# Ram Players disrespect St Louis Police. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 1, 2014, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011 "2014-12-01T05:07:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![splatterpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@splatterpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splatterpunk)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/81 "2014-12-02T06:16:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’d love to see them get involved off the field. For example why not go to Ferguson and lead volunteers in cleaning up some of the mess? Those five NFL players could easily attract a 100 volunteers to spend the day helping out. It would get a lot of press attention and present a positive image from Ferguson. > > I have no issue at all with them speaking out. Just not during a game. I’d love to see you and your hero cops do the same thing. While you’re down there, maybe you can lecture all the nigras about the proper way to protest, organize marches and demonstrate in an orderly manner, just like you learned in your college English classes! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/82 "2014-12-02T09:17:43Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’d love to see them get involved off the field. For example why not go to Ferguson and lead volunteers in cleaning up some of the mess? Those five NFL players could easily attract a 100 volunteers to spend the day helping out. It would get a lot of press attention and present a positive image from Ferguson. > > I have no issue at all with them speaking out. Just not during a game. Uh huh. And where do they find the time? During football season the week is taken up with practice and preparing for the next game. It probably won’t be until February when they find the time to do other things. Also, it’s kind of dangerous to be in Ferguson right now. The players said they wanted to do something for the town, but they’re concerned for their own personal safety. They came up with the gesture on the field to show their solidarity with Ferguson. They may do something concrete after the season, but right now isn’t the right time. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/83 "2014-12-02T09:46:08Z")
I hope the players find a way to get involved. They’re public figures and there are many ways they can help. The burned out businesses cost a lot of families their jobs. They got bills to pay and kids that need to eat. A fund raiser could make a big difference until those businesses reopen. Social activism comes in many forms. Its more than just protesting and chanting slogans. Getting involved and helping the community has a more lasting effect. Volunteer at the food bank, mentor kids, coach a kids team, and many other programs. I’ve worked on habitat for humanity projects and volunteered for storm cleanup after tornadoes. We donate to the local food bank and have talked about volunteering there. With our kids gone we have the time to do more community work. The biggest contribution I can make is habitat for humanity. I have a background in construction and can lead framing and roofing crews. Everyone has their unique talents and can do something to help out. their community. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/84 "2014-12-02T11:59:33Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I hope the players find a way to get involved. They’re public figures and there are many ways they can help. The burned out businesses cost a lot of families their jobs… > > Social activism comes in many forms. Its more than just protesting and chanting slogans. Getting involved and helping the community has a more lasting effect. Volunteer at the food bank … _Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime._ _Work with Carter’s Habitat and rebuild one burned-out store. Use influence to stop senseless racist murders by the police and you prevent riots which burn many stores._ The suggestion that black celebrities not use their fame to promote their causes is peculiar. And, once again, by emphasizing riot damage rather than racist police, you divert attention from the underlying problems and assist the victim blamers. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/85 "2014-12-02T12:45:26Z")
Not one of the five were shot. Just sayin. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/86 "2014-12-02T12:55:13Z")
**Ace** - the part you’re just simply not getting is that many of the people who are protesting events in Ferguson are not simply concerned about Brown’s death or the many violent events that happened since then. To many people, those are but a couple incidents in a much larger problem of how African Americans fit into American society, how white people view blacks in general, and the state of racism (whether intentional and vicious or unplanned and pernicious). These are, without question, the exact same issues that the civil rights movement has been about for decades. The issue here is that when you see five NFL players with their hands up, you see celebrities implicitly defending looting and rioting. You are totally and completely missing the players’ message, which is really more in line with a protest about how African Americans are regarded by the power structure in the U.S. No matter what one believes about Officer Wilson’s actions, you should be watching this protest and thinking about what the state of race is in America. I think you should read Chris Rock’s recent interview where he is asked about how much the U.S. Has advanced in civil rights. He has a very insightful answer: basically, having a black president today doesn’t mean that black people have come a long way since 1964. It means that white people have come a long way since then. You should chew on that for a bit. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/87 "2014-12-02T14:02:03Z")
I’ll look for Rock’s interview. There’s quite a bit for me to think about. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/88 "2014-12-02T14:46:58Z")
