[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15779]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    SUPPORT FOR NFL FOOTBALL PLAYERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Al Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise and stand in the well of 
the Congress of the United States of America. I am always honored that 
I have this opportunity, and I see it as a preeminent privilege to be 
able to stand in the well of the Congress of the United States of 
America.
  I love my country. I have said it many times right here at this 
podium. I salute the flag, Mr. Speaker. I say the Pledge of Allegiance. 
I sing the national anthem. I love my country.
  And because I love my country, I can stand here in the well of the 
House of the United States of America and announce that I support the 
NFL men, who are professional football players. I can say I support 
them because I believe in what the flag stands for: liberty and justice 
for all. I believe in this. And if there is to be liberty and justice 
for all, the cause that they are part of has to be called to the 
attention of the American public. I support the NFL players, Mr. 
Speaker.
  To those who say that ``they are so lucky, they are making millions, 
why don't they just play football, they ought to be happy,'' first, let 
me comment in this way: They are earning millions. Their bodies are 
being torn apart, in many cases. They are earning millions. They get 
concussions. They are earning millions. They suffer after they leave 
football. They are earning millions. And they are also earning pain as 
they play a game that amuses many.
  So those who say they are making plenty of money and they ought to 
just go away, I contend that they are not doing it for the money. They 
are doing it because they understand injustice anywhere is still a 
threat to justice everywhere, as Dr. King put it. They want to 
eliminate the injustice that they see, and, in so doing, they have 
decided to take a knee.
  I salute the flag. I support my country. I love my country. And I 
respect what they are doing in the form of peaceful protest to bring 
about change that ought to have been brought about decades or centuries 
ago; should have been, but has not been. Yes, we have come a long way, 
but we sure have a long way to go.
  Now, to those who say ``they have earned millions, why aren't they 
happy,'' well, it is not hush money.
  Is that what you are saying, that when they get paid, that is hush 
money that says that they don't have freedom of speech? Does that check 
negate their freedom of speech?
  I think not. Freedom of speech is something that you cherish, whether 
you live in a mansion or you live under a bridge. Freedom of speech 
belongs to you. It doesn't matter your station in life. It doesn't 
matter your ethnicity. It doesn't matter your religiosity. Freedom of 
speech belongs to you because you are a child of God and you live in 
the greatest country in the world.
  So I stand in support of the NFL players. I want them to continue. I 
want them to stand their ground. I want this movement to continue. And 
I want those who were thwarted to know that you are trying to thwart 
injustice. When you try to change the subject and make it about 
something that it is not, you are trying to thwart injustice. Even if 
you don't do it with intentionality, that is the reality.
  We cannot allow injustice to continue. And I thank God that there are 
those who are making millions, those who are having their bodies 
abused, who are willing to take a stand by taking a knee against 
injustice, and they still respect this country and its flag and this 
anthem.
  If there is one among them who has other thoughts, then I don't 
support that. I support those who have a righteous cause and who are 
respectful of the country, who can love the flag and still protest. I 
support that.
  I am an American. I was born in the United States of America. I am a 
patriotic American. I believe in this country. And if you believe in 
it, you ought to allow peaceful protest to continue, because John F. 
Kennedy was right when he was paraphrased by Dr. King:

       Those who make peaceful protest impossible will make other 
     forms of protest inevitable.

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