Last July, police cheered President Trump after he told them “please don’t be too nice,” when detaining people.
As if in response, police in St. Louis took Trump’s call to a higher level in September. They chanted “Whose streets? Our streets!” while arresting protesters after a judge acquitted officer Jason Stockley in the slaying of Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011. They also brutalized young protesters at the upscale Saint Louis Galleria shopping mall.
Police murders and injustice led Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers to take a knee during the national anthem in 2016. Professional and varsity athletes across the country followed suit.
Trump can’t stand that. In Alabama, he ranted about athletes like Kaepernick. Trump snarled that NFL owners should deal with socially conscious players like this: “Get that [s.o.b.] off the field right now! Out! He’s fired!”
Trump then disinvited Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors from the White House, for which LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers immediately told Trump off. And the next day, about 200 NFL players on both sides of the Atlantic took a knee, sat or raised their fists in answer to Trump.
Every time the racists and fascists try to submit this country to their sick vision, the majority of Americans answer them twice as loud. We have a morality, a decency and a positive vision for our future that Trump and his kind cannot defeat if we are united.
Only by dividing this country can the rulers destroy our health care, schools, social safety nets and our rights. Every struggle of ours is connected. Let us do like the NFL players and link arms together for a new America of abundance for all.