Friday, August 28, 2020

Human Rights Are More Important Than Sports

That's the message coming from the approximately 250 NHL Players who requested and received a  postponement of games scheduled to be played Thursday, August 27th and Friday, August 28th, 2020 in response to the latest instance of police brutality toward a person of color. Toward a Black man.


Players of all colors and nationalities came together to shine a light on a major issue plaguing not just the U.S. but Canada as well.

We all know that boycotting or postponing sporting events of any stripe isn't going to rid the world of racism, but what it does do is start the conversations. What's so important that athletes willingly don't play the sport they love enough to have committed their lives to? Especially right now when two of those sports are in the middle of their playoffs...?

Jacob Blake's status as a Black man is the only important thing here, not his arrest record. Our country supposedly has laws and procedures for arresting people. Unless the officer's life is in the balance, he or she should do everything in his or her power to get the person of interest under arrest with as little harm/permanent damage done as possible and let the judicial system handle the rest. (I know there are issues there too, but that a whole nother can of worms. *sigh*)

I understand that there are nuances and layers to every arrest situation from both sides of the equation. I understand that there are multiple nuances and layers to the greater issue at hand. I also understand that there are no easy answers. But the conversations need to happen.

Have a great weekend.


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