So now it's worked its way down to high-school football games:
I'd like to say, "Well, it's Alabama," but that's too easy. (Of course, considering Alabama's history with minorities of all kinds over the past -- 240 years? -- it makes sense that something like this would happen there.)
Strangely enough, all those Facebook posts praising this asshole got deleted pretty quickly. Maybe because of reactions like this:
Maybe they stopped and thought about it? Enough to think that maybe something like this might be, just a wee bit, socially unacceptable?
And this is priceless: the church of which he is pastor claimed that not only were this jerk's comments taken out of context, but he was misquoted as well. A twofer.
Oh, and they deleted that comment within an hour.
The announcer of the Friday night football game at McKenzie High School in Alabama's Butler County had something to say to those who may choose not to stand for the national anthem.
"If you don't want to stand for the national anthem, you can line up over there by the fence and let our military personnel take a few shots at you since they're taking shots for you," the announcer said at the game versus Houston County High School, according to Facebook poster Denise Crowley-Whitfield.
Crowley-Whitfield said the crowd went "crazy cheering" following the speech.
The announcer was identified as Pastor Allen Joyner, of Sweet Home Baptist Church in McKenzie, according to Joyner's relatives and friends, who also posted to Facebook and praised the statement.
I'd like to say, "Well, it's Alabama," but that's too easy. (Of course, considering Alabama's history with minorities of all kinds over the past -- 240 years? -- it makes sense that something like this would happen there.)
Strangely enough, all those Facebook posts praising this asshole got deleted pretty quickly. Maybe because of reactions like this:
Mark Bender, a 22 year Air Force veteran from Texas, spoke out against Joyner in a post on the Sweet Home Alabama Baptist Church's Facebook page, calling the pastor's words "abhorrent and disgusting."
He said he is "deeply offended and saddened" by Joyner's "hateful rhetoric.
"We fight so that all Americans retain their rights and freedoms to protest," Bender wrote. "I would never turn a weapon on my own countryman simply because they protest by remaining seated during the national anthem, by refusing to recite the pledge of allegiance, refusing to stand or pledge during any act. These things we do, these pledges, these songs, these are not compulsory acts. They are acts that we are all free to join or not.
"I am proud that we have that freedom whether or not I agree with someone's non-violent protest," he continued. "You, on the other hand are promoting extremist violence by way of state sanctioned executions. You are obviously standing for the compulsory actions by way of preaching hatred, jingoism, American exceptionalism -- all because people do not believe or think as you do. I am grateful that the majority of Americans do not thirst for their brother's blood as you do. You are a disgrace, those who agree with you are a disgrace, and you are a black mark upon this great nation. You should certainly hang your heads in shame."
Maybe they stopped and thought about it? Enough to think that maybe something like this might be, just a wee bit, socially unacceptable?
And this is priceless: the church of which he is pastor claimed that not only were this jerk's comments taken out of context, but he was misquoted as well. A twofer.
Oh, and they deleted that comment within an hour.
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