NFL protests, Hayden remembered, Trump rallies

We’ve stopped watching the NFL

Re “Ratings decline for NFL on television, Kaepernick” (Sports, Andy Furillo, Oct. 24): We are a family who has refused to watch any more Sunday/Monday/Thursday NFL games where players take a knee for the national anthem.

This action has not generated a conversation on the chosen topic; instead, discussions are regarding the lack of respect for the anthem, flag and the veterans who serve our country. We have many family members who have given to this country, and we do not respect anyone who is not respectful of the symbols for what we stand for as a country.

Even if we agree with the situation and need for solutions, there are ways in which anyone can get involved without being disrespectful of the country. Are these players mentoring and getting personally involved? When these overpaid athletes respect the fans, maybe we will turn the TV back on to football. Until then we will take a bike ride.

Peaceful protest is an American right

Andy Furillo’s opinion about the decline in television ratings for professional football missed the mark. If 32 percent of the fans cite Colin Kaepernick as the reason not to watch football on television, then 32 percent of football fans are ignorant of the Bill of Rights and the premise upon which this country was founded – the right to protest.

The elephant in the room isn’t Kaepernick; it is the national anthem, which has absolutely nothing to do with football or any other game. Patriotic NFL owners, MLB owners and NBA owners attempt to appeal to sports fans who pay exorbitant ticket prices, lining the pockets of the owners who pay their elite players millions.

Stop playing the national anthem at football games, and stop appealing to mindless flag-wavers who would wish to deny an individual the right to freedom of expression. It is they, not Kaepernick, who desecrate the flag.

Hayden represents best of U.S.

Re “Hayden’s legacy of small-d democracy” (Editorials, Oct. 25): I am a 75-year-old transplant from a small farm community in Ohio, and subsequently was elected student body president at San Francisco State University in 1965. My contemporary, Tom Hayden, was a true American hero and patriot.

As the first administrative assistant to state Sen. George Moscone in Sacramento, I observed a so-called “student radical,” who transitioned into successfully running for public office and did his very best to contribute to making America the greatest political success in the history of humankind.

Hayden represented the essence of what America’s founders dreamed: how individual citizens could participate and create change for the common good.

God bless you, Tom Hayden.

Tussle reveals the decline of society

Re “Trump rally tussle shows sides’ parallels” (Insight, Oct. 24): I found this article very revealing, for it clearly demonstrated the decline of civility, integrity and the rule of law in this country.

The article talks about how Anthony McBride casually participated in an anti-Trump rally, sees himself as a moderate, and is upset by the recent racial unrest on injustice. He demonstrates his racial unrest by terrorizing, chasing and vandalizing the personal property of the Trump supporters. He remarks that he was disappointed that an Asian man was supporting Trump. He did show remorse when he saw the fear he caused in the eyes of the Asian man, but the clincher was the comment “not sure if he should plead guilty to a crime he doesn’t feel he committed.”

That is the downfall of this country when a citizen feels they did no wrong when chasing other citizens, causing fear and destroying their property.

This story was originally published October 25, 2016 at 2:00 PM with the headline "NFL protests, Hayden remembered, Trump rallies."