Lawmaker Wants Legislation For…When Football Fans Get Offended

As a football fan who is beyond annoyed by the disrespectful NFL kneelers, I have to say. I’m not on board with this.

According to that sourcelink, an Indiana state lawmaker wants to introduce legislation that would give Colts fans the opportunity to ask for a refund in the event that a Colts player kneels during the national anthem. Basically, if that happens and the fan feels offended, he or she can try to get their money back. The lawmaker, Milo Smith, is actively filing the legislation for this.

Rep. Milo Smith, R-Columbus, said his bill would allow fans who feel disrespected by the kneeling to ask for a refund during the first quarter.

“To me when they take a knee during the national anthem, it’s not respecting the national anthem or our country,” Smith said. “Our government isn’t perfect, but it’s still the best country in the world and I think we need to be respectful of it.”

I mean…I agree that it’s disrespectful, but I also believe in personal responsibility. When you purchase an NFL ticket, you know there’s a slight chance of that happening. You cannot control the behavior of the individuals on the field. If you really don’t want to risk it, don’t buy tickets in the first place. The end.

Jane Henegar, executive director of ACLU Indiana, said his proposal could be a constitutional violation.

“In effect by passing the law, government would be weighing in…and fining political speech by the Indianapolis Colts,” Henegar said. “It seems like the worst thing that could happen is government weighing in and trying to control in any direction the political speech of private actors.”

However, Smith said it doesn’t violate anyone’s free speech, because it’s not actually preventing players from kneeling.

It just rubs me the wrong way. I’m not feeling it. When in doubt, I always yield to “I don’t want government involved.”