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Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
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If you do not take it too seriously, conflict can be amusing. Consider the NFL, ‘Neeling Football League, for example. Yes, I know that I omitted the silent k, but what the heck, the k is silent. In recent weeks, the NFL has claimed that it supports the players’ rights to free speech (kneeling during the National Anthem). It was not that long ago when the Dallas Cowboys wanted to wear stickers on their helmets in honor of six policemen who were murdered in Dallas, but as I recall the NFL, National Football Liars, denied them their right to free speech. They were to remain as silent as the k in kneeling. Amusing, isn’t it?
President Trump voiced his concern about players kneeling during the National Anthem, and as far as I can tell, he disapproves of kneeling. I am amused by the fact that his predecessor, President Bill Clinton, approved of kneeling.
It has not been widely publicized, but women’s rights recently took a huge leap forward. Saudi Arabia’s king proclaimed that Saudi women now have the right to drive. However, it is not clear whether a Saudi husband can still use an honor killing as a way to suppress his wife’s right to drive. The conflict is obvious – if not so amusing. We will have to wait for a clarification from the Saudi king.
Michelle Obama clarified the official position of women when she whined that women voted against their own voice when they didn’t vote for Hillary. Surely she was not addressing “the deplorables.”
The deplorables have enough problems with their elected representatives. Despite controlling the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Presidency, the Republicans have failed to repeal Obamacare, build the wall, or scuttle the Iran deal. Now they are promising to fail at tax reform. It should be obvious the majority of the Republicans love Obamacare and the Iran deal, but they do not love the wall.
Speaking of love, Hugh Hefner recently passed away, and the outpouring of condolences was incredible. Funny, but most of the condolences came from people who oppose sexism. Hugh will be missed.
Speaking of missed, perhaps you missed the special report on the Antioch, Tennessee, church shooting. A Sudanese immigrant, Emanuel Kidega Samson, shot seven people and killed one of the seven. It is not clear if he was a Dreamer. His motive was reportedly revenge for Dylan Roof’s church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. The Charleston shooting occurred in 2015, and Dylan Roof has been sentenced to death. We will have to wait and see if Emmanuel Kidega Samson gets a death sentence.
It is difficult to discuss conflicts in contemporary society without mentioning racism, but what I find to be rich is the racist groups NAACP and La Raza calling anyone racist, but they do. In fact, the term racism has seen such extraordinary use that it is now a cliché and very much like “crying wolf.”
Finally, I come to the fascist group called ANTIFA. Oddly enough, ANTIFA is derived from the term anti-fascist. Apparently they are the hooded domestic terrorist group chosen by the Democrats to replace their other hooded terrorist group the KKK. They believe violence is the answer to free speech.
The irony of conflict is perverse in contemporary society but sometimes overlooked because of the mundane nature of the event. At other times it is glaring and cannot be overlooked. Regardless of the magnitude, it was put in perspective by Blaise Pascal who said, “Small minds are concerned with the extraordinary, great minds with the ordinary.”
Until next time…
