So apparently gymnast Gabby Douglas is un-American now according to some?

[davidn3600]

People on social media are angry she didnt have her hand over her heart.

What is the obsession in this country about this kind of thing?

Gabby Douglas may have won her third gold medal yesterday, but the celebratory moment was marred with controversy and social media outrage by critics calling the Olympic all-around gold medalist “unpatriotic.”

After winning Olympic gold, the Final Five all placed their hands on their hearts while the nation’s “Star-Spangled Banner” played throughout the stadium. All except Douglas, who stood hunched over with her hands draped in front of her. The televised move garnered many negative reactions on social media with critics calling Gabby “un-American,” “unpatriotic” and “disrespectful.”

“Gabby Douglas refused to place her hand over her heart during the medal ceremony. Straight disrespect!” read one tweet following the ceremony. “This is classless and disrespectful and still would be if she was white. Show some class Gabby,” read another. One commenter even asked for Gabby to be kicked out of the Olympics all together, tweeting, “How dare Gabby Douglas not put her hand on her heart for the American National Anthem!!!! #KickGabbyOutOfOlympics

https://www.yahoo.com/news/gabby-douglas-explains-why-she-164532726.html

[Sophiegirl]

1. Next

The rabble will complain that Giles looked bored.

How dare she not be smiling in total gratitude and adoration during the hoisting of our flag!!!

For crying out loud, people!!

[mjjoe]

2. Awful, unnecessary criticism

The jingoists can't even let her have that moment to enjoy what she and her teammates accomplished. Pathetic.

It's customary to put hand over heart, but it isn't required. There's no law. The fact that people attacked her for something so small says way more about those dunderheads than it does about Douglas.

[Ace Rothstein]

3. The shit petty people gripe over is so ridiculous.

Especially in a situation like this where one is very emotional after such a major accomplishment.

[MohRokTah]

4. Did any of these assholes stop to consider she was so overcome emotionally,...

that she simply forgot???????

[ProfessorGAC]

33. And, She's Smiiing

She isn't protesting or making a statement. She's watching the flag being raised intently with a smile on her face.

The outrage is beyond stupid.

[Uponthegears]

5. It's a good bet

that if someone puts "even if she was white" in their tweet that it's only because she is black.

[Nevernose]

8. I don't mean to sound racist, but

Is usually a clue that someone is about to say something very racist. Just like "I don't want to offend you, but..."

[Uponthegears]

9. Yes ^^^

[Igel]

37. On the other hand, the opposite's also true.

If she were the only one not to put her hand over her heart and was called out for it, the only thing we'd hear is that they're calling her out only because she's black.

What's left is saying that you can't criticize her for pretty much anything because, well, her race makes her special and puts her under a special kind of grace. (That pretty much is the definition of racism.)

Catch-22s create often resentment because they're unfair.

But it's what social distrust and ill will produces on a fairly consistent basis.

[MiniMe]

6. Gabby said that she was always taught to stand at attention during the National Anthem

A reasonable answer.

[oswaldactedalone]

11. As we were as kids

Stand at attention for the anthem, hand over the heart for the Pledge of Allegiance.

[Mister Ed]

14. Yep. That's what I and my classmates were taught as well. n/t

[KT2000]

19. Yes! I was taught that too.

Servicemen and women saluted and that was all. Did things change?

[Igel]

39. A while back.

Now you salute the raising of the flag, the lowering of the flag, and the national anthem. That's been the case for probably longer than those on the stand in that picture have been alive.

Hand over heart is the civilian salute.

If you're in uniform (and only if you're in uniform) you have a military style salute; if not in uniform, civilian salute.

[Glamrock]

13. As was I

When the national freak out about Obama not having his hand on his heart went down, I thought: Wtf are these people talking about? You're supposed to stand at attention! Hand on heart during pledge! Morans!"

[whatthehey]

31. Not that I give a crap either way, but she isn't doing that either.

[obamanut2012]

36. Yes she is

[PersonNumber503602]

43. That's how I react to the national anthem..

It's how everyone I knew did it too.

