Trump v. Marshawn Lynch

President Donald Trump took to Twitter early Monday morning to criticize Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch for standing during the Mexican national anthem but sitting during the anthem for the United States prior to the Raiders’ loss to the New England Patriots at Estadio Azteca.

What might be the reasons Marshawn Lynch would stand during the Mexican national anthem but sit during the “Star Spangled Banner”?

Consider that as soon as Mexico became an independent country in 1824, it welcomed all slaves from the U.S. to come and live there as equals. On the other hand, when the “Star Spangled Banner” was written in 1812, with its stirring words about “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” over one million Africans were held as slaves in the United States.

As for Trump’s alleged love for the men and women in the military, he is a total hypocrite. 45 recently announced he will send 4,000 more troops to Afghanistan, the world’s poorest country. Many of those troops will return to America in body bags or missing an arm or a leg.

Lee Ballinger, CounterPunch’s music columnist, is co-editor of Rock and Rap Confidential author of the forthcoming book Love and War: My First Thirty Years of Writing, interviewed Honkala for CounterPunch. RRRC is now available for free by emailing Ballinger at: rockrap@aol.com.