Ex-Green Beret Nate Boyer writes open letter to Trump, Kaepernick, NFL and America

[Abel1st]

Thank you



Ex-Green Beret Nate Boyer writes open letter to Trump, Kaepernick, NFL and America


Oct 13, 2017

Nate Boyer

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dear Every Single American,

Every. Single. American. Including President Trump, Colin Kaepernick, and my brothers in arms overseas who are wondering, "what in the hell is going on back there?" I'm sitting in the same chair, in the same apartment that I sat in almost a year ago when I wrote an open letter to Colin Kaepernick. I was hurt when I saw him sitting on the bench during the national anthem, but I'm much more hurt now. Not by him, not by where we're at now with the protests, but by us.

Simply put, it seems like we just hate each other; and that is far more painful to me than any protest, or demonstration, or rally, or tweet. We're told to pick a side, there's a line drawn in the sand "are you with us or against us?" It's just not who we are, or at least who we're supposed to be; we're supposed to be better than that, we're Americans. This doesn't even seem to be about right or wrong, but more about right or left.

Today it feels like this national divide isn't even really about the anthem, or the flag, or kneeling, or sitting, or fists in the air. It's not about President Donald Trump, it's not about Colin Kaepernick, it's not about the military, or even police brutality. It feels like it's about winning. That's what makes America so great, our sheer competitiveness. We're winners, and we won't quit until victory is ours.

We see it in sports everyday, we "live and die" by the outcomes of our teams. That desire to win at all cost is costing us greatly now among our neighbors. This winning mentality seems to have spilled over into an obsession with being right and not willing to admit that maybe, just maybe we were wrong. We repeat mantras to ourselves like, "no matter what I will never ever surrender."

Earlier this week I sat down with a group of five Combat Arms and Special Operations Veterans. The round table discussed our individual feelings on the flag, the anthem, and the players who knelt when it was played. We all had very different takes, but what surprised me most at the end of the discussion was that we all agreed on one thing. Colin Kaepernick and President Trump should be the ones uniting our country together. Wait...what? I know it sounds crazy, but maybe that's exactly what we need to see. Maybe that's how we start to heal. Two men sit in a room and talk, simple as that.

That's how it all started with Colin and I, neither of us knew that kneeling would be the result of our conversation. Colin wanted to sit, I wanted him to stand, and so we found a common ground on a knee alongside his teammates. I believe that progress and real change happens in this world when you reach across the divide, you build a bridge, you swallow your pride, you open your mind, you embrace what you don't understand, and ultimately you surrender.

Now I don't pretend to speak for everyone who fought overseas, many veterans rightfully disagree with my position. But I do feel that I echo the sentiments of most war fighters when I say that what we hope for more than anything right now in America is unity. To deploy overseas, train, live with, fight alongside, and ultimately defend foreigners that you have little in common with is truly a challenging task. But returning home to a country that is so divided, so judgmental, and so hateful of one another is almost as difficult to deal with as burying a fallen comrade. In fact we're still losing our brothers in arms overseas right now and it's hardly mentioned it in the media; but that's OK, we don't risk our lives and sacrifice so much for fanfare or recognition. It's not at all why we do what we do. We do what we do because you are worth it, because we love you.

I would love for those two leaders to have that conversation, but more than anything I just want us to love one another again. One great thing about freedom is that you get to choose everyday how you treat your neighbor. This IS the best country in the world, but we can always do better. I'm laying it all out there because I have to, I swore to defend this land and its people, and I will die trying. I know some people will hate this (we love to hate things these days), and I'll get called a disgrace to the Green Beret once again. But I don't care, the United States means more to me than any of that.

Over the past year I've come across veterans from various walks of life. We may actually be the most diverse sub-culture in the America. Since I myself am a Green Beret, I want to share with you a couple of messages that were sent to me from men in my former unit. One of them is white, and one of them is black:

"Hey brother. At first I was with you on the Kaepernick issue. However, I just stood in formation while one of our brothers was pulled off a plane with our nation's flag draped over the coffin. I had to fight back tears as I saw the pain in the eyes of Staff Sergeant T's wife and family. While I would like to sit here and tell you that I rose above it all, I have to be honest. My heart filled with rage. Rage for anyone who takes for granted the ideals and symbols that we fight and die for."

"Hey Brother, this is J. I spent nearly 18 years in 10th Special Forces Group and wish I had an opportunity to meet a brother like yourself. I just want to say I appreciate your views on this national anthem and flag issue. I love our country, but at the same time I have to take the time to tell my sons to act a certain way out of fear for their lives when dealing with police officers. Most of my neighbors and friends here in MD are law enforcement personnel and will tell you they also have to act a certain way to avoid confrontation and situations that normally don't occur for those that are not of color. Not all officers are bad, the majority I believe are good and poor training is attributed to some of these issues we hear of. I really just want to thank you for your taking the time out to understand and convincing him to take a knee and not sit out on what we have fought for. God Bless You Bro!"

Different backgrounds, different experiences, different colors, but at the end of the day they just want the same basic things for their families.

So please, no more lines in the sand, not at home, not among our people. No more choosing sides, no more "for or against." I believe our Veterans will be called upon to lead the way in healing the world and solving its problems; right now our country needs that more than I can remember. So I'll be here, standing in the radical middle, doing what I can to continue fighting for those that can't fight for themselves. Let's get this thing fixed together, you and me. I love you all with all my heart.

De Oppresso Liber

-- Nate Boyer


ESPN--Editor's note: More than a year after penning an open letter to Colin Kaepernick, former Army Green Beret and NFL player Nate Boyer writes another one, this time calling for unity across all sides of the United States. Here's his letter, as told to ESPN San Francisco 49ers reporter Nick Wagoner.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/2...states-america

[Old Dog New Trick]

That's nice but, I still think Kapersnick needs to be educated on just exactly what the facts are that he's misinformed about. Why his protest and now the NFLs decision to allow players to disrespect the Flag and Anthem rings hollow.

