The Constitution is just a bunch of words also… but I would have to say that those words do mean something. Those words represent our ideals and are the law of the land.

Those may have been empty words to Josh Howard, but had someone refered to him as an “n-word” and then said “hey, the ‘n-word’ is only a word”, I think there might have been an uproar.

Words send soldiers to thier deaths. Words send convicts to jail. Words seeping into the Soviet Bloc countries sowed discontent and fomented revolution. Words are powerful and although they are intangible, they do not lack substance.

BTW, I noticed from your blog that you served in the Marines. Thank you for your service.

Why the personal insult? I never stated you are hiding behind the flag or even implied you are doing so. Did you read any of the emails sent to Howard as posted by Mark Cuban. They were vile trash. That is what I was referencing.

Your reply seems to imply that you beleive when Howard did not respect the Anthem he is mocking “the same people that serve everyday to give him the right to say what he wants. He mocks the country that gave him the opportunity to rake in tons of cash just by playing a game.”

The National Anthem is just words. Words, words, words… The symbol is not the substance.

Howard can say whatever he wishes. I still enjoy reading your blog.

In the national anthem it clearly states “the land of the free, home of the brave” so it stands to reason that he’s disrespecting not only the land, but the people that live there and especially the people that serve to protect the rights that he enjoys.

He mocks the same people that serve everyday to give him the right to say what he wants. He mocks the country that gave him the opportunity to rake in tons of cash just by playing a game. He mocks the men that never knew him but died a hundred plus years to make sure that his great great great gradfather could live life as a free man.

And when you try to use the argument that “[when] Josh Howard disrespected his country the person making the accusation really means they themselves are offended” it is really a pointless, high school level debate club tactic that fools no one. In order for there to be disrespect, there has to be a perception of offense. His intent may have been pure ignorance, but an ingenue using the f-bomb at a state dinner would be too… and it would still be offensive.

You throw around some lofty words at the end of your tirade in an attempt to support your claims by inferring that I hide behind a flag (why?) but the bottom line is that I hide from nothing and welcome criticism. And you are right, not everyone has served in combat like me but that is no reason to make the quantum leap into the non-sequiter by saying that for some reason my combat experience is being used as some kind of shield to protect me from the fact that Josh Howard is a disrespectful a piece of shit.

If you note, I also invoked Dr. Martin Luther king… am I also hiding behind a shield of social justice to insulate myself from criticism.

I think it’s time you went back to debate class and got a passing grade.

What is often made plain from further discussion is when someone levels a charge of Josh Howard disrespected his country the person making the accusation really means they themselves are offended by the comments of Josh Howard.

Country or Homeland or whatever is a cover. Not everyone served in combat such as yourself. Not everyone has the same concept of This Land as you, but Country is a conveinent cover for those who wish to innoculate themselves from criticism by hiding behind the flag.