Posted on 09/28/2017 8:04:27 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Joel Ward will not be the first player in NHL history to take a knee during the national anthem, the Sharks forward announced on Thursday.
But his announcement came with a heartfelt message for equality and bridging the gap between communities:
"Over the last several days, I have been asked if I would consider kneeeling during the playing of the U.S. national anthem. It's something I have spent a lot of time thinking about.
"As a black man, I have experienced racism both inside and outside of the sporting world. I have been pulled over by law enforcement for no reason. I have been looked at suspiciously because of the color of my skin. "I hold an immense amount of respect for the many players -- across the sporting world -- that have chosen to peacefully bring attention to a couple of big issues in today's society, which are inequlaity and the use of excessive force against people of color in the United States of America. Make no mistake that racism exists and that people of color are treated differently on a day-to-day basis. "I also feel that the original message that was trying to be communicated has been lost. The focus has shifted to the act of the kneeling itself or to a protest of the flag or the military. What are we really talking about here?
"I feel extremely lucky to be able to play this great game of hockey, but even within our own game, we can treat each other better than we currently do at all levels of the sport. There is still progress to be made.
"And that's where I want everyone to re-focus their attention -- on moving progress forward. We need to be working on bridging the gap between people of all oclor, and between law enforcement and minorities. How can we be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem -- or be another distraction from what the real issues are?
"Although I fully support those who before me have taken the lead in bringing awareness to these issues, I will not kneel during the national anthem like my brothers have done.
"But now that I have the world's attention, let's meet at the kitchen table, the locker room or in the stands and continue the healing process. Let our collective focus be on bridging the gap between communities -- on working to heal generations of unequal treatment of people of color in the United States of America -- and not turning our backs on that which is hard to face head on.
"I will continue to work within my community to help improve the lives of others, and I intend to partner with groups dedicated to bridging racial inequality and fostering a better relationship between law enforcement and people of all color.
"If we spend more time talking about these real issues instead of the actions that are taking place in an attempt to raise awareness about them, we will be a much richer and stronger society.
-- Joel Randal Ward
"I believe in the goodness of a free society. And I believe that the society can remain good only as long as we are willing to fight for it, and to fight against whatever imperfections may exist." -- Jackie Robinson
Scurrilous Commentary by Fred Reed
"It is curious that blacks, the least educated thirteen percent of the population, the least productive,
most criminal, and most dependent on governmental charity, should dominate national politics."
"Yet they do.
Virtually everything revolves around what blacks want, demand, do, or can't do.
Their power seems without limit.
Courses of instruction in the schools, academic rigor, codes of dress, rules regarding unceasing obscenity, all must be set
to suit them, as must be examinations for promotion in fire departments, the military, and police forces.
Blacks must be admitted to universities for which they are not remotely qualified,
where departments of Black Studies must be established to please them.
Corporate work forces, federal departments, and elite high-schools must be judged not on whether they perform their functions
Do laws requiring identification to vote threaten to end multiple voting?
The laws must go.
Do blacks not like Confederate flags?
Adieu, flags.
Does Huckleberry Finn go down the Mississippi with the Nigger Jim, or Conrad write The Nigger of the Narcissus?
These must be banned or expurgated to please blacks who haven’t read them or, usually, heard of them.
Do we want to prevent people coming from regions infested with Ebola from entering the United States?
We cannot. - It would offend blacks.
We must never, ever say or do anything that might upset them, as virtually everything does.
It is positively astonishing.
One expects the rich and smart to have disproportionate power. But America is dominated from the slums."
READ MORE HERE:
https://fredoneverything.org/black-power/
In this case, I think others were bringing it to him. He spoke up to lay any rumors to rest, and did so by standing up for both the country and for himself.
I’m okay with his approach, although I disagree that others who kneel during the anthem are taking an acceptable action.
I have been pulled over by law enforcement for no reason.
Oh it's for a reason. Why don't you talk to the 'black community' about that?
