General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFrom The Guardian: "Republicans want Black people to disappear.
Sports leagues can help stop them(.)"
By Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
from article:
I know from personal experience that protest has its costs. But by banding together we can stop those who would subvert democracy(.)
snip
Athletes, politicians and even corporate America have been speaking out about the recent Republican-led legislation in Georgia that seems to target Black citizens by making it harder for them to vote. But for all the sabre-rattling, finger-wagging and stern letter-writing, it was Major League Baseball who actually took direct action on 2 April by moving their All-Star Game from Georgia to Colorado, stating, Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box. Republican senators Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley and Mike Lee three of Donald Trumps most notorious sock puppets immediately tried to punish the leagues defense of democracy by proposing legislation to remove MLBs antitrust exemption. Didnt work. But their unspoken threat to all professional sports leagues who may wish to join the fray loomed large.
After years of bullying their athletes for their passive protests, most sports teams became woke following last summers massive Black Lives Matter marches of between 15 and 26 million people, the largest protests in US history. It was a glorious phoenix-like ascension of sports leagues to the heights of social morality. Today, we need that commitment more than ever, because if there were ever a case of Black lives not mattering, its the nearly 250 laws since the November election that have been passed around the country designed to marginalize Black voters. Its time for all sports leagues who are supposed to embody the American ideals of teamwork, fair play and level playing fields to join as one voice to represent their players, their fans and their Constitution in stopping this attempt to steal democracy.
much more text plus historic photo at link
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/apr/23/republicans-want-black-people-to-disappear-sports-leagues-can-help-stop-them
Now and in the future I'll be paying a LOT more attention to whatever Kareem has to
say or write.
blm
(113,052 posts)a solid writer.
abqtommy
(14,118 posts)malaise
(268,968 posts)He's a genuine leader who walked the walk
Ferrets are Cool
(21,106 posts)iluvtennis
(19,852 posts)mountain grammy
(26,620 posts)and was furious when Lew Alcindor became Kareem..it didn't affect his life at all, but that's racists for ya, they always something stupid to say.
Kareem always has something to say and, in my opinion, he's never been wrong.
lame54
(35,287 posts)Caliman73
(11,736 posts)Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes.
I loved when they were dragging him down the aisle and he had on his shorts and the high socks with Lakers colors. Classic!
In all seriousness though, Kareem has been outspoken his entire career and has been consistently on the side of the less powerful. He has been a good citizen of the world.
lame54
(35,287 posts)BobTheSubgenius
(11,563 posts)Good on Kareem! I'm not a fan of his sport, but he has always seemed like a class act.
Captain Zero
(6,805 posts)Roisin Ni Fiachra
(2,574 posts)literally make them disappear.
They are fascists, who will become as extreme as the psycho fascists in Nazi Germany under conditions that allow them to.
ananda
(28,858 posts)Racism is a very sinister thing.
uponit7771
(90,335 posts)QED
(2,747 posts)Mysteries about Sherlock & Mycroft Holmes
Beringia
(4,316 posts)MineralMan
(146,288 posts)who disappear, actually.
I am in awe of their ability to ignore reality.
SallyHemmings
(1,821 posts)The Republican party is an illness. Their soul purpose is to regulate others to the sideline unless they are summoned for their purpose.
Their frustration is that the others outnumber them. They know this and will continue to do everything to hold on to power.
Kareem has always been thoughtful.
AllaN01Bear
(18,191 posts)sold them like cattle , treated them like (swear). shot them for no (swear) reason at all. and we still treat all minorities like (swear) this . including women. if u are liberal, gay. college educated , one iota different and on the forefront of change . ( via my late mom) she was on mcarthys hit list for going to cusc berkley , attending the first sex ed class and attending the model united nations . hounded her untill she challenged an potential employer.
abqtommy
(14,118 posts)LudwigPastorius
(9,139 posts)abqtommy
(14,118 posts)LudwigPastorius
(9,139 posts)a Georgia voting law.
abqtommy
(14,118 posts)threat!