Daffy Dandy,
Papa John’s has ended their sponsorship of the NFL.
USAA has made it clear in a previous statement that they have no intention of ending their sponsorship of the NFL, despite the fact that the President of the United States, the Vice President, two 4-Star Military Officers, and three Veterans Organizations have all criticized the disgraceful actions of the NFL and despite the fact that thousands of USAA members of the military community have sent messages over the past year encouraging USAA to end their sponsorship of the NFL, with USAA moderators not replying to any of them, not even to the Gold Star family members.
Yet USAA continues with all of their military advertising and military talk.
As we say: Don’t talk the talk if you’re not willing to walk the walk.
If you go to Section 7 of the latest version of the NFL Petition (1,720 Members) you will see a very long list that starts with Ten 50-year plus USAA members saying farewell to USAA over this NFL issue and the list works it’s way down from there. Maybe that is why USAA directed we stop the daily posting of our USAA Member NFL Petition after 5 months of doing so with no issues ever raised prior to that and even though the USAA Bylaws authorizes a member petition.
On that note I would reference the first part of a comment below from retired 4-Star Admiral William McRaven, Legendary Navy SEAL and Former Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command and current Chancellor of the University of Texas: “I spent 37 years defending freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Nothing is more important to this democracy. Nothing!”
I would also reference the recent legal opinion from Manhattan federal court, U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald on a social media Federal court case who stated: "Once it is a public forum, you can't shut somebody up because you don't like what they're saying".
In addition to not supporting their member’s core military values of Duty, Honor, Country; USAA is now restricting the freedom of speech of those who defend it.
Airborne,
Stand United
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vice President Mike Pence
"I left today's Colts game because @POTUS and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem," Pence tweeted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4 Star Admiral William McRaven, Retired
Navy SEAL
Former Commander, US Special Operations Command
Chancellor of the University of Texas
"I spent 37 years defending freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Nothing is more important to this democracy. Nothing! However, while no one should be compelled to stand, they should recognize that by sitting in protest to the flag they are disrespecting everyone who sacrificed to make this country what it is today -- as imperfect as it might be."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4 Star Admiral Harry Harris
Current Commander, U.S. Pacific Command
Comments at the 75th Anniversary Ceremony of the Attack on Pearl Harbor
“You can bet that the men and women we honor today - and those who died that fateful morning 75 years ago - never took a knee and never failed to stand whenever they heard our national anthem being played.” Harris said to nearly a minute of clapping, whistles and whoops from the thousands in attendance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keith Harman
National Commander, VFW
“There is a time and place for civil debate, and wearing team jerseys and using sporting events to disrespect our country doesn’t wash with millions of military veterans who have and continue to wear real uniforms on real battlefields around the globe.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez
U.S. Army Green Beret
Vietnam War Veteran
Medal of Honor Recipient
When MSG Benavidez would give speeches he would often tell a beautiful poem on the American Flag and remind people that in the 10 years we fought in Vietnam that we lost 58,000 men. He would go on to say that whenever he would come in contact with people who showed disrespect to our flag he would ask them the following question: "How does it feel to enjoy freedom at the expense of my buddies life?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Retired Marine Colonel Jeffrey A. Powers letter to the NFL commissioner: ‘Legends and heroes do not wear shoulder pads’
According to Powers, Goodell is “complicit” in making NFL players believe “they’re something special.”
“You are complicit in this!” Powers wrote. “You’ll fine players for large and small infractions but you lack the moral courage and respect for our nation and the fallen to put an immediate stop to this.”
“You condone it all by your refusal to act. You’re just as bad and disgusting as they are,” he added. “I hope Americans boycott any sponsor who supports that rabble you call the NFL. I hope they turn off the TV when any team that allowed this disrespect to occur, without consequence, on the sidelines. I applaud those who have not.”
“Legends and heroes do NOT wear shoulder pads,” Powers continued. “They wear body armor and carry rifles.”
