Shortly after the Patriots’ stunning fourth-quarter Super Bowl win, there was a conversation about the Patriots and their politics. Patriots’ QB Tom Brady is friends with Donald Trump and Brady had the Make America Great Again hat and everything. Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick supported Trump, and many of Trump’s Nazi/Alt-right supporters were rooting for the Patriots because – and I sh-t you not – the Patriots were the “whitest” team. That being said, there are some African-Americans who play for the Patriots. And it seems like none of them want to visit the White House while President Trump is there. Last week, we learned that Devin McCourty and Martellus Bennett refuse to go. And now four more Patriots teammates are joining them.
Fresh off their win at the Super Bowl, six members of the New England Patriots have backed out of the traditional post-game meeting with President Donald Trump — a sharp new sign of deepening American divisions. Tight end Martellus Bennett was the first player to back out of the meeting at the White House, which is typically held for members of the team that won the Super Bowl. Bennett announced he wouldn’t be attending the meeting shortly after the Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
The next day, safety Devin McCourty joined Bennett, saying he would not attend the meeting because “I don’t feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won’t.”
Other team members soon followed: On Wednesday, linebacker Dont’a Hightower said he wouldn’t attend. Then, on Thursday, running back LeGarrette Blount, defensive tackle Alan Branch, and defensive end Chris Long all said they would not be attending the meeting with Trump. Five of the players planning to skip the meeting are black. The sixth, Long, who is white, announced he wouldn’t attend in response to an open letter in the New York Daily News criticizing a “pathetic sea of NFL white silence this year.”
In addition to the Daily News letter, fans have also been stepping up pressure for team members to boycott the White House meeting, and expressing support for those who won’t attend.
You can read that NYDN open letter here – it was directed at Chris Long, because Long was one of the few white NFL players who spoke out in support of Colin Kaepernick last year, when Colin decided he wasn’t going to stand for the National Anthem. After that letter was published, Long confirmed on Twitter that he would not visit the Baby Fists’ White House.
Now, does it matter in the grand scheme of things that some wealthy football players refuse to meet with the president for a photo-op? Of course not. But it does matter to specific people. It matters to the players refusing to go, because they’re standing up for themselves and for people without their wealth and privilege, people who will be hurt by Trump’s policies and his ignorance. It also matters to Trump, because he’s a thin-skinned starf–ker who loves to hang out with “winners.” Arguably, all Trump cares about are the optics, the photo-ops and the presidential trappings. And so it will matter to him BIGLY that a half-dozen Patriots (“winners”) don’t want to have anything to do with him.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
They may be standing up for others who don’t have a powerful platform. If they are, that’s awesome! Maybe i’m a pessimist with this, but I can’t help but think that certain players don’t want to deal with the repercussions of going to the white house. The political climate is toxic, and it’s more strategic if they can politely excuse themselves from attending. That way they don’t offend Trump supporters while also making the anti-Baby Fist people feel like they’re “on our side.”
I think it may be a combination of both personal politics and not wanting to offend people. Whatever the reason, I applaud the players who are making their own decisions about going. Certainly it (traditionally) an honor to be invited to the White House to meet with POTUS and something they would want to share with family and friends. However, they are individuals and, like it or not, role models. They have to live with their consciences and the consequences.
YOu are wrong here. The players who are not going are COURAGEOUS.
This is NOT about self-gain. This is about being inclusive, love not hate, supporting the country against this divisive ignoramus.
Yup, football players are notorious for being selfless and COURAGEOUS. It’s not like they have business opportunities they need to consider.
Why so cynical? One of the players is local to where I live. He went to the local University. Is it SO hard to believe that there are a FEW men with integrity.
THIS!
Unfortunately, the only one Babyfists cares about is Teeth, so I don’t think it is going to make a lot of difference in the end. Possibly a couple of racist tweets from him and about a million from all the other butt hurt white people who had no issue with Teeth skipping out on Obama (although in fairness, I’m not sure he’s even smart enough to think about trying to deliberately be disrespectful).
More than one white player is going to have to stand with his team mates for this to get more press, sadly.
I agree. If several white players bow out, it’d be a lot more effective in terms of pissing off Trump. They play in New England, so anyone playing for the Patriots next year would be cheered for boycotting, right?
It will matter. Drump is so thin skinned and petty that ANY slight gets to him. He is not normal, he will probably come up with a lie as to why these players are not attending, like “they went on vacation, but called me to say hi!” LOL.
In terms of press, it’s getting attention on many media outlets including CNN and the Washington post. Lots of op-eds too, just not as much in entertainment or gossip sites. Most of the players protesting have been supportive of the BLM movement and the underclass in the past.
And they are pretty great about explaining their decision (as opposed to Baby Fists the leader of the free world who can’t even articulate a good defense in court!): 1-minute interview from CNN. LOL for rightly calling out Drump as a Bilionaire reality star who works for corporate interests vs. Athletes who come from poor backgrounds.
https://apple.news/AYKfhf-JQRZuybKCdWnF_tA
Agreed he is so thin skinned the slight will bother him a lot. Also that Op-Ed was amazing. “A year of white silence” I mean that is exactly it. While the NBA has let their players wear protest shirts and coaches were openly supporting BLM for the last few years. The difference is stunning.
Also amazing was Nelly’s takedown of Skip Bayless (who is trash) about the outrage. He basically shut Skip down by asking where the outrage was for Brady. He had no comeback.
I absolutely agree.
Sorry-poorly phrased on my part.
It matters that they stand up and make their voices heard, and I’m glad they’re doing it. It does matter that those with wealth and stature speak out on behalf of the voiceless.
But I worry that it will be too easy for him to dismiss them because he’s mostly interested in doing a photo op with his Aryan prince.
@Kitten: And how do you feel about Brady’s white silence?
It MATTERS. There are rumors flying about that Trump is demanding Kraft cut the players from the team. Not going to happen.
I’m so proud of them for taking a stand.
@Kitten, I fear we may be losing Dont’A any way but not because of this. He can probably get a lot more money elsewhere but I do hope they convince him to stay.
I hope other players stand up for their teammates. I am so disappointed in Brady. He is all about his team and sh!t, but he doesn’t send his support. His wife is an immigrant (I don’t care how white she looks, she is Brazilian -South American) …
Wasn’t Elderman dating Adriana Lima? She is also Brazilian from a State where , at least, 50% of the population is black and very proud of their heritage influence (from food to clothes and music…)…
I am glad they have the courage of their convictions. Athletes have to be advertising shills for a lot of stuff, but I think it’s fair for them to draw the line here.
Good for them!! I hope at the end of the day, the only ones attending Mordor are Brady and Belichick. (I know that won’t be the case, but it’s fun to imagine).
yes, it is just going to be a token white guy, but every little bit helps. I suppose nobody will be surprised if the black players do not go, but respect, for expressing their opinion and risking problems with the owner and trainer. Suppose as long as they play well and bring home the Ws, nobody cares either way…..
But, it sets a sign for their fans and their communities.
Oh, there will be more players who will not go to the White House. I hope to God the whole team doesn’t go. He can keep “Aryan White God” Tom Brady and his Trump Shitters.
Unless the entire team boycotts, Trump won’t care. He’ll just dismiss those who don’t come as failing or overrated or losers or just SAD!
Good for them.
Trump won’t care that mostly black players aren’t coming. He will be happy if only Brady, the coach, and owner showed up. Things could get sticky for him with the other pro leagues since his policies and orders effect them more.
From RoguePOTUSStaff on Twitter:
Rogue POTUS Staff @RoguePOTUSStaff Feb 10
POTUS irritated that sev. members of Patriots team will not attend WH visit. Saying he will lobby owner to cut them from the team.
I was just going to search for that link; read it a couple of days ago.
Trump wants universal adoration so it does bother him.
Thanks @LightPurple for posting that 🙂
I think many people still don’t get how abnormally insecure and narcissistic Drump is. He cannot stand to be publicly rejected by ANYONE. He still claims that his low poll numbers are FAKE NEWS and brings his own cheering team to press conferences!
I hope he gives them his special handshake and they respond in kind.
It totally DOES matter. #Resist
Good on them.
🖒🖒
+1 Yes, and he does care. But, he’s just the type of whiny baby who stomps and says he doesn’t. He’ll probably start rescinding invitations once this spreads to the NBA too.
I never realized that Brady skipped out on meeting Obama… is he that much of a racist jackass? Another reason to hate him.
As for Chris Long, is he related to Howie Long? Just wondering because Howie works for Fox even if it is Fox Sports so I wonder if this stance is causing issues.
Twitler wants to be popular and every sportsperson who dismisses him kills him. The more Patriots who skip out, the better. Sessions is openly racist. Bannon is a white supremacist. No one with decency would be employing them unless they were racists as well. It makes complete sense that non white players don’t want to attend.
Yes, Chris Long is Howie Long’s son. I’m proud of him and the other players for taking this stance (and I loathe the Patriots).
Just FYI Nic – Brady skipped out on the WH trip because Obama made jokes about Deflategate that upset him. It did not have anything to do with political party.
Awwwww, widdle Bwady can take a hit on the field, but not in the press?
Poor, poor baby Bwady.
I am Canadian and I am struggling to understand all this. We might not like who is elected prime minister of our country but we have elections and we accept the results. The people have spoken so we hope the best for our country. We don’t boycott “silver spoons” just because our prime minister was born into a rich “silver spoons” family. We don’t riot. We don’t insult and call people insane and stupid and every other name who voted for our prime minister. And believe me I think our prime minister is ruining our country but I am too busy with the job of running my farm to be spending my time sulking about it. The thing that really annoys me is when people think rural people are basically imbeciles. I have an above average IQ but I chose this lifestyle.
Uhm .. since there’s a lot to unpack here, maybe just read up on what an autocracy is and start from there.
Dear Linda from Canada: You do realize this “president” isn’t normal? That he was endorsed by the KKK. That he has white supremacists in his admin. That minority children are being harassed, now more than ever? That he empowers racists? If you think it’s petty to protest this lunacy, then you are quite dumb. Seriously, if your IQ was anywhere approaching where you claim it to be, you never would have left that comment.
Freedom of speech is one of our most cherished freedoms. People are refusing to lie down and allow Trump to ruin our country.
Well,I understand why you feel that way. Maybe in the US, we have more of a feeling that we can change things, idk. Trump’s case is not just a normal silver spoon. He won the Presidency by appealing to racist segments of our population and is putting known racists in positions of power. So it’s not just your normal pres. And we have to show that this will not be allowed, this is not our US, IMO. I think if you knew more of the backgrounds of the people he has put in power, you will understand why we are protesting so much.
All good.
Canada has its authoritarian and racist population, but the proportion is maybe 15-20% lower than in the USA. Two of the candidates running to head Canada’s Conservative party this year are an openly xenophobic, anti-“elitist” doctor and a right-wing TV businessman-huckster who lives in Boston and wants to capitalize on Trump’s success. I would venture a guess that Linda is attracted to their messages.
Authoritarian personalities tend to take in information that supports their bias even moreso than more liberal-minded (lower-case l) people. In other words, their minds tend to be made up, and rigidly so. Just learning about the Trump team isn’t going to do much – they’d probably be admired.
Canada has managed its state-endorsed policy of multiculturalism well on the surface, and brought in educated immigrants of means who are less dependent on the government, but there remain plenty of born-here white Canadians who are bitterly resentful of both visible minority immigrants (whose kids are doing better in school than their own) and of refugees, who in the past have been supported and woven themselves into the fabric of Canadian life.
Trudeau’s Liberal party is a non-ideological party of patronage. It often speaks from the left and acts from the right, and it’s politically vulnerable from both the left and the right. At the least he’s set a more tolerant tone than did the preceding government. How they handle policy and legislation remains to be seen. I’m staggered at refugees attempting to cross the bitterly frozen border from the USA into Canada…they must be feeling it is better to be detained here than detained there. Doesn’t that say it all.
Wow Linda, on behalf of us Canadians who DO understand, please take several seats. To begin with: There are those of us who are happy that Liberals are in power, who don’t mind paying taxes in return for decent schools, (mostly) free healthcare, a “no guns” culture, acceptance of new immigrants and refugees, etc. I understand that no single politician can be universally liked and his policies valued, and generally I would agree that once an election is over people accept it and move on. BUT… this is no ordinary time.
Being busy with whatever you do is no excuse for standing by while democracy is corrupted. The fact that Trump was elected – and unless you have been hibernating since Nov, you should be aware that there are severe concerns about Russian interference in the election results – does not mean you sit quietly while civil rights are trampled, corruption reminiscent of a banana republic is installed and the world approaches a third world war. Because guess what – if that happens – there will be no one left to buy whatever you grow on your farm, and most likely no farm left to speak of. If you seriously lack understanding, there are numerous articles (NYT, WaPo) and videos which can redress the situation. Simply watching an hour of Trump speaking is enough for a rational, intelligent, decent. moral person to see why he shouldn’t manage a hot dog stand, never mind a country with nuclear capability.
Thank you, very eloquent.
My thanks too, vauvert.
Dear Linda from Canada.
If you don’t understand, then perhaps you shouldn’t say anything. And maybe open a newspaper because you must be avoiding all news to miss why there’s a problem.
I have a little time so I’ll unpack:
>I am Canadian and I am struggling to understand all this.
I am Canadian too, and I am not. Nor are most of the Canadians I know.
>We might not like who is elected prime minister of our country but we have elections and we accept the results.
Canadian elections have not yet been influenced by enemy hackers and influencers, though the 2006 election that brought Harper to power was influenced by a last-minute “fake-out” by the RCMP, in parallel with the last-minute “fake-out” by the FBI in 2016 in the USA.
>The people have spoken so we hope the best for our country.
Only a minority of people spoke. The Electoral College system ensured that former slave states spoke louder than others, and only by a very slim margin. Canadian elections go by popular vote only, although the “first past the post” system is LONG overdue for an overhaul. Trump lost the popular vote by 3 million.
In addition, Americans used to accept electoral defeat when the opposition candidate was sane and worked within the process. This defeat was not only tarnished electorally, but it brought an openly authoritarian bigot and serial sex offender and a business fraud and a vengeful, low-attention-span ignoramus into power. People are supposed to accept that?
> We don’t boycott “silver spoons” just because our prime minister was born into a rich “silver spoons” family.
We totally make fun of PM Selfie Disney Prince but as he does not have open conflicts of interest through retained ownership in a global family business empire there’s nothing to boycott. Ivanka Trump still did not, as of a week ago I think, file the papers separating herself from her made-in-overseas-sweatshops clothing line. Nor has Trump himself separated himself from his sprawling business interests. He is both landlord and tenant of his Washington hotel. He is rebranding his Florida golf resort as a “Winter White House.” His wife sued over loss of her “business opportunities” for branding herself as FLOTUS. It’s costing taxpayers $1 million a day to guard Trump Tower because she has remained in NYC.
The least Americans can do is boycott this nonsense.
>We don’t riot.
Oh really? Canadians riot over a damn HOCKEY game. Also, Americans voicing their opinions is not rioting. Americans demonstrating peacefully is not rioting. How dare you. This is what democracy sounds like.
>We don’t insult and call people insane and stupid and every other name who voted for our prime minister.
It’s true. We shouldn’t call Trump voters stupid. We should stick to calling them xenophobic bigots, because many of them were educated – but not educated enough to outgrow racism and misogyny.
Also, have you checked Canadian newspaper comment boards lately? Canadians call people horrible names, they just passive-aggressively hide it under the cloak of anonymity.
>And believe me I think our prime minister is ruining our country but I am too busy with the job of running my farm to be spending my time sulking about it. The thing that really annoys me is when people think rural people are basically imbeciles. I have an above average IQ but I chose this lifestyle.
Who said anything about rural people? Did you make this up? You do realise that Donald Trump was born and raised in New York City, don’t you?
I’m sure you think Trudeau is ruining Canada. And you’re entitled to be as resentful as you wish. But you have zero right to disparage Americans’ brave attempt to rescue their democracy in the face of overwhelming odds.
Thank you for this! Appreciate the support from Canadians.
I am not resentful. I accept the results and carry on. I just made a comment but I see many people don’t like what I said. And that is people’s rights. And it is my right to have a different opinion. And it is my right to shake my head at how you have judged me. Have to go and feed my cows now.
I think the Americans are pointing out that while you might shake your head and hold an opinion on how they are responding to their crisis, as a Canadian you are not in a position to *accept or not accept* the results. And yes, they are judging what you said, because it reflected an apparently willful ignorance of why they are doing what they do. It seems their hope is that you learn more about their situation and perhaps judge *them* less.
Linda, it’s not that you have a different opinion, it’s that you came off as clueless, proud of it, and egotistical: “I have an above average IQ but I chose this lifestyle. “
@Linda, you are not obligated to be on top of American politics – God knows I’m not on top of Canadian politics. But please educate yourself before publically scolding the Americans who are outraged and frightened by our current administration.
One last thing Linda, it’s clear you don’t ascribe to the motto: The surest way for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing. I believe that the majority of posters here live by this motto, as well as NEVER AGAIN.
Bless you. Honestly I’m a long time lurker here and have only recently begun to comment. As a POC I’ve seen so many of my usual sites get overrun by the bots, trolls and, well, racists. It’s energizing and very touching to find allies in people I didn’t know existed prior to this horror. But, as I said to friends and family at the beginning: there are positives. If Hillary won (which she actually did – thanks Russia and electoral college), we’d be ungrateful, as we are to many women. “MOOOoooMMMM fix this! Why haven’t you done this already! It’s your fault!” etc. In this situation many are standing together in places I never imagined. Utah, Montana, Spokane, WA. Thanks again.
Thanks, WATP, for the eloquent support!
Welcome Lilly! Yes, the jerks are coming out of the woodwork, aren’t they? While I’m not making assumptions about all people who voted for Trump or their intelligence or what motivated them, there is definitely a subset of bigoted, hateful, resentful, illogical and willfully ignorant idiots who will follow him right off a cliff. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that it’s my obligation to follow them.
Linda, I think I see where your problem lies. You don’t understand how democracy works. People elect a politician, then those who are unhappy with result express their opinion in every way legally available to them. They protest to name just one of those ways. If your idea of participation in the democratic process is to vote and then politely sit back, judging others for actually participating in more ways than one, you may want to consult Wikipedia how this really works. At least.
And littlemiss, I can assure you that Canadians start bitching about who they put in office almost immediately after an election. Trudeau actually had a longer honeymoon than most, probably because of the relief in dumping the Harper government, the change in tone, and the acceptance of Syrian refugees.
And once the knives come out, they stay out. Canadians are less worshipful of their governments and PMs than Americans are of Congress and the President, for various reasons. There’s little tolerance for pomp & circumstance.
Linda:
I’m sure a lot of ordinary law abiding Germans thought Hitler wa a joke and they should just carry on being good law abiding citizens- but sometimes the severity of the situation can only be understood in retrospect, and taking no action=support.
“We don’t boycott “silver spoons” just because our prime minister was born into a rich “silver spoons” family. We don’t riot. We don’t insult and call people insane and stupid and every other name who voted for our prime minister”
@Linda
I think the problem is you don’t understand why people are protesting (protesting not rioting). It’s not for any of the reasons you listed above. Your understanding of the situation is that people are protesting because Trump is a “silver spoon”. That has ZERO to do with this situation, in fact most of our presidents historically have been “silver spoons” and met with no protests.
People are protesting because we have an autocratic, uneducated man with no proven skills, but a long history of bankruptcies, racism, sexism, and corruption running our country and hiring White Supremacists, friends with either no knowledge of the departments they are being hired to work in or a history of actