Athletes are Right Using their Platform in an Attempt to Affect Change
PHILADELPHIA – The four-year anniversary of Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the National Anthem came and went on Wednesday.
Has anything gotten better as far as social injustice issues are concerned?
Has anything improved in terms of race relations, police brutality, or systemic racism in the country?
The answers are no and hell no.
Things have gotten worse.
George Floyd murdered on the streets of Minneapolis.
Breanna Taylor shot dead by Louisville police while she slept innocently in her apartment.
Jacob Blake shot seven times in the back.
The sports world has shut down again because if it all. Ironic, that it’s not the pandemic that did it this time, but social injustice.
Some aren’t happy that they haven’t been able to watch sport on television for the past 48 hours.
How terribly sad and short-sighted that is.
Some don’t think the stance will yield any positive results.
Maybe it won’t. It doesn’t mean you stop trying, and maybe someday something will happen to affect change. Maybe it’s a series of things, one after another, that does it.
At any time, any human being feels something is wrong, or they’re upset with something, or they might not like it, you’ll take a stand,” said Eagles safety Jalen Mills. “People are saying it may not do anything, but I think it’s shining the light on (the issues).”
Maybe this is this first step.
“It’s a question we’re all talking about constantly,” said quarterback Carson Wentz. “There are so many layers to the problem in our country, to the problems in our world. It’s more than what you see on the news, it’s more than what you see on TV.
"There are too many evil hearts, too many things ingrained in our culture going back 400 years to now that are just ingrained in people’s culture and mindset without a lot of people not even knowing it. It’s hard to put your finger on ok this is how you create change.”
What is wrong with athletes using the platform they have been given to do it?
Nothing, especially as Bengals quarterback said on Thursday, “How can you hear the pain Black people are going through and dismiss it as nothing? How can you hear the pain and respond with anything other than, ‘I stand with you?’”
Eagles safety Rodney McLeod is hoping now the NFL owners will step up and stand with the players.
“The challenge is now on these owners,” said McLeod. “We want them to speak out on a lot of these issues that exist for their players, just as much as we’re held accountable. Until then, we’ll continue to protest, continue to use our voice, and possibly use extreme measures.
“You’re witnessing that right now. That shows you the magnitude of the situation. People are fed up. And enough is enough.
“I think, in a sense, there has been a lot of good made. Do not misunderstand that. There have been a lot of positives. A lot of light has shined on these situations. We have moved the needle. I think it’s important to continue the messaging.”
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