Consequences to act

If the Democrat-Gazette has not yet had its fill of football player protest letters, here is one more.

The First Amendment states that Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of speech. There is no guarantee that there are not consequences to free speech. Football players are welcome, just like anyone else, to express themselves at their workplace, but they should expect consequences.

We would not expect profanities from the pulpit on Sunday mornings, nor our school teachers to curse our students. If I were to broadcast a political manifesto to all of my colleagues at my workplace, I might expect myself to be out on the street in a short time. Employers, in this case individual NFL teams, have a right to expect certain standards of behavior, which to this point many have declined to exercise.

In other contexts, players are restricted in their speech. Excessive end-zone celebrations and taunting the opponent result in penalties. We often hear that certain players are held out of games for violating team rules. I imagine talking rudely to the head coach might be one of those violations.

I look forward to a return to business as usual in the NFL. The players have ample opportunity to express themselves in other ways. I am also curious as to how many of the players have done anything beyond kneeling to address the problems they perceive. How many have donated time and money to communities where these problems exist?

ROBERT J. LAIRD

Magnolia