[Here’s a link to the relevant quote with a link to the full interview at the bottom.](http://hannahhart.com/post/104143824586/gohoneycocolove-chris-rock-just-said-the-most) ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/89 "2014-12-02T16:57:30Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Of course. But Dr. King and his followers kept it peaceful. That was the genius of his plan. His organization obtained the proper permits to march. They kept it peaceful and lawful. The police had no choice except to protect the marches. Sure, the local and state cops just had a funny view of how to ‘protect’ the marchers. > **[Selma to Montgomery marches](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selma_to_Montgomery_marches#mediaviewer/File:Bloody_Sunday-Alabama_police_attack.jpeg)** > > SCLC members > DCVL members > SNCC members [http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/march-7-1965-civil-rights-marchers-attacked-in-selma/?\_r=0](http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/march-7-1965-civil-rights-marchers-attacked-in-selma/?_r=0) ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/90 "2014-12-02T19:03:24Z")
Dr. King and his followers did indeed practice peaceful protest, often in the face of extreme violence by their opponents. There was also a much smaller group of activists (look up Stokely Carmichael, Black Panther Party for starters) who advocated and at times practiced violence, rioting and looting. The people who wanted to protect and defend the racist status quo simply loved to conflate the two and accuse anyone who was opposed to segregation of being a violent revolutionary. In that sense, at least, nothing seems to have changed. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/91 "2014-12-02T19:07:16Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > - Use influence to stop senseless racist murders by the police and you prevent riots which burn many stores.\* I can think of three things wrong with your description of the incident. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/92 "2014-12-02T23:56:53Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I see their point…[URL=“[St. Louis police officers upset over Rams players’ ‘hands up, don’t shoot’ gesture before game, demand apology – New York Daily News](http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/st-louis-police-upset-rams-players-protest-article-1.2028567)”] **Ram Players disrespect St Louis Police.** But does anyone know: Are the Police going to be O.K.? Are they O.K.? After such a malicious, viscious Disrespecting? I hope they are O.K. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/93 "2014-12-03T00:28:45Z")
The original statement may not have been put out by the St. Louis police, but they are definitely drawn into it now. I wonder if they at all appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/94 "2014-12-03T00:32:28Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > **Ram Players disrespect St Louis Police.** > > But does anyone know: Are the Police going to be O.K.? Are they O.K.? After such a malicious, viscious Disrespecting? I hope they are O.K. They’re looking at PTSD down the road. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/95 "2014-12-03T12:46:34Z")
I can’t speak for the players, but it seems to me they’re thinking “there but for the grace of God it could have been me.” They may be well off now, but they know there are plenty of places they couldn’t have walked in ten years ago without drawing plenty of suspicion. They know what it’s like to be assumed to be up to no good. So they showed some solidarity with the countless young black men and boys who every day live in fear of the police harassing them or even murdering them. We’ve got to get over this notion that we have to continually verbally fellate anyone in uniform, be they military or be they police. This notion that you can never express yourself in any manner that could be twisted into being disrespectful to police is creepily reminiscent of Nazi Germany. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/96 "2014-12-03T12:54:07Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > We’ve got to get over this notion that we have to continually verbally fellate anyone in uniform, be they military or be they police. This notion that you can never express yourself in any manner that could be twisted into being disrespectful to police is creepily reminiscent of Nazi Germany. How about we just agree not to try to beat policemen up, then? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/97 "2014-12-03T13:11:36Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > How about we just agree not to try to beat policemen up, then? They’re armed and should be considered dangerous. Of course. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/98 "2014-12-03T13:19:41Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > How about we just agree not to try to beat policemen up, then? It would help a lot more if cops weren’t so trigger-happy. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/99 "2014-12-03T20:37:02Z")
Re-posting from the IMHO thread: > [@"Hands up, Don't shoot!"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hands-up-dont-shoot/706048/97): > > An organization of black St. Louis police officers is [commending](http://deadspin.com/black-st-louis-cops-organization-commends-rams-players-1666228580) the Rams players who protested with the “hands up, don’t shoot” stance. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011/100 "2014-12-03T21:14:42Z")
**The Daily Show** played [this Richard Pryor clip](http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/7xkjzn/moment-of-zen---richard-pryor-s-detroit-run) Monday night as their “moment of zen.” Nothing’s changed in 37 years. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ram-players-disrespect-st-louis-police/706011.md?page=6)