[sarae]

7. What an absurdly pointless thing to point out.

Why would anyone care about such a non-issue?!

[KMOD]

22. + 1

and trash thread.

[Aristus]

10. She just won a gold medal for our country.

The haters can either get up off their lazy white asses and do something useful with their pathetic empty lives, or shut the front door...

[Igel]

40. I can't say anything about her,

but a number of athletes contending have basically said the "country" bit is just cover for what they do for themselves.

They don't do it for their country; they do it for themselves, but expect the country to be grateful for it.

"Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country can do for you."

[Aristus]

41. Well, she deserves a lot more approbation than some shlub whose only effort

on behalf of his country is flying a dirty, tattered American flag from the bed of his rusted-out old Ford F-150.

The brain-dead uber-patriots make me sick...

[spooky3]

12. There is nothing wrong with what she did.

It's a perfectly respectful stance.

What is the matter with people?

[GoCubsGo]

15. It's par for the course with those assholes.

A couple of days ago, I was reading an article on how unfortunate it was for her to miss out on the all-around, because they only allow two people per country. Several people commented on how she was "the weak link" on the team. Never mind that she came in 3rd OVERALL--in front of everyone else, and including 2 of her teammates, who apparently are a stronger link, even thought they came in behind her. The one who is only on the team because she's good on the uneven bars...not the weak link. Nope. Nuh uh. SMH. I'd bet my house that a lot of it was racially-motivated, too. Of course, they also fat-shamed a Mexican gymnast and an Ethiopian male swimmer...

Soical media sucks.

[lonestarnot]

16. She doesn't have on a little flaggy pin either. Have to be banished now.

[onecaliberal]

17. Really? She was standing at attention, NOTHING WHATSOEVER wrong with that.

[MFM008]

18. she is probably

just not thinking.
Ive done it to.

[Glamrock]

20. Gabby Douglas founded ISIS !

[LenaBaby61]

29. Gabby Douglas founded ISIS !

[Photographer]

21. That face has nothing more to say than OMFG, I did it.

[TransitJohn]

23. What is the obsession?

It's called jingoism.

[winstars]

24. Its because she is Black. Thats it. Nothing else. The color of her skin. Nothing more.

Michelle Obama's bare arms... OMG!!!

They constantly invent new rules.

Has our President ever been able to take a vacation without essentially being called "shiftless and lazy"????

Right wing scum are, in fact, scum...

[Warren DeMontague]

25. I did a detailed statistical analysis of whether or not I care that she didn't do this

the results are conclusive, it would be mathematically impossible for me to give less of a shit.

[Beartracks]

26. Typical outrage based on conservative ignorance.

Hand over the heart is for the Pledge of Allegiance. Not for the National Anthem.

And if I recall, military personnel salute when the American flag is being raised, but not civilians. And even then, I'm not sure that the "hoisting" of the American flag at an Olympic awards ceremony is the same thing as "raising the flag."

Conservative poutrage over this incident is just another shining example of how conservatives criticize from a position of ignorance.

============================

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

27. As they do pretty much everything, really--

from a position of ignorance.

[True Dough]

28. When Trump becomes president poor Gabby will be relegated to the Hunger Games

to pay for her "unpatriotic behavior!"

[LenaBaby61]

30. So apparently gymnast Gabby Douglas is un-American now according to some?

[Ilsa]

32. These outraged uber-Americans need to put down their

tweeting devices or handhelds and go get their asses to a VA hospital or VFW or recruitment center and get their asses in the fight or busy with volunteering instead of tearing down a great American like Gabby.

[muntrv]

34. But Michael Phelps laughing is OK, right?

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=michael+phelps+laughing&qpvt=michael+phelps+laughing+&FORM=VDRE

[obamanut2012]

38. Succeeding While A SWM

[obamanut2012]

35. Succeeding While Black

[LWolf]

42. If only

they would save their outrage for things that actually matter.

I'd love to turn all that determined energy towards demands for economic and social justice, for example.