NEWSFLASH!! JOSH HOWARD IS NOT ALONE!

COME ON PEOPLE!!! A CELL PHONE VIDEO RECENTLY SURFACED ON YOUTUBE WITH DALLAS MAVERICKS STAR JOSH HOWARD JOKING ABOUT HOW HE DOESN'T "CELEBRATE" THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER, BECAUSE HE IS BLACK. THE MEDIA HAS BEEN HAVING A FIELD DAY WITH HIS COMMENTS ALL WEEK AND MANY ARE LOBBYING FOR HIM TO BE PUNISHED. SOME FANS EVEN SAY THAT THEY PLAN TO BOYCOTT MAVS GAMES IF HOWARD ISN'T TRADED.

FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS CLEAR THAT JOSH WAS "JOSHING" AND NOT SEEKING TO MAKE A SERIOUS POLITICAL STATEMENT. HIS DEMEANOR, POSTURE AND THE TOWEL DRAPED OVER HIS HEAD IS CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT HE WAS NOT TRYING TO MAKE A LEGITIMATE POINT OF DEBATE. SECOND OF ALL, IS IT NOT HYPOCRITICAL TO ATTACK A U.S. CITIZEN FOR VERBALIZING HIS PERSONAL OPINION, WHEN THE VERY CONSTITUTION THAT THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER SHOULD REPRESENT GARAUNTEES FREEDOM OF SPEECH? THIRD OF ALL, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF WHITE PEOPLE EVEN KNOW THAT A "BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM" EXISTS? SO YOU KNOW THAT THEY DON'T "CELEBRATE" IT. NEWSFLASH!!! JOSH HOWARD IS NOT THE ONLY BLACK PERSON IN AMERICA WHO DOES NOT "CELEBRATE" THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. WHAT DO YOU THINK PROMPTED BLACK LEADERS TO INSTITUTE AN OFFICIAL BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM IN THE FIRST PLACE? WOULD YOU VENTURE TO SAY THAT SOME DID NOT FEEL THAT WE NEEDED OUR OWN? AND IF SO, WHY? BLACK SOLDIERS DIED TO PROTECT AND DEFEND THIS COUNTRY, INDEED. BUT, DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE ARE FORCED TO "CELEBRATE" WHEN WE DON"T SEE A VIABLE REASON. IF A YOUNG BLACK MAN CANNOT EXPRESS HIS OPINION IN THIS COUNTRY WITHOUT BEING MALIGNED AND MARGINALIZED THEN MAYBE THOSE BLACK SOLDIERS DIED ON VAIN. FREE SPEECH IS FREE SPEECH. IS IT FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR ALL...OR IS IT FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR YALL?