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The Flag and the NFL This is a picture that I painted many years ago. It was to protest the racism and greed in this country. The racism and greed are things which stain our flag and those are the things that need to be cleaned and banished from it. This is a great nation and we have had many men and women die for what the flag stands for. I love my country. It is not perfect and none are..........but..........we have the right to peaceful protest,which is what I was doing when I painted this piece. Folks the NFL kneeling is not about the flag........IT IS ABOUT RACIAL INJUSTICE IN THIS COUNTRY....!!!!!!!!!!! I had this piece once at a show where a lot of soldiers were passing through. I asked a lot of them if the piece was offensive to them ...all of the black soldiers said no they understood its meaning. Most of the white soldiers said no.....a few said yes. I know that this is a very divisive topic and we all need to talk about it. I hope that some of you will try to have an honest discussion with a black person about ...."Liberty And Justice For All" in the USA and how it works if you are black. I have always believed that having an honest dialogue about race in this country would solve a lot of our problems. 
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9/26/2017 8:06 am |
Thanks for responding Fossil. The flag as I said stands for Liberty and justice for all..........They are trying to bring attention to the fact that this is not true for people of color in this country. They have the right as I did to peacefully protest and that is what was done. I am sorry that you see it as an Anti American action. I see it as freedom of speech and the right to peacefully protest the same as you have. You live in the south and a smart man you know well that people of color do not have the same "privileges as you" that is what it is about.It is not about the flag.I would love to have a peaceful private discussion with you about it.Lets do it in private on fbook message. I would like to know honestly why you think it is about the flag.
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9/26/2017 8:32 am |
Hi leaf thank you so much for your input. I truly believe that if we could have an honest talk about race in this country we could clear up a lot of the fear and hate that some white people have about black people. I am just trying to do my little part. I sure hope that Fossil will talk to me about it. I am humbled by your kind words and I have always considered you a friend.
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Sadly, we have race baiters, motivated by greed for money and power who have fueled racism in our country for years. It seems that all the good works of MLK have been negated in a lot of places. I see those rich spoiled athletes not really working towards solutions for anything, but just grabbing attention and publicity and the NFL being complacent in it. They would do much better protesting and doing good in their communities and working to help young people to make a difference in our world. Instead they choose to stomp on people's emotions of patriotism.... why? To gain more attention for themselves. If common folks, of all colors, could just sit down and talk, what a much more peaceful country we would have. Instead, we have all the attention on the publicity grabbers and spectacular events..... and once again, common people are overlooked. Be a prism, spreading God's light and love, not a mirror reflecting the world's hatred.
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I have certainly participated in protesting this year. The Women's March, the People's Climate Change March and a recent March against FERK abuses. I have plans to go to another one in Charlottesville, Virginia in the latter part of October. This is on Racial Environmental Abuses. The Atlantic Coast pipeline has plans to locate a compressor station in Buckingham County within 150 feet of households in a populous minority community. These compressors spew out a toxic cocktail of methane, Co2, No2 and other chemicals 24/7 365 days a week with blowdowns common and disasters to the health of the nearby residents. I absolutely back the Athletes for choosing to kneel during the National Anthem . It is not about a lack of patriotism or disrespect for the flag. We protest because we DO love our country and want it see it do better. Abracadabra 
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9/26/2017 10:31 am |
Sadly, we have race baiters, motivated by greed for money and power who have fueled racism in our country for years. It seems that all the good works of MLK have been negated in a lot of places. I see those rich spoiled athletes not really working towards solutions for anything, but just grabbing attention and publicity and the NFL being complacent in it. They would do much better protesting and doing good in their communities and working to help young people to make a difference in our world. Instead they choose to stomp on people's emotions of patriotism.... why? To gain more attention for themselves. If common folks, of all colors, could just sit down and talk, what a much more peaceful country we would have. Instead, we have all the attention on the publicity grabbers and spectacular events..... and once again, common people are overlooked.
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9/26/2017 10:38 am |
I have certainly participated in protesting this year. The Women's March, the People's Climate Change March and a recent March against FERK abuses. I have plans to go to another one in Charlottesville, Virginia in the latter part of October. This is on Racial Environmental Abuses. The Atlantic Coast pipeline has plans to locate a compressor station in Buckingham County within 150 feet of households in a populous minority community. These compressors spew out a toxic cocktail of methane, Co2, No2 and other chemicals 24/7 365 days a week with blowdowns common and disasters to the health of the nearby residents. I absolutely back the Athletes for choosing to kneel during the National Anthem . It is not about a lack of patriotism or disrespect for the flag. We protest because we DO love our country and want it see it do better. Folks...it is not about a lack of patriotism or disrespect for the flag. We protest because we DO love our country and want to see it do better.
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why not start by telling your brothers to pull up their pants, quit blaring offensive noise, and stay off the streets at 2 in the morning running in gangs. Talk about reopening the wounds. Plenty of greed going round, its what is partly feeding the racism and poverty
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9/26/2017 10:44 am |
Thank you NorthDakota.
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9/26/2017 10:53 am |
Hello Maggie.....Thank you .I hope so too it will be a start and it might do some good I hope.
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9/26/2017 11:11 am |
Hello Hiram......Thanks for your input. you said if I respond to you to stay on the subject...and I will. The subject is. The Flag and the NFL. I will quote Starwomyn...."It is not about a lack of patriotism or disrespect for the flag. We protest because we do love our country and want to see it do better".
