Womens Football World cup

[Lost]

Oh dear. Whoever put that poster together obviously has no idea about the USWNT. Ali Krieger and Alex Morgan, who are shown there, have also said they will not be going to the White House. Krieger had this to say about/to Donald Trump:

In regards to the 'President's' tweet today, I know women who you cannot control or grope anger you, but I stand by Megan Rapinoe & will sit this one out as well. I don't support this administration nor their fight against LGBTQ+ citizens, immigrants & our most vulnerable.

In fact, as far as the reports I've seen go, not a single member of the team has yet said they want to go to the White House and their coach Jill Ellis said she's not expecting an invitation.

Oh dear. Bit of a slip and fumble there GHWanderer.

Not wanting to go to the White House isn't, and has never been, the issue. Refusing to sing your own National Anthem, IS.

[caller]

I didn't watch any of the women's World Cup. I need a break from the game in the summer, which is getting harder and harder to do.

And I hate the politics spouted by US sports people who should keep their views to themselves, which seems impossible for them to do. I just don't want to hear it.

[GroveHillWanderer]

Oh dear. Bit of a slip and fumble there GHWanderer.

Not wanting to go to the White House isn't, and has never been, the issue. Refusing to sing your own National Anthem, IS.

I'm afraid you're wrong there. Not singing the national anthem has never been an issue in and of itself. It it was, people would have been excoriating the members of the men's national team who didn't sing the anthem in the past (there are various videos showing male players not singing).

The issue here is that Rapinoe (as she has stated) is using it to express her support for Colin Kaepernick's 'Take a knee' movement in the face of Donald Trump's criticism of him. She originally did this by taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem, but that was banned by US Soccer, so she switched to a different method of expressing her views. Freedom of expression is not a valid principle for you, apparently.

As Rapinoe has said, she is a “walking protest when it comes to the Trump administration.”

So while her way of expressing her opposition to and disdain for the current administration's stance on so many things is by not singing the national anthem, her team mates way of expressing the same thing is by not going to the White House. They're just two sides of the same coin.

[Lost]

I will retreat from this argument as, in fairness, you appear to have a more in depth understanding of the situation than I.

This said, I truly dislike the woman and her stance. Regardless of your political leanings, you should still proudly sing your own national anthem - especially when millions of impressionable youngsters are watching. To me...

...she's a disgrace!

[oakdale160]

I was amused/disgusted when a few years ago the English football team was accused of not singing the NA as opposed to the English Rugby team who do Wayne Rooney stated that he agreed and he was going to learn the words.

[handdrummer]

She can disrespect the President all she wants but she also disrespects the flag that represents the nation. If she doesn't like the US and what it stands for, then she shouldn't represent the country. Watch the video of the celebration at the end of the game and you'll seed the flag dragging on the ground. In 2 weeks she'll be forgotten by the majority of people who watched the game. Out of sight, out of mind.