Cleveland’s police union will refuse to participate in the raising of the flag during the national anthem ceremony at the Browns home opener, to protest Browns players kneeling during the national anthem.
Here, via cleveland.com, is Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association President Steve Loomis, a man with just an incredibly small, petty idea of what America is and what its flag and anthem represent:
The players not standing for the national anthem is offensive because of the sacrifices that people make that allows these guys to enjoy the success that they have, Loomis said. While they’re benefiting from protection of the flag they are kneeling in disrespect of it, he said.
The Browns management and ownership condoned this disrespectful activity of their employees, Loomis said.
“It’s just ignorant for someone to do that,” he said. “It just defies logic to me. The fact that management was aware of what they planned on doing, that’s as offensive as it can get.”
Loomis considers it hypocritical for the Browns to employ players who protest during the anthem in the same calendar year in which the team honors first-responders:
“When management allows you to do those things, then that’s on them,” Loomis said. “It’s hypocritical of the Browns management and ownership to want to have an armed forces first-responder day, and have us involved in it when they allow their players to take a knee during the national anthem. That’s the very representation of what we stand for. That’s why we aren’t going to.”
So the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association will demonstrate their frustration by refusing to participate in the team’s national anthem ceremony during Cleveland’s home opener on September 10.