Last year, then San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided it was time to make his voice heard regarding police brutality on the African-American community. He did this, in part, by kneeling during the National Anthem prior to each and every game. This move was seen as incredibly divisive both inside and outside the NFL community, led the Super Bowl quarterback to become the most disliked player in the league, and is likely the main reason why he's still a free agent today. Oddly enough, in light of the racist and tragic Charlottesville march from a week ago, an increasing number of players have decided to follow Kaepernick's lead and protest during the pre-game National Anthem. All of the players who have actively protested have been black, well, perhaps until now, as veteran Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman, Chris Long, placed his arm around protesting teammate Malcolm Jenkins prior to their team's Thursday night game, and afterward made his thoughts known on the matter:
"I've heard a lot of people say you need white athletes to get involved in the anthem protests. I've said before I'll never kneel for an anthem, because the flag means something different for everybody in this country, but I support my peers. And if you don't see why you need allies for people that are fighting for equality right now, I don't think you'll ever see it. So my thing is, Malcolm is a leader, and I'm here to show support as a white athlete."
Going further, when asked on The Rich Eisen Show about those who feel athletes should stick to talking about sports, Long responded with this:
"Fans have demanded to see more of their athletes, right? That's where we are in 2017. You want to know more about your favorite players, you want to know about their personal life. We've got social media. We place a lot of pressure on players to be role models and that includes, sometimes, tackling tough issues that might be uncomfortable and starting uncomfortable discussions.
I'll never tell a fan on Twitter, unless I'm being sarcastic or just being a jerk, to stick to whatever they do for a living. We can all talk about the tough issues that are at hand in our country right now, and athletes certainly don't need to be in a box. I don't consider this a difficult thing to do. I don't think it deserves praise. Supporting your fellow American... it's a bare minimum. I'm here to do it and, mostly, the reception has been very positive so I don't want to act like I'm being taken through the ringer here. There are some people that say they don't want politics in sports, but I don't remember a time when fighting white supremacy was a political issue. But evidently it is for a couple people in this country and that is unfortunate."
It is a sad time when, in 2017 of all years, we feel the urgency to stand up to white supremacy, and while Mr. Long may be correct in saying he doesn't deserve praise for doing what's common sense and right, he's the first such NFL player to do this, it has to start somewhere, and whether he's too modest to admit it or not, his actions may have a large impact on his white brethren in the future. In fact, that impact may have already begun, as Seattle Seahawks center, Justin Britt, who happens to be white, placed his hand on protesting teammate Michael Bennett in an effort to show support to him prior to last night's game.
What Chris Long and Justin Britt did may seem like small gestures, but small gestures can go a long ways, so major kudos to both of them, Long in particular for starting the hopeful trend. For what is equality if all are not equal in the eyes of the law? What is equality if it's perfectly legal to treat one differently based on their age, gender, race, religion, or orientation? What is America without 100% follow-through of our bedrock, the United States Constitution? Who are we, as Americans, if we claim to believe in equality but to fail to fight for it for all? If one of our brothers or sisters isn't free, then who is to say freedom exists, that our country is free, or that we are as well? It's about damn time white Americans, such as Chris Long, Justin Britt, myself, and millions of others, stood up to the oppression many of our brothers and sisters face on a regular basis, and instead of simply taking our privileges for granted, fought for what is right - equality!
http://uproxx.com/sports/chris-long-nfl-national-anthem-malcolm-jenkins/
"I've heard a lot of people say you need white athletes to get involved in the anthem protests. I've said before I'll never kneel for an anthem, because the flag means something different for everybody in this country, but I support my peers. And if you don't see why you need allies for people that are fighting for equality right now, I don't think you'll ever see it. So my thing is, Malcolm is a leader, and I'm here to show support as a white athlete."
Going further, when asked on The Rich Eisen Show about those who feel athletes should stick to talking about sports, Long responded with this:
"Fans have demanded to see more of their athletes, right? That's where we are in 2017. You want to know more about your favorite players, you want to know about their personal life. We've got social media. We place a lot of pressure on players to be role models and that includes, sometimes, tackling tough issues that might be uncomfortable and starting uncomfortable discussions.
I'll never tell a fan on Twitter, unless I'm being sarcastic or just being a jerk, to stick to whatever they do for a living. We can all talk about the tough issues that are at hand in our country right now, and athletes certainly don't need to be in a box. I don't consider this a difficult thing to do. I don't think it deserves praise. Supporting your fellow American... it's a bare minimum. I'm here to do it and, mostly, the reception has been very positive so I don't want to act like I'm being taken through the ringer here. There are some people that say they don't want politics in sports, but I don't remember a time when fighting white supremacy was a political issue. But evidently it is for a couple people in this country and that is unfortunate."
It is a sad time when, in 2017 of all years, we feel the urgency to stand up to white supremacy, and while Mr. Long may be correct in saying he doesn't deserve praise for doing what's common sense and right, he's the first such NFL player to do this, it has to start somewhere, and whether he's too modest to admit it or not, his actions may have a large impact on his white brethren in the future. In fact, that impact may have already begun, as Seattle Seahawks center, Justin Britt, who happens to be white, placed his hand on protesting teammate Michael Bennett in an effort to show support to him prior to last night's game.
What Chris Long and Justin Britt did may seem like small gestures, but small gestures can go a long ways, so major kudos to both of them, Long in particular for starting the hopeful trend. For what is equality if all are not equal in the eyes of the law? What is equality if it's perfectly legal to treat one differently based on their age, gender, race, religion, or orientation? What is America without 100% follow-through of our bedrock, the United States Constitution? Who are we, as Americans, if we claim to believe in equality but to fail to fight for it for all? If one of our brothers or sisters isn't free, then who is to say freedom exists, that our country is free, or that we are as well? It's about damn time white Americans, such as Chris Long, Justin Britt, myself, and millions of others, stood up to the oppression many of our brothers and sisters face on a regular basis, and instead of simply taking our privileges for granted, fought for what is right - equality!
http://uproxx.com/sports/chris-long-nfl-national-anthem-malcolm-jenkins/
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