title:  Alabama Pastor Says People Who Don’t Stand For National Anthem Should Be Executed
text: And his church supported him.An Alabama  Christian  pastor told a crowd at a McKenzie High School football game that if they don t stand for the national anthem they should be lined up and executed by our military.Pastor Allen Joyner of the Sweet Home Baptist Church made the announcement prior to the match, therefore abusing his position as the school s game announcer. If you don t want to stand for the national anthem, you can line up over there by the fence and let our military personnel take a few shots at you since they re taking shots for you,  Joyner declared on Friday as the crowd cheered.Denise Crowley-Whitfield, who attended the game and heard Joyner s remarks, posted about them on Facebook but quickly deleted the post.Here s a screenshot of the post via AL.com.Joyner s church posted on their Facebook page that they support their pastor s statement but they were also forced to delete the post and actually went as far as deleting their account because they know how big of a shit storm they ve walked into.Clearly, Joyner was referencing San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and others who support him for sitting during the anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality that has run rampant in this country despite the delusions of white conservatives who believe otherwise.Conservatives have blown a gasket ever since Kaepernick began his protest, calling for him and any athlete who joins him to be thrown out of the country or worse for exercising his constitutional rights to free speech and protest.Butler County Schools Superintendent Amy Bryan did not make the mistake of supporting Joyner s remarks and roundly condemned them before suggesting that the school board may address the remarks and deal with Joyner at the next meeting. Patriotism should be a part of school events but threats of shooting people who aren t patriotic, even in jest, have no place at a school,  she said.  Threats of violence are a violation of school policy and certainly not condoned by the school board. According to AL.com, the most prominent condemnation of Joyner came from Air Force veteran Mark Bender, who commented on Sweet Home Alabama Baptist s Facebook post before the entire account was deleted. We fight so that all Americans retain their rights and freedoms to protest. I would never turn a weapon on my own countryman simply because they protest by remaining seated during the national anthem, by refusing to recite the pledge of allegiance, refusing to stand or pledge during any act. These things we do, these pledges, these songs, these are not compulsory acts. They are acts that we are all free to join or not.I am proud that we have that freedom whether or not I agree with someone s non-violent protest. You, on the other hand are promoting extremist violence by way of state sanctioned executions. You are obviously standing for the compulsory actions by way of preaching hatred, jingoism, American exceptionalism   all because people do not believe or think as you do. I am grateful that the majority of Americans do not thirst for their brother s blood as you do. You are a disgrace, those who agree with you are a disgrace, and you are a black mark upon this great nation. You should certainly hang your heads in shame. What this alleged  man of God  is advocating for is exactly what fascism looks like. This is nationalism at its most extreme and Joyner should be fired by his church and removed from his announcing job by the school. He literally called for murdering people who exercise their rights and that diminishes any alleged moral authority his church could claim as well as creates a more dangerous atmosphere for people who support Kaepernick, especially considering all of the gun nuts out there who are just crazy enough to use Joyner s remarks as a call to action. And he ll have blood on his hands if they pull the trigger.Featured Image: Wikimedia