Related to a section of the classic book “Catch 22” by Joseph Heller
One of the more scathing passages from that classic relates to the headlines today. In chapter The Great Loyalty Oath Crusade, Captain Black has all the men in the combat squadron ‘dominated by the administrators appointed to serve them’ and ‘bullied, insulted, harassed and shoved about all day long’ even as they suit up and prepare to fly into anti-aircraft artillery.
“The important thing is to keep them pledging,” he explained to his cohorts. “It doesn’t matter whether they mean it or not. That’s why they make little kids pledge allegiance even before they know what ‘pledge’ and ‘allegiance’ means….”
From an important Supreme Court Decision
“Loyalty oaths, as well as other contemporary ‘security measures’ tend to stifle all forms of unorthodox and unpopular thinking or expression — the kind of thought and expression which has played such a vital and beneficial role in the history of this Nation. The result is a stultifying conformity which in the end may well turn out to be more destructive to our free society than foreign agents could ever hope to be.” –Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, Yates v. United States, 354 U.S. 298, 344, 77 S.Ct 1064, 1090, 1 L.Ed.2d 1356
Foreign (“International”) NFL Players
Are the non-US citizens NFL players now going to be required to pledge allegiance to the US national flag? A list of non-US NFL players is here https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/List_of_foreign_NFL_players.html
Similarly are US citizens playing sports outside of the US going to have to pledge allegiance to other countries, since the presedent has been set?
Kim Jong Un would be proud
Sadly, the President and some NFL owners are contributing to an activity which very possibly will be very destructive to a free society. The glorious leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, would be proud that they are following his lead.