Do you think Lebron sits during the anthem for the purpose of disrespecting this country or does he do it out of criticism of some aspect of this country? Would such a difference even matter?
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Symbolism is an important concept in the evolutionary process.
Disrespecting a symbol ultimately leads to the destruction of a species.
It's called Darwinism. Darwin is my hero. Let me explain.
Primitive creatures are unable to understand that an asphalt roadway means that cars and trucks will be traveling there.
That's why you find dead cats, dogs, birds, etc on the road. They don't understand or respect what that strip of asphalt represents.
A police badge is an important symbol. When humans disrespect the symbol of a badge on a cop, they think they can do whatever they want.
That is why you have so many incidents of assault, shoplifting, murder, etc today. It's because people have lost respect for symbols of authority.
Civil disobedience ensues. Loss of civility ultimately leads to destruction. It goes back to biblical times.
eg. crazy guy on drugs kills somebody, then cop has to kill him.
eg. motorcyclist goes 150 mph down the H1 because he ignored the speed limit symbol... crash! he's dead.
Those are classic examples of Darwinism.
Star athletes used to be symbols of respect and admiration. Kids wanted to be like them.
Kids still idolize people. It's human nature. But they idolize the wrong types of people nowadays.
They idolize the rap music gang-bangers. You wonder why you have gangs at Mayor Wright and KPT?
Lebron is a star athlete and a symbol of success. Kids want to emulate him.
That is why so many people are upset when he exhibits disrespectful behavior towards the national anthem.
His actions can influence the behavior of children directly.
The flag and anthem are symbols of what America strives to be. It may not be perfect. Nothing is perfect.
But it's a pretty good compromise.