Sometimes it’s the little
things that you can do. Cleveland.com reported on the President of the Cleveland
Police Patrolmen's Association Steve Loomis’s announcement that officers would not participate in opening
ceremonies with the Cleveland Browns:
Cleveland's police union will not be holding the American
flag for a pregame ceremony for the Brown's first game Sept. 10, Cleveland
Police Patrolmen's Association President Steve Loomis said late Friday.
Union members had planned on participating in the flag
ceremony for the first game on Sept. 10 until some Browns players kneeled during the National Anthem before a preseason game,
Loomis said in an interview with cleveland.com.
The players not standing for the national anthem is
offensive because of the sacrifices that people make that allows these guys to
enjoy the success that they have, Loomis said. While they're benefiting
from protection of the flag they are kneeling in disrespect of it, he
said.
Joining the Cleveland Police
Patrolmen's Association out of respect for our flag is “the union that
represents the city's dispatchers, EMTs and paramedics.”
Cleveland.com also reported on
Police Chief Calvin Williams’s response:
we as Cleveland
Police Officers strive to open the lines of communication with all of our
citizens--athletes and enthusiastic Browns fans alike. Who are we kidding?! We
are CLEVELAND!! And we stay strong together. We stand together.
Moving forward,
I can tell you that we within the Cleveland Division of Police are in
communication with the Cleveland Browns Organization as we have been in the
past. We want to hear from our players, the fans and our citizens of this great
city. We want to bridge the gap. We want to talk.
I look forward
to a continued partnership with our CLEVELAND athletes, our community and a
great BROWNS season!!!"
Loomis respects our flag and
National Anthem and takes a stand. As I see it, Cleveland Police Chief Williams is not taking that stand.
You can email both Steve Loomis
and Chief Williams to let them know what you think:
- Steve Loomis at <Steveloomis[insert the ‘at” symbol]aol.com>
- For Police Chief Calvin Williams, click here and choose “City Services” and “Division of Police” in the drop-downs.
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