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9/26/2017 11:20 am |
why not start by telling your brothers to pull up their pants, quit blaring offensive noise, and stay off the streets at 2 in the morning running in gangs. Talk about reopening the wounds. Plenty of greed going round, its what is partly feeding the racism and poverty oh by the way ....the subject was The Flag and the NFL.
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Great blog. I've often wished the few people of color on this site would blog or comment more on many of the racist statements that get posted. Comment not with the intent of starting a battle, but rather with the idea of giving some insight as to how others view things. I guess that's what you call having a conversation. I am always interested in the differing views but after reading some of the comments made here I completely understand why one would not subject themselves to doing so. I enjoy viewing your artwork and reading your blogs.
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"IT IS ABOUT RACIAL INJUSTICE IN THIS COUNTRY....!!!!!!!!!!!"
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9/26/2017 12:55 pm |
Brightsmile, keep up the good work 
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Hi Bright... great blog and insight... super great painting! Yes, I have my thoughts on racism, something which I never thought I'd say about Canada but it seems that more so lately, we are seeing remnants of 'Black Lives Matter', the US group who came to this country last year protesting many things, including the city's Pride Parade where they didn't want Police appearing in uniform in any future parades!! At the same time they recruited a Canadian chapter and it has spread since then at various functions where protests take place. I grew up in Montreal where we had many friends of colour from various backgrounds and really never thought much about it! They were always welcomed in our homes as we were in theirs and we all attended the same functions etc. So sad this has changed over the years!!
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To further add to my previous comments, I truly believe (100 in patriotism towards one's country & flag. No one, not even a team of football players should stray from that. It's also become evident with our CFL in Western Canada!
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Non-violent protest, not a problem. The point is to draw attention to their protest in a manner that is non-violent - I'd say they are doing a fine job of that by silently taking a knee. Kaepernick was drawing attention to the problem, not himself. Kaepernick and others protest for a cause, not necessarily for what is in it for themselves. They have the attention, so they are using their notoriety to stand up for others who don't share in the spot-light and often go unheard or ignored.
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9/26/2017 2:44 pm |
Great blog. I've often wished the few people of color on this site would blog or comment more on many of the racist statements that get posted. Comment not with the intent of starting a battle, but rather with the idea of giving some insight as to how others view things. I guess that's what you call having a conversation. I am always interested in the differing views but after reading some of the comments made here I completely understand why one would not subject themselves to doing so. I enjoy viewing your artwork and reading your blogs.
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9/26/2017 2:47 pm |
Brightsmile, keep up the good work
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9/26/2017 2:55 pm |
Hello Txjw2.......I have friends and relatives who died for this country also and they are still dying.I thank them and yours for their service. I think you are missing the point though. It is not about a lack of patriotism or disrespect for the flag. We protest because we DO love our country and want to see it do better.
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9/26/2017 3:20 pm |
Tanzanite......It is so good to see you here and thank you so much for your input. Tanz you can do a lot for the world by just being yourself. The world needs more folk like you who"judge a person by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin" as Rev King said. I am so glad we are friends. I tend to not see color too and look inside a person it is not so much what they say but what they do.
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9/26/2017 3:28 pm |
hugs brightsmiles, being a Canadian I truly feel everyone should stand l for our national anthem We are strong hockey lovers. The game would not be the same without singing both anthems before each game.
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He Quotes first what privileges are people of color deprived . i live in the south and am a with no apologizes a proud decendent of a CONFEDERATE SOLDIER. as i have mentioned here he was 16 , only in usa E1 years from IRELAND. White Privilege is something that White people take for Granted and don't even have to think about. I certainly didn't think about it until I became a Quaker. I do remember working as a care provider and having to drive across the river. I never got stopped by the police. The two young black men who also worked there would tell me that they got stopped and question EVERY time they drove across the river to work. I would frequently get stopped when I was working at Wal-Mart and driving home at the wee hours. I was profiled as a potential drunk but able to quickly convince them that I was just going home from work. The young black man who lived in our household would get stopped, questioned, possibly searched for doing the same. Also, it is interesting being Irish and a confederate soldier. My 3rd Great Grandfather was drafted into the confederate army but paid $300. for a substitute. An Irishman. This happened to a lot of the Irish who came here. They were immediately drafted into a cause that was not theirs while the Plantation owners stayed home or became officers and let the Irish do the dangerous work. My poor third Great Granddaddy, he did lose his slaves after the war but deeded some of his land to those that were kin. It was all for a bad cause. Abracadabra
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hugs brightsmiles, being a Canadian I truly feel everyone should stand l for our national anthem We are strong hockey lovers. The game would not be the same without singing both anthems before each game.
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9/26/2017 6:29 pm |
Hi Bright... great blog and insight... super great painting! Yes, I have my thoughts on racism, something which I never thought I'd say about Canada but it seems that more so lately, we are seeing remnants of 'Black Lives Matter', the US group who came to this country last year protesting many things, including the city's Pride Parade where they didn't want Police appearing in uniform in any future parades!! At the same time they recruited a Canadian chapter and it has spread since then at various functions where protests take place. I grew up in Montreal where we had many friends of colour from various backgrounds and really never thought much about it! They were always welcomed in our homes as we were in theirs and we all attended the same functions etc. So sad this has changed over the years!!
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