Patriots and Players is my most controversial story, and my most involved. It was originally written and posted on SOL in 2017 as a stand-alone story. I was considering adding to the GR universe and this was the first story I wrote after concluding the original story. It was extremely controversial at the time and got me huge blowback from some (but not all, by any stretch!) readers. Others agreed with me. It got very political, very fast, and only the fact that my email address was hidden kept me from getting death threats directly.
Within the next year I wrote the rest of ASLE and decided to incorporate P&P into it as one of the stories. It fits the time frame and helps to build towards the conclusion. I then took P&P down as a stand-alone.
Despite the animosity at the time, I am not ashamed to have written it and will stand by it. Whether you are a fan of DJT or not, some of what he does is sheer madness – he comes up with an idea and then just blurts it out to the world on social media, whether he has thought it through or not. While I like some of what he’s done and hate some of what he’s done, he is pure chaos.
Like Grim, I believe the players have the right to their opinions. Like Grim, I am not at all sure this is the best way to protest. I think the best response I got, and one of the most intelligent was from a reader, pcant:
“I felt the need to express another viewpoint. I do feel that the kneeling is disrespectful, but like Grim, I would never dispute someone else’s right to protest. My issue is the politicizing of a nonpolitical event. I can't think of any other profession (outside of Hollywood, a lost cause IMHO) where you can hold a protest, in corporate uniform, on the company's dime, and not get fired. If there are no consequences to a protest, then it's a pretty meager protest. If the football players have nothing to lose by protesting, then it doesn't mean much. I support their right to protest. That doesn't mean I wouldn't fire each and every one, given the opportunity. Let them protest before or after the game, in civilian clothes.”
He's right. At the time, I worked for my wife’s family, and I was a part owner of the company. This type of behavior by our employees would not have been tolerated. If I dressed in a corporate uniform and used corporate communications and corporate television to protest something, anything, my ass would be in the front office in a heartbeat. The second time I did it, I would be on the unemployment line, family or not.