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Ick, over at Ick's corner, posted a thoughtful commentary on Josh Howard's recent gaffe in front of a cellphone camera concerning The Star Spangled Banner:This started a long thread on comments concerning his patriotism and whether or not he should of said that since he is, essentially, a role model for children. After posting a couple of times in that heated conversation, I decided I would take my comments, and repost them here with mild editing (just to glue them together a bit so they stand on their own.) To give a quick lead up, here is liverdamage's post to which I was primarily responding to. (I was also, of course, responding to Ick's initial post as well)
I’m about to get flamed harsh here:
Am I going to be the only person who supports political dissent? Freedom of speech, freedom of expression?
Not legally being allowed to say something that offends someone else? Where the hell is that line drawn?
A league wide ethics panel? Imposing conduct on LEGAL beliefs? This is not a drug policy or code of conduct based on ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES. This is forcing a person to relinquish his rights in order to work.
I fully support total individual freedom (so long as it doesn’t impede anyone else’s) and capitalism. Capitalism is the great regulator. Josh Howard can disrespect the national anthem… and there will be consequences for his actions. Are you going to purchase merchandise from companies he sponsors? His choices will cost him at at least 10 million in advertising revenue alone.
He has the right to express his opinions. I am choosing to express my opinion that he is an idiot, and I will not be buying from anyone he sponsors. If he offends me more, I will not be watching Mavs games until he is off the roster… even more personally offensive, NBA games all together.
Every individual has power and freedom. I suggest you use it, instead of bitching and asking for social regulation.
- liverdamage (posted with permission)
So, that being said, here is my commentary on the importance of political dissent:
What ever happened to support of political dissent? Is patriotism in a democracy demonstrated through a 100% capitulation to the views disseminated by the government in charge? Is patriotism demonstrated by holding your hand over your heart and taking off your hat during a song? Is it at its fullest in reciting a pledge which we’ve been mindlessly saying since we were kindergartners? No.
In a democracy, political dissent is vital to survival. Without political dissent, the George W. Bushes and John McCains of the world will lead us into a 1984esque world where the government watches us pee in public bathrooms to make sure that we don’t litter.
Mankind has an inherent sense of morality that often governs our senses of what is right and wrong. Governments take advantage of that at an early age to coach us into believing that we must always follow the band, wagon and all. Are you as American as Apple Pie?
Next time you get all uppity about someone’s political opinion being different from yours (maybe Josh sees the Star Spangled banner ceremony as just that: a ceremony. Something he is forced to go through every time he plays), you need to remember: Our country was founded on political dissent. Our country was founded on the idea that we have the right to abstain from these ceremonies and rituals when we want to. That’s what freedom is all about. Our forefathers knew that, and had a marvelous plan laid out to bring that realization to the people. Now, more than 225 years later, we see how corruption and greed try to obfuscate that plan with ceremony, and we run right along with it.
Liverdamage is right about another thing, too. Josh will suffer the consequences for his words. We all do. That doesn’t mean he loves the U.S. and less. It just means he thinks the ceremony is dumb. Do you agree?
Do we have the moral and legal authority to question Josh Howard’s statement?
Maybe a better way of putting it is: Where do you get off saying he has to censor himself in order to work? The general sentiment seems to be: Josh Howard shouldn’t have the right to say these things because they offend us and he’s in the public spotlight!! Doesn’t that sentiment walk in firm opposition to freedom of speech?
Did I even mention anything about what Josh Howard said being illegal? No. I suggested that the government wants you to treat it as such. They are getting exactly that.
You’re job in a democracy is to question the authority of the government in every circumstance. Democracy is based on the idea that WE should be in charge of it. The truth of this situation is such that the government has participated in brainwashing us into mindless patriotism, and have then redefined patriotism to be something that, in a democracy, it is not. In a democracy, it is patriotic to question the government. In democracy, it is patriotic to oppose policies we disagree with. Anti-war protests are patriotic because they are actually the demonstration of the will of the people to change the course of the country.
What Josh Howard said might be more patriotic than not. His example might actually be positive in that it encourages people to speak out their opinions, and not to hide them because the vocal majority disagrees. That’s a positive lesson for our children.
I never said that Josh Howard was going to jail. I only said that we have a problem here in that the flames of the mob are being fanned. I suggest they are being fanned improperly.
- Kelly
A quick followup to all of that: I actually DO have a problem with Josh Howard's rant. But it's not for purposes of political dissent. I think they were racist and dumb. My problem is not that he feels like he doesn't have to participate in the Star Spangled Banner, but, rather, that he feels he doesn't have to participate because he is black. A black American is just as much of an American as a white one. That is where I become offended by his words.
"The Star-Spangled Banner’ is going on. I don’t celebrate this [expletive]. I’m black."
- Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks
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