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Freedom of speech often hurts
Letter to the editor
lettereditor

Editor: I read Mr. Riddle and his column on Mr. Colin Kaepernick and his protest of racial injustice in the United States, which has spread to several NFL players to include raising fists and even a whole team locking arms in solidarity.

This is a free country, so if you want to raise your fist or kneel on the sidelines as a form of protest and free speech during the national anthem, I don’t like it, but it’s your right.

But realize there can be consequences, like the Denver Broncos’ Brandon Marshall losing his endorsement deal money for failure to stand for the national anthem. Mr. Kaepernick, your jersey is now on sale as a doormat and is being burned, all of which are forms of free speech. Right on.

Mr. Kaepernick, I, too, have encountered rude police, but a whole lot nicer ones, too, like, the white female Fort Stewart officer who helped me rescue the large snapping turtle close to the road near the Taylor’s Creek Golf Course parking lot and move it to the pond next to the 18th hole. Or the black Hinesville policeman who stopped traffic on Airport Road to allow me to get a snapping turtle across that road. Or the black, white, male and female Hinesville police who eventually stopped the rash of burglaries on Sharon, Elaine and Lesa streets, or the Hinesville police who open and lock up the Irene Thomas Park.

Personally I like to see the police in my neighborhood.

Meanwhile, as a shareholder of many S&P 500 companies, I, too, have freedom of speech to vote at the next shareholders meeting of these companies to drop any athletes and their teams for their failure to respect the flag, by voting to drop their endorsement deals, just Mike Riddle and others have the right to buy Mr. Keapernick’s football jersey, burn it, or put it to good use as a doormat.

Isn’t freedom of speech great.

Joseph B. Stuart

Hinesville

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