Bears' Kyle Long Speaks Out After Violence In Hometown Charlottesville
Chicago Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long spoke out against the violence by white supremacists in his hometown of Charlottesville, he told reporters at training camp on Sunday.
After scores of white nationalists with torches marched, chanted racial slurs and attacked counter-protestors in Charlottesville on Friday night, the situation escalated and resulted in one person’s death and 19 others injured after a car plowed over another group of counter-protestors on Saturday.
Long grew up in Charlottesville after his father retired from the NFL. They moved from Los Angeles to Charlottesville when he was five years old. Dan Wiederer reports Long was in a somber mood when discussing the tragedy.
"Regardless of where it's happening, injustice in the world we live in at any place is an injustice to humanity and a threat to the freedoms we have," Long said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "It's a small percentage of people involved who are blatantly in the wrong. And we need to do our best as good folks to continue to outnumber (them) and express our opinions and act accordingly when given the opportunity to. … Prayers to the families who lost folks. I'm thinking of all the people there going through this right now."
"Like I said, don't let a few bad apples ruin what is really true about Charlottesville and that area," he added. "There are good folks there. I grew up with great people. I have buddies who are in the police department. I have a lot of family and friends out there, so it's rough.
His older brother, Chris, took to Twitter on Saturday morning to condemn the white nationalist march.
Many other athletes also shared their thoughts and prayers to those affected by the attacks.
