24 | September | 2017 | HEY, IT'S PAT RYAN'S BLOG!

It should be exquisitely clear to all of us by now that our president will never understand. He thinks he was elected king of America, and that we owe him fealty. We do not. We owe respect to the office and to the person who holds it, when that person’s actions show he or she is deserving of that respect (just ask any of the Obama haters!), but we are allowed to disagree with the opinions and positions held or expressed by that person without fear of government retribution. In fact, as free people we have a duty and responsibility to stand up for our rights, and for what’s right.

Most people understand that the athletes who have knelt or otherwise protested during the national anthem at their games have NOT been protesting the national anthem; they have chosen a high-visibility opportunity to express their opinion on other issues, and done so with the understanding that they could suffer adverse opinion of some of their fellow citizens, which many have. But that’s the deal: the First Amendment gives each of us the right to speak our minds, and to react and respond to the opinions of others as we choose. The government doesn’t have to like what we say, but it cannot take action to stop us from speaking our piece.

Most people understand this…not all.

So, from this…fertilizer…spread by the president this weekend–

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911654184918880260

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911655987857281024

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911718138747727872

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911911385176723457

…arose these blooms, among many:

https://twitter.com/koopa_kinte/status/911715150507454464

https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/911743595799044097

https://twitter.com/JaneMLB/status/911811852274778113

https://twitter.com/TheRealDratch/status/911577578040897537

https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/911637710242062339