Rashard Mendenhall defends Bin Laden

[Porbeagle]

You said it right there. media coverage shapes people's opinion. Look at that headline. You call that news. does that sound like an objective media? Did the massive protests of obama make the front page there? No. You are probably not even aware that they happened. thank you . You made the argument for me.

I never claimed that media coverage doesn't shape people's opinions. Of course it does! But so does government information policy! And the latter is usually just as biased and affected by covert interests. Anyone who seriously doubts this should put his propeller beanie back on and continue playing in his parent's backyard!

Anyway, the argument is not about your conspiracy theories concerning the media but about your unsubstantiated claim that Bush was loved by people all over the world except for some crazy leftist minority. If you truly believe that, you really know nothing of what is going on outside of the US!

[BU54CB]

See? This is my problem. Why do you hope for nothing but the worst for him? That's like me saying, "I don't see how anyone could like the Seahawks, I wish nothing but the worst for Seahawks fans". It's completely ridiculous. So he has a different opinion. Big deal!

I agree, I don't wish anything bad upon Mendenhall or the Steelers, he has an opinion and he expressed it. He's the one that has to deal with the consequences of sharing his opinions publicly twitter.

[Leroy22001]

I the end it comes down to "An eye for an eye", wouldn't you say?

[rickysigai]

he is as dumb as they get but what can you expect from a steeler [ haha ] will send ray lewis down to straighten him out and crush that collar bone again

[duane1969]

he is as dumb as they get but what can you expect from a steeler [ haha ] will send ray lewis down to straighten him out and crush that collar bone again

Yeah, that's a great choice for a role model LOL

[OZTATAR]

You are wrong and misguided on so many fronts. Just because the media hates Bush doesnt mean everybody else does. I know all the cool kids hate Bush, but most rational people dont. You said it yourself. most people hate Bush for the lies he told about Iraq. The only problem is that he didnt lie. You will never admit or understand that and its an argument that people like you have won. its just like the 9-11 truther crap. Most people like me are just tired. The endless assault from the media just wears normal people down and they give up. We cant devote every moment of our lives combatting the lies and distortions. niether could Bush. Thats why he mostly ignored it and did his job. i guess he assumed people would wake up after dan rather went down. maybe people would realize what the media has become, but no. Everybody just went on like it never happened. You probably didnt know that Bush is loved by millions all over the world for what he did to fight aids. They love him in Africa. You wont find pictures of Bono or anyone in the Hollywood crowds hanging on those kids walls. You will find pictures of George Bush. He did more for the world than any other president and most of it you have never heard about....Now its trendy to invade other countries and take out dictators. Now its just fine to do everything bush did as long as the president is on thier side. Its just sad.

Are you joking? You talk bout people believing media propoganda, but you believe Bush's propoganda. Bush went to war in Iraq because he believed that Sadaam had Weapons of Mass destruction and was thus a threat to the US. The problem was, there were no weapons of mass destruction. Despite searching high and low they couldn't find them. Heck Scott Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector who is a declared Republican and Bush voter in 2000 has stated that Iraq had no WMD. You need to stop believing Republican party propoganda and start thinking for yourself.

It's not the "cool" kids who hate Bush, it's the smart ones. As I said, all of the conservatives I know in Australia and Europe hate Bush.

As for Africans loving Bush, as I have never been to Africa (have you?) I can't comment on this. That being said, I do know a number of recent immigrants from East and West Africa (people who have come to Australia in the last 5 years), as well as people who have worked in Southern Africa, and I have yet to hear any of them say a good word about George Bush.

As for it being trendy to invade countries to overthrow dictators, what are you talking about? Egypt? Tunisia? It was the people in those countries that overthrew their regimes, they were not invaded. Even in Libya there hasn't been an invasion, it is merely supporting the rebels in the country who want to overthrow the regime. Again, you need to get your facts straight instead of putting out Republican party propoganda.

As for the statement:

"He did more for the world than any other president and most of it you have never heard about...."

That may be true, but those things he did for the world were bad things.

Isn't it rather ironic that September 11 happened under Bush's watch (largely because he cut funding to the security organisations the were monitoring terrorist groups), and in 7 years he couldn't find Bin Laden. Yet within 3 years of being in power a democrat did find Bin Laden?

[OZTATAR]

Evelyn Hall, I think. How come you and I are always on the same page on everything?

I'll cheer for Mendenhall when he takes the field. I don't agree with him either, but I've had a few dealings with him, and he's a pretty classy guy.

I don't know, but I am glad of the fact.

[OZTATAR]

How is it different? Mendenhall doesn't have to announce that he's speaking on behalf of the Steelers and the NFL, as an employee of the Steelers and the NFL, he is associated with both whether he likes it or not. Being employed by a professional sport team and league is different than a private citizen, the rules are different. Despite the fact the players are locked out, he is still under contract and is still employed by the Steelers and the NFL.

I am not a public figure, Rashard Mendenhall is, therefore his words and actions are viewed differently. Nobody gives a sqat what I have to say, but I'm sure if I did something publicly that effected my company's image, I'd lose my job.