If the players want change maybe they should give up their lucrative career in sports and sports television and take their highly educated lives and join the community police force they misunderstand so much about.

Pat Tillman felt passionate about something and did something about it. That should be an excellent example of what to do. Even in his death he taught the nation how to honor and remember him without glorifying his sacrifice.

Social change doesn't happen because you protest about it, it happens because you take an active role in changing it.

[WarriorDiplomat]

Nate makes some good points but misses the depth of the issue....he lacks some experience....that shows in this open letter....basically it was a "can't we all just get along" and refuses to assign blame where it belongs.....CK is a useful idiot for the liberal left they love that through BLM that they could NFL players to magnify their claims....CK and his protest is the worst thing that can happen to blacks....I can say that otherwise black lives matter would be called African American lives matter. Why isn't he working to hold thugs in the NFL accountable? Where is his call to be good stewards and models of good behavior and honor as successful black men who made it they are rich and famous.....his response is typical white Americans who went to college....it is disheartening to read a GB afraid to stand up and speak truth because he doesn't want to use his position to stand against this divisive idiocy with the knowledge to understand what's really going on. Stay in the middle and declare everyone else as the fault instead of spoiled rich athletes.....they feel disenfranchised BECAUSE of NOI, BLM, NAACP etc....constantly driving that wedge but saying it is because of them blacks are succeeding??.....NAACP?...a creation post slavery to keep blacks subjugated and promotes segregation .....they. have co opted white players for their message. Having a fellow GB stand for nothing by not standing against destructive and divisive enemies domestic at home.....I hear soldiers today who stand right in the middle what I find are these peacemakers lack the intellectual horsepower to sift through media crap and understand the politicizing of race, religion and ideology for the benefit of a few..

[tonyz]

Talking is important and can be useful particularly if one remembers the definition of the folks you are talking with on the globalist/progressive/socialist/commie side of the equation.

They are masters of incremental subversion.

You offer a finger they want (and take) an arm.

subversive

adjective
1.
Also, subversionary [suh b-vur-zhuh-ner-ee, -shuh-] (Show IPA). tending or intending to subvert or overthrow, destroy, or undermine an established or existing system, especially a legally constituted government or a set of beliefs.

[Trapper John]

Social change doesn't happen because you protest about it, it happens because you take an active role in changing it.

ODNT, as you do so often, you presented the bottom-line!

[Mustang Man]

I hear soldiers today who stand right in the middle what I find are these peacemakers lack the intellectual horsepower to sift through media crap and understand the politicizing of race, religion and ideology for the benefit of a few...

You're spot on with what you heard, at least from my experience a couple years back. It's a generational thing, today people think the "smart" way of thinking is through a centrist mindset... It's an an annoying cop out where they typically think, "Aha look at all of you simple minded people with convictions, behold my pseudo intellectual wisdom of not agreeing with anything because I'm much smarter and above it all!" This is how many college students like to think.

Many veterans have now turned into the very kind of SJW they dislike. Blindly appealing to authority is a leftist attitude and logical fallacy veterans are now adopting to further their own voice. As a gay, as a black, as a transgender, as a VETERAN, as a SOLDIER, and so on and so on. In most cases concerning politics/social statements, I won't care about your status/identity, either what you're saying makes sense or I disagree plain and simple.

[Trapper John]

https://www.facebook.com/robert.surg...4458888057032/

IMHO, this video accurately portrays the meaning behind the National Anthem. No protest of any kind, at any time, by anyone during the playing of the National Anthem is appropriate.

For those of you that don't have a facebook account, the following URL can be used:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EhJZ-PT3R8

Nuff said!

[tonyz]

Originally Posted by Mustang Man

I won't care about your status/identity, either what you're saying makes sense or I disagree plain and simple.

Amen.

Identity politics is savaging the nation.

Our enemies stoke those flames of division...creating doubt, and envy and rot...until the nation is no longer a nation.

“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.

~Marcus Tullius Cicero

[cbtengr]

How do you talk and reason with someone that thinks your all wrong because you do not agree with them?

[Box]

Very eloquent.

I read the passage several times - very eloquent prose.
...just not the flavor of kool-aid that I like.

[abc_123]

I agree with unity. All these rich football players should stop "protesting" (acting out to get attention ??) during the anthem. If they do not, the league should suspend them.\

Agreeing that what they are doing is ok? Nope.

[bblhead672]

Unity is great. Unity is impossible if one side refuses to hear or accept anything but what they believe is the truth.

Six weeks into the 2016 NFL schedule and I haven't watched a game. It gets easier every week to find other activities to occupy my time.

[Golf1echo]

I have a lot of respect for Nate and others like him, they are the men and women in the arena and live that.

While I understand young people have not fully developed their thinking process and have a limited exposure to experience in general, what is hard to comprehend is the arrogant perspective coupled with blatant ignorance that we see at times. I see multiple reasons for that in current society, single working parents, changes in our education system, lack of opportunity in some cases, etc... Where is the respect, the thirst for ascension into bigger more productive levels in our society?

Demonstrators Front: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlrl1uvMzRQ


It is not all but where is the capacity for reason in so many?

[ddoering]

Nate should have explained to Colon that no one would hear his message if the delivery system was a big "Fuck You" to all of them. Perhaps a little Psyops/CA would have been better in crafting the message and the delivery mechanism.

[PSM]

Originally Posted by ddoering

Perhaps a little Psyops/CA would have been better in crafting the message and the delivery mechanism.

Or maybe told him to stop listening to his mooseandsquirrelium girlfriend.

Pat