NFL endorses criminal-justice reform bill in the midst of anthem debate

[Eleazar]

NFL endorses criminal-justice reform bill in the midst of anthem debate

By Karoun Demirjian and Beth Reinhard
The Washington Post
October 16



The National Football League, still in political crosshairs over whether players should take a knee during the national anthem, is throwing its weight behind another cause in Washington’s debate over racial inequality: criminal justice reform.

The NFL’s spokesman said on Monday that the league has decided to endorse a bipartisan bill to reduce mandatory minimum sentences for low-level drug offenders, eliminate “three-strike” provisions that require life sentences and give judges more latitude to reduce sentences for certain low-level crimes.

“We felt that this was an issue over the last months, as we have continued to work with our players on issues of equality and on issues of criminal justice reform, that was surfaced for us, and we thought it was appropriate to lend our support to it,” NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart said Monday during a conference call with reporters.

The owners appear to be seeking middle ground between football players and their critics during a heated national debate over the growing phenomenon of players kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. It is not clear what effect the NFL’s effort will have on that debate — or on President Trump, who has fueled much of the vitriol against kneeling players through his personal and official Twitter accounts.

...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/power...=.1f86c6a1bf32

So, hoping to curry favor with the players who are kneeling, the NFL is endorsing a piece of soft-on-crime legislation. The optics of that are amusing.

Goodell's winking and nodding at the kneeling players will probably just encourage them to take it further, not make them respect the country again. The NFL will not be better off for bowing to them. Look at Mizzou.

The NFL doesn't seem to understand what's happening here at all. Fans do not want the NFL to be political. Fans are not going to be amused by Roger Goodell wading into politics. ESPN has already made this mistake by becoming another politicized media outlet... it's fascinating that Goodell thinks the way to resolve the fan ire over this conflict is to make the NFL more political.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by crazycoffey

What does this bill have to do with the police intentional and systematic killing of black people?

That the NFL is focusing on this is a nice little shift from a Black Lives Matter platform that didn't target the root problem. The problem isn't police brutality. The problem is when the push for mass incarceration leads to overzealous policing which escalates situations that often would have been just fine if just left alone. Reducing escalated situations is good for the citizens, but it also keeps our officers safer.

[baitism]

Originally Posted by bigjosh006

Did he say first time offender? There are thousands of people serving life sentences for the 3 strike rule when their last conviction was something trivial like possession of a controlled substance or wreckless driving. It is pretty well documented. The 3 strike rule was put in place to keep the labor camps full.

It's almost like breaking the law should be discouraged....

[GloucesterChief]

Originally Posted by baitism

It's almost like breaking the law should be discouraged....

Laws in and of themselves have no moral weight. There are plenty of laws that are immoral.

[bigjosh]

Originally Posted by baitism

It's almost like breaking the law should be discouraged....

Its almost like people shouldn't spend their entire life in prison for smoking a joint. Grow up. Police break the law every single time they detain someone without due process.

Sent from my HTC Desire 530 using Tapatalk

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by baitism

It's almost like breaking the law should be discouraged....

You can discourage breaking the law without the obsession with throwing people in prison. Considering our prison systems horrendous recent track record of recidivism our criminal justice system, for all the arrests they make, are doing an awfully lousy job of discouraging law breaking.

[Frazod]

How about shut the **** up and play football?

You're killing the golden goose, morons. Stop it.

[Tacoman]

Originally Posted by nychief

Try reading this.
https://www.theatlantic.com/projects...incarceration/

Fantastic breakdown, Thanks!

[Bugeater]

Anyone ever going to propose an actual solution? Or is everyone going to continue to bitch and protest and hope the problem fixes itself?

What do they think the average person can do about this? I don't control the justice system.

[kjwood75nro]

Originally Posted by Tacoman

Fantastic breakdown, best 15 minutes I have spent reading on this forum in the entire time I've been a member on this board. Thank you! the systemic suppression of voting in black communities added to it and you have the 360 degree ass kicking on the success and psyche of the African American families in todays america. There is a blatant inequality that exists still today and people who want to say otherwise are simply afraid of what they don't understand. I'm not black, I don't claim to understand what it means to be black in America today, but one does not need to be black to have empathy for this issue. People who see otherwise, I believe, have personal examples that are proof of the systemic results and simply refuse to dig deep enough to understand. Unfortunately judgment without facts is for the lazy, which comprises a large majority of the jaded white racist opinions on these issues. I applaud the nfl for standing by their employees on this issue, ratings be damned. As far as I can tell, black families and all other ethnic backgrounds love their children as much as I love mine, and yet somehow that doesn't seem to mean shit to some people. I saw one of the leaders of the black panthers speak when I was in college, the black panthers demands centered around the opportunities for their children to have decent food, education, and opportunity. The same damn thing any white family wants.

I believe, and if you don't believe, you're bad.

[crazycoffey]

Originally Posted by bigjosh006

Its almost like people shouldn't spend their entire life in prison for smoking a joint.

Sent from my HTC Desire 530 using Tapatalk

Link?

[crazycoffey]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

That the NFL is focusing on this is a nice little shift from a Black Lives Matter platform that didn't target the root problem. The problem isn't police brutality.


The problem is when the push for mass incarceration leads to overzealous policing which escalates situations that often would have been just fine if just left alone. Reducing escalated situations is good for the citizens, but it also keeps our officers safer.

first part is true

Second part is not.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Stinky Nuts McGee

Anyone ever going to propose an actual solution? Or is everyone going to continue to bitch and protest and hope the problem fixes itself?

What do they think the average person can do about this? I don't control the justice system.

My idea -

NFL lobbies with TV networks not to televise it, and in their future TV contracts write in provisions saying the networks will not show players who are in disrespectful poses. They never used to televise the anthem anyway, except the super bowl or whatever. Just go back to that.

Players can do whatever they feel. They have freedom of expression.

Owners can write "no kneeling" into future contracts if they want to. But viewers won't be seeing it, and it will blow over in time.

Or maybe the POTUS should issue a commendation to the players kneeling before the flag, saying that he is moved by their show of patriotism and that he's going to sign an executive order declaring kneeling before the flag a high form of respect, acceptable in all situations, and equal to a salute or standing at attention.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Scooter Libby

Peter's could celebrate Hitler I don't give a **** as long as he's out there making plays.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by bigjosh006

Did he say first time offender? There are thousands of people serving life sentences for the 3 strike rule when their last conviction was something trivial like possession of a controlled substance or wreckless driving. It is pretty well documented. The 3 strike rule was put in place to keep the labor camps full.

Sent from my HTC Desire 530 using Tapatalk

Three strikes at one time? Wow!!! If not, **** um, it's three for a reason and it's worth the ~8 years they'll actually serve.

Remember, no means no and don't means don't.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

You can discourage breaking the law without the obsession with throwing people in prison. Considering our prison systems horrendous recent track record of recidivism our criminal justice system, for all the arrests they make, are doing an awfully lousy job of discouraging law breaking.

That's what strike 1 & 2 are about, it's strike 3 that tells us all they're either too stupid to be out of jail, or need to be in jail because they've chosen a life of crime.