Mendenhall chose to make his private thoughts public, I can't help that. When one makes their private opinions public, those opinions are subject to public opinion and commentary, are they not? People have the freedom to speak as they wish, people also have the freedom to speak against those opinions, do they not? Nothing has happened to Mendenhall's career yet, but if something does, then isn't that his own fault?

When using your freedoms as an American citizen, the consequences of your actions should be taken into consideration before you decide to act. Just because I have the freedom of speech doesn't mean I can say whatever I like and expect no consequences.

How can someone have the freewdom to say what they want when they are then punished for saying what they want? Will there be consequences to what he said? Yes, but that should be limited to people say and think about him, people also have the right to do that. He should not have his contract termianted however because then you are punishing someone for exercising their right to freedom of speech. If this is the consequences of someone exercising their freedom of speech, then there isn't any real freedom of speech.

I'm sorry, how does one draw the distinction between someone being in the poublic eye and being a private citizen? Are you saying as he is someone who works in the public that he doesn't have any private life - that as a "public figure" he doesn't have the same rights as other American? What he said he said as an individual and not as a Steeler representative.

Under Australian law, if the NFL or the Steelers did terminate Mendenhall for making those comments, such action would likely be illegal. His comments would likely constitute a political opinion, and it is illegal to sack someone on the basis of their political opinions. If they did this they could be taken to court and have to compensate him as well as possibly pay a fine. And I agree with this 100%. Just because he is an NFL player that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve the same rights as anyone else.

I have a question for you. If say Brian Urlacher said it was right to invade Iraq because of the WMD, and Chicago cut him because of that, would you say he deserves those consequences?

Now you may say those are 2 different things, but the reality is they aren't different.

Firstly most people (at least educated people) know there weren't WMD in Iraq, while s minority believe there was. Same with 9/11 - most people believe Islamic fundamentalists caused it, while a minority believed the US government was behind it.

Secondly tens of thousands of innocent people died in Iraq because of the WMD lie. Just lie thousands died in 9/11 because of the Islamic fundamentalists.

Heck, you could argue if you want that the WMD lie was worse because it was used to justify the invasion and deaths, while the 9/11 truthers haven't used there beliefs to justify the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people.

Besides, the Steelers have locked him out and are therefore not paying him at present. While the NFL and the Steelers may believe they can still enforce their wills on the players while this is happening, from a labor law perspective this is very dubious, and open to challenge - they are in fact the ones breaking the contract by not paying him, so in affect it can be argued that the contract is no longer in force.

[OZTATAR]

I never claimed that media coverage doesn't shape people's opinions. Of course it does! But so does government information policy! And the latter is usually just as biased and affected by covert interests. Anyone who seriously doubts this should put his propeller beanie back on and continue playing in his parent's backyard!

Anyway, the argument is not about your conspiracy theories concerning the media but about your unsubstantiated claim that Bush was loved by people all over the world except for some crazy leftist minority. If you truly believe that, you really know nothing of what is going on outside of the US!

Couldn't more.

[pghin08]

How can someone have the freewdom to say what they want when they are then punished for saying what they want? Will there be consequences to what he said? Yes, but that should be limited to people say and think about him, people also have the right to do that. He should not have his contract termianted however because then you are punishing someone for exercising their right to freedom of speech. If this is the consequences of someone exercising their freedom of speech, then there isn't any real freedom of speech.

I'm sorry, how does one draw the distinction between someone being in the poublic eye and being a private citizen? Are you saying as he is someone who works in the public that he doesn't have any private life - that as a "public figure" he doesn't have the same rights as other American? What he said he said as an individual and not as a Steeler representative.

Under Australian law, if the NFL or the Steelers did terminate Mendenhall for making those comments, such action would likely be illegal. His comments would likely constitute a political opinion, and it is illegal to sack someone on the basis of their political opinions. If they did this they could be taken to court and have to compensate him as well as possibly pay a fine. And I agree with this 100%. Just because he is an NFL player that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve the same rights as anyone else.

I have a question for you. If say Brian Urlacher said it was right to invade Iraq because of the WMD, and Chicago cut him because of that, would you say he deserves those consequences?

Now you may say those are 2 different things, but the reality is they aren't different.

Firstly most people (at least educated people) know there weren't WMD in Iraq, while s minority believe there was. Same with 9/11 - most people believe Islamic fundamentalists caused it, while a minority believed the US government was behind it.

Secondly tens of thousands of innocent people died in Iraq because of the WMD lie. Just lie thousands died in 9/11 because of the Islamic fundamentalists.

Heck, you could argue if you want that the WMD lie was worse because it was used to justify the invasion and deaths, while the 9/11 truthers haven't used there beliefs to justify the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people.

Besides, the Steelers have locked him out and are therefore not paying him at present. While the NFL and the Steelers may believe they can still enforce their wills on the players while this is happening, from a labor law perspective this is very dubious, and open to challenge - they are in fact the ones breaking the contract by not paying him, so in affect it can be argued that the contract is no longer in force.

You are such a lawyer.