Pastor’s Anthem Enforcement Threat Goes Viral-But Is It Real?

by | Sep 16, 2016 | Benjamin Radford, Investigation, Media Literacy, News, Research, Skepticism | 0 comments

Earlier this week a story spread widely on social media about an Alabama pastor, Allen Joyner, who allegedly told a high school football game crowd he was announcing for that people who don’t stand for the national anthem should be killed.

In a Facebook post, a woman named Denise Crowley-Whitfield wrote “the announcer audibly spoke the words that millions of Americans are thinking. He said, ‘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 that a few shots at you since they’re taking shots for you.'”

According to Crowley-Whitfield, his statement was greeted with wild applause from the crowd at McKenzie High School, much to the horror of people who believe in the First Amendment and support NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s recent decision not to stand for the anthem. It was a ready-made viral outrage story highlighting religious bigotry and misplaced patriotism.

The pastor, however, claims he was misquoted… You can read the whole story HERE.

 

 

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