This post is going to piss off some of you in the A-merry-ca "love it or leave it" crowd. It has to do with Josh Howard, a very fine, and to some, misguided player, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks. It seems Howard pissed off patriotic Americans from California to Maine, when he refused to recognize the national anthem at an Allen Iverson celebrity basketball game. And, of course, folks are up in arms. Most average A-merry-cans view this as damn near an act of treason, and they want Howard punished (Thank god he works for Mark Cuban). To compound things, Howard injected race and invoked the name of his O ness in his little You Tube moment, which made all the folks on the right even more pissed.
Well, not so fast. The last time I checked, this is A-merry-ca, and the reason we love this country so much, and are so patriotic, is because it allows young millionaires like *Josh Howard to say fuck you to the national anthem. Dwight Howard had every right to do what he did, as much as we have every right to stand at attention and cross our hearts when we hear it. (The anthem)This is A-merry-ca damn it, and no matter how much it offends us, if someone chooses to say screw patriotism, we have to live with it. Because that is exactly what makes this A-merry-ca; the fact that ordinary citizens---even young rich black ones---can choose to take a position on something that offends us, without fearing being thrown into jail, or having his or her right to make a living taken away. That is the kind of shit they do in countries that we overthrow, and invoke our will on. That is not the kind of shit we expect in a democracy.
Honestly, like Matt Watson who wrote the piece in the last link I provided said: I sure hope Howard does not backtrack and apologize for what he did. I hope he fesses up and says that he did exactly what he wanted to do. I am sick of faux patriotism and the hypocrisy of celebrities and high profile people.
So if you are a Mavericks fan, enjoy Howard's game, and hope he can get your team an NBA championship. If you are not, boo Howard like hell the next time he is introduced in a game, but boo him because he plays for the opposing team, not because he has views about his country that you find offensive.
*Thanks for the correction "ruffian96"