As a 55 year old white woman, I can honestly say I’ve never been ugly to a person of color. Never. But I have had plenty of incidences where black people have been ugly to me, starting all the way back in middle school where we had a large black population, all the way up to present day. I was verbally assaulted by a checker in a store which luckily, was all caught on video since he tried to blame me. I’m thinking these people screaming racism are blaming all their problems in life on white people because they don’t want to take responsibility for their own actions. Their problems just HAVE to be someone else’s fault and that person has to pay for it...one way or the other.
So you’re a Upper also, eh?
Note to Joel: Blah, blah, blah. We don’t give a rat’s ass what you think. Never even heard of you.
And if you think, “...racism exists and that people of color are treated differently on a day-to-day basis”, you only have your Kenyan President to thank. It was his goal, and he succeeded.
Now, practice saying, “Do you want fries with that?”
Yeah - but too many see it where it isn't because they are "more sensitive to the micro-aggressions/racism of the White privileged racists".....
The guy seems to be trying to do the right thing but I have never heard of him which means his real audience is tiny compared to the growing problem that sees racism/police brutality everywhere but turns a blind eye to the personal dynamics/choices that are really the root of the problem. Johnson's "Great Society" was the biggest and most damaging scam ever played on minorities and it destroyed their family structure while encouraging them to be shiftless/irresponsible/and now violent with dreams of impunity.
Wait- he’s Canadian?
So he can take a knee for the Queen?
“How can we be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem”.........
Well Joel, first, keep the protests out of hockey, it doesn’t belong there or in any sports.
Second, go back to the black communities and address some very basic things such as family and values. Often, it’s black attitudes and actions that cause non-blacks to suspect and worse expect, some kind of illegal activity or violence will come from blacks. I could continue with the list but you might start there.
By the way, I am of Canadian decent, my mother and grandparents were French Canadians but have long since left this world. Speaking of the U.S. and Canadian anthems, I too can sing them in both English and French.
This will ALWAYS be an issue with the left. Because there will always be inequality. Regardless of the state of race relations, they will always be able to point to SOMETHING as being “unfair”.
On any given day, you can find one article complaining that blacks are being kept out of white neighborhoods and another one complaining that white people are moving into black neighborhoods (gentrification). Most don’t even know what they want. They just want to complain.
Race is a convenient excuse to blame every failure on. (The same way that some people, instead of accomplishing something, blame everything on their parents.) The ones who complain the loudest are ironically often the ones who have had the most advantages.
There will never be perfect race relations (or gender or religion or any other thing that can divide us into groups). Just like there will never be perfect parents. Quit yer bitchin’ and stop making excuses.
I am 100% Italian. I have blue eyes and blondish hair, at least what is left of the latter. That said, you won’t believe how many people think Italians are limited to what they see in movies. And yes people would even say “You can’t be Italian...” In the distant past, I would shut up those who questioned by saying “And what does an American look like to you?” Usually they took the hint.
First and foremost I agree with everything in your post. As an NHL fan, I’m also going to give Ward some credit here. This topic was forced upon by him by the liberal San Jose media who are trying to convince him and Wayne Simmonds (Flyers) to take a knee on opening night. Kudos to him for not caving and offering some constructive action rather than the same old whining.
Thanks for making that point. It drives me crazy how context free these complaints of being pulled over ‘for no reason’ are. If the police are told to be on the lookout for a black male driving a red sedan and you are a black male driving a red sedan, there IS a reason you’re being pulled over.
I’m blonde and blue too :-) must have been those Vikings or Norseman who invaded Sicily. My father was dark from Naples. I think it’s usually the other way around. Great answer on America by the way
Don’t drain the spaghetti right away. Interesting. I might have to hang my head in shame on this one. Will talk to mother and get back to you. There has to be a lot of flavor in that water I bet.
My ancestry is from the Naples region, too. :-)
Yup. Thats what they told me up there. The big mistake is that most drain it in a screen and wash it and then serve it up. The way to serve it is use the tongs and take it out of the pot and let it drip off and right on the plate.
But, I always make WAY to much and have to drain it and set it in the fridge after I pig (and I am a pig when it comes to spaghetts) out on it. I always mix the left over sauce with it and all that.
So I am as guilty as you.
Because he does not know the truth or he does not want to know the truth about the real problems.
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