A few days ago, I wrote about the hypocrisy of conservatives. I stand by every word I meant, but I also forgot one of the biggest contradictions. A conservative will claim to love America. In fact, that is what they will claim is the difference between the two parties: one side (theirs) loves America so much because it’s so star-spangled awesome, and one side (not theirs) doesn’t and is aggressively seeking it’s destruction.
And a member of the GOP will feel that way until they find something about America they don’t like. Then all bets are off as they root for failure. There’s no better example of this than what happened in women’s soccer this weekend.
In case you need catching up:
On Sunday, the US women’s national soccer team (USWNT) was eliminated from World Cup play after a loss to Sweden. This is the kind of thing where most people who don’t follow the sport would wish the team well and offer congrats for representing their country. And that would have probably happened from all sides of the aisle, except this soccer team has Megan Rapinoe on it.
Rapinoe, a wing player who has been part of US national teams for twenty years, has come under the crosshair of conservative firebrands like noted asshole (and Turning Point USA founder) Charlie Kirk. Why? Well, some of it has to do with her outspoken support and philanthropy towards LGBTQ+ organizations. But most of it has to do with because she knelt for the national anthem.
For two games in September of 2016, Rapinoe chose to stand in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick by not standing (rather, kneeling) when the national anthem was played as a way of bringing attention to the vast racial disparity in how police treat African-Americans, and by that I mean exactly what you fucking think I mean. Well, that was enough for conservatives. A supporter of gay rights who knelt for the anthem? She might as well be fucking ISIS.
The fact that the USWNT lost (partly because Rapinoe missed a penalty kick) caused all kinds of fascist pundits running to their smart phones and laptops to jizz all over themselves. Here is the aforementioned Kirk on twitter:
And that brings us to right about now.
So, just a few quick thoughts and then I’ll leave you be:
First off, there will be those attacking Rapinoe and saying she is not a good player, using the penalty kick she missed as proof. Let me make one thing clear right now: Megan Rapinoe is better at soccer than you are at anything you have ever attempted in your life. I don’t care whether it’s making a frittata or loving your family. Whatever you are best at, Rapinoe is better at soccer.
Also, you know what no one ever brings up when we talk about disrespecting the national anthem? No one, ever, has heard the whole thing. We only play the first verse as if Francis Scott Key didn’t write three other verses to go with it. Could you imagine the chaos that would go down if a baseball stadium decided to do the whole thing? People would be sitting by the middle of the second verse. Hell, they wouldn’t get through the third verse without drunken idiots demanding just to start the game. Until you show me proof of you demanding all sporting events play all four verses of “The Star-Spangled Banner” every time, you don’t get to fucking talk to me about how we are or aren’t being disrespectful.
Finally, let’s take a moment to think about Megan Rapinoe. She’s not an idiot. She knew that there would be this backlash for her actions and that it would be easier for her to just be quiet. But she couldn’t. She chose to come under fire from assclowns and their fake patriotism who don’t know a single thing about honor and freedom and sacrifice. What Megan Rapinoe did was brave and what someone can only do in the land of the free.
It’s the kind of thing heroes do. And I wish her the best.
Fancy Boys Club 
You’re an idiot like rapinoe.
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Thanks for reading!
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