Green Bay wants to fly the flag at half staff,

[madinmaryland]

for the death of Reggie White. I didn't realize that he was a national hero. This is being discussed on ESPN Radio at the moment.

Any opinions?

[Squatch]

1. Probably more appropriate for tsunami victims

[Fleshdancer]

29. I agree with you 100% n/t

[Kota]

2. My sister was friends with he and his wife.

He's a football hero to them, nothing more to most Green Bay fans. She didn't know much about his views or religion until he died.

[ThorsHammer]

3. Why can't they just fly the Packers' flag at half-staff instead (nt)

[madinmaryland]

4. That seems more appropriate to me.

n/t

[Kota]

5. Me to.

[PlanetBev]

7. As someone who was raised in a non-sports interested family

I guess I have a sterotype attitude towards sports fanaticism in this country. I know a lot of DU'ers are fans, but I think of sports star worship as part of the holy trinity of American ignorance: Beer, football and God. I look at it the same way I look at any type of celebrity worship; a distraction to keep us from looking too close at the real problems in this country.

[ieoeja]

30. What's your problem with Beer?

To the best of my knowledge every dry state (Kansas), dry county and dry muncipality in the United States was carried overwhelmingly by Dubya this past election and is vehemently conservative. Yet I keep running into all these progressive people on this web site who seem to despise beer drinkers.

Yet another reason I happily claim to be liberal (live and let live) while rejecting so many non-liberal progressive causes (anti-alcohol, anti-tobacco and anti-firearms).

[Jack_DeLeon]

27. I agree...

locally a few years back at one of the local fast food chains, Whataburger, there was some kid who was killed, I think it was fighting off a robber or something anyways all of the restaurants ran thier corporate flag at half mast for him.

[Verve]

6. To packer fans in Green Bay, football is a religion! It seems silly

to people not in the area but it's true. (I live close G.B., but am not from here originally.) I see no harm in letting a local area mourn a local hero.

What is sad is our fallen soldiers, Iraq citizens and world disaster victims are not given the same reverence throughout our nation. Now, that is the disgrace!

[MADem]

8. I had no idea who he was until he bit the dirt

Of course, nowadays the word "hero" is spread about like cheap margerine in the mess hall at the toast station during breakfast. Everyone is a goddamn hero, even if they got paid a fortune for doing what they did, and never saved anyone from any terrible disaster or circumstance. The "selfless disregard for the safety of self in order to help others" aspect of heroism seems to be dead. If you are unlucky and get killed, or die too young (even if you abused substances that precipitated your death, like steroids) you are a hero.

It helps if you are attractive, too. Of course, if you are famous and you die young, or anywhere other than your bed of natural causes, you are a "hero."

Time to rewrite the Webster's, I guess...

[arwalden]

9. They Want To WHAT??? Allow Me To Projectile VOMIT....

I guess they don't realize that he was a national disgrace. I guess they just don't care that his faith-based bigotry planted the seeds of hatred in the fertile impressionable minds of his young fans.

Why would they want to HONOR that??

TOTALLY DISGUSTING!!

[Straight Shooter]

11. You mean to tell me that Gawd actually struck down one of His faithful?

Awesome. In the Biblical sense of the word.

[Lefty48197]

31. Some feel he was taken away for more important business...

.

[Forkboy]

12. Pretty pathetic ain't it

You should have seen the fawning by Michaels and Madden on MNF. :puke:

[arwalden]

15. Why Do CELEBRITIES Do Anti-Smoking Ads And Anti-Drug Ads?

Answer: Because KIDS listen to their actors and sports figures that they admire. These ads are made because they DO have some effect.

Why do kids adopt the hairstyle or wear similar clothes, jewelry, tattoos, piercings, of their favorite performer or athlete? A: Because they want to BE JUST LIKE THEM!!

Why do SO FEW PEOPLE actually understand that Reggie White's faith-based bigotry has the same influence on these young fans? If they are willing to SPEND MONEY on the shit he endorses (just to be like him) doesn't it stand to reason that they will spend NO MONEY and simply emulate his bigotry (just to be like him)????

The man is scum. A pig! Bury his sorry fat ass and get it over with.

[oldcoot]

10. Disgusting

This honor should only be reserved for those individuals who died serving their nation or former presidents. If Green Bay wanted to fly the flag at half staff for the soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, I would no have a problem with that. However, White died from natural causes and his main contribution seems to be that he was able to play football. While there is nothing wrong with playing football, possessing this skill does not make him a hero. Indeed, I have yet to read anything about Reggie White to me convince that he is any more special or deserving of recognition than any other person in Green Bay.

[Behind the Aegis]

13. At this rate...

...I am sure he will soon be deified! Perhaps he will be known as the "Patron of Gay Bashers." They will fall upon their knees and pray.."Great Reggie, please give me the strength to raise this bat and smite the godless fags! Amen."

This has become beyond ridiculous! I don't want to piss on his grave, as some would suggest, but I sure as Hell don't want to see him become an "idol" of all that was good and right with the world! He was a FUCKING FOOTBALL PLAYER! He did not die fighting for our freedom, he jumped on top of other men who ran around in shoulder pads and stretch pants!

People need to get a grip!

[Verve]

16. Again, not to defend Green Bay or Reggie White but you all need to look at

the source of your anger! Sure, Reggie White was just a football player but he did put a significant amount of money back into the community! And, yes Green Bay is a little crazy. But, without the Packers, their is no national claim to fame here, except for maybe COWS and CHEESE. So what's wrong with them mourning a Packer player? I'm sure you all can think of local pride in your community whether it's rain in Seattle, corn in Iowa, Shrub in Texas:puke: , mountains in Colorado, etc., etc. You all get my point hopefully.

Look at where your anger is really coming from! Don't tell me you're really angry that some people are sad that another individual died? Anyone sad when Princess DI or JFK Jr. died? It's the lack of sadness about other individuals that I believe is the focus of most of your anger. Fallen soldiers, slaughtered Iraqi citizens, and natural disaster victims are not getting the attention they deserve. NOW THAT's SOMETHING TO BE ANGRY ABOUT! Now, let a silly little community mourn in peace.

[oneighty]

19. It is against flag etiquette

to drop the flag to half mast to honor just 'anybody' because one wants too.

The lack of respect for flag etiquette is the reason I will not fly a flag other than my Gadsden flag of the revolution.

180

[Verve]

20. You may be right. I know nothing about flag ettiquete. However,

just because some sad packer fans with clouded judgement asked to lower the flag doesn't mean they actually did it.

I'll call around to see if flags are actually lowered. I'll report back here if I find some.

[oneighty]

23. It is no never mind to me.

The flag was disgraced long ago. It has become a piece of colored cloth, nothing more. IMHO

180

[Behind the Aegis]

22. I will not speak for others on this point.

I will, however, speak to the source of my anger. I am not angry that people want to mourn him. I am not angry that he is an overrated football star. I am angry that he is being 'glorified' and he was an anti-gay bigot. I am angry that others 'brush off' his hatefulness as "his opinion" and "mis-speaks." I am angry that supposed liberals and progressives can dismiss the hate he spewed because of his celebrity. I am angry this man is being placed on a pedestal and his hate is dismissed.

Would you defend against angry comments at the death of David Duke? Or, would you understand that the people expressing their anger were doing so at Duke's legacy of hate? Perhaps the anger of gays is just not as vaild.

[Verve]

24. I am red in the face! If Reggie White was a gay basher than shame on him!

I didn't know! The only local coverage I'm getting is how great he was, blah, blah, blah. My deepest apologies.:hurts:

[Walt Starr]

14. He never did a thing in his life that justifies flying the flag

at half staff.

He's just another dead homophobic Christo-fascist.

[onager]

17. "I have never wished for the death of another person...

...but I sometimes read the obituary page with a smile."--Clarence Darrow

[oasis]

18. "journalists" should investigate his cause of death. Don't bury the truth

with the deceased.

[madinmaryland]

21. Did they lower their flag for Bart Starr?

He won two super bowls for them.

[gizmo1979]

25. Bart Starr is still alive.

[gizmo1979]

26. allow me to explain

Packer football in WI.You are born a Packer fan,when the pack loses the spirits of Wis people goes down when they win spirits are up.From the 60's to the early 90's the pack lost alot,really alot.Brett Favre and Reggie White came on the seen and led us to the super bowl.This made us all very happy!Reggie opened up Green bay to all black athlete's they saw that it was cool to play in Green bay,and for that we are eternally grateful!Reggie had some rough edges but deep down he was one of the good guys.We will miss him.Just remember in Wisconsin we live or die by what happens on Sunday,and not at church!

[Lefty48197]

33. I'm a huge Packer fan.

and that's a redundant statment. All Packer fans are huge Packer fans, and we all feel the same way about Reggie. RIP my friend.

[King Coal]

28. I would say that is Green Bay's business.

[Deja Q]

32. Don'cha know? God helps His chosen sports teams to win.

Funny part is, EVERY team thanks God upon winning... :shrug:

[Moderator]

34. Locking...

Please continue the discussion in one of the already established Reggie White threads.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2872552
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2874894

Thank you
-DU Moderator.