there hasn’t been any confirmation whether the company intends to pull their contracts as well.

It’s understandable that players are wary about the protest, given that their endorsements are on the line.

That’s their money. And, we know we don’t like people playing with our money, right?

It’s an internal struggle, to say the least.

“Do I stand with my brothers and sisters in protest? Will they be there for me when I need them? Or, will they leave me hanging?”

These athletes have families depending on them as the breadwinners. What incentive do Black athletes have to put their entire careers on the line?

Before Russell Simmons’ RUSHCARD offer, and other than being on the moral side of history, there was no incentive.

Just a pat on the back and a “thank you for your support.”

But when it’s bill season, will they have support or will their efforts fade into the background?

What are your thoughts regarding Russell Simmons’ endorsement offer for Brandon Marshall? Feel free to share your comments in the section below.

[Feature Image by Getty Images]

The post Russell Simmons Sends HUGE Message To Those Protesting National Anthem!  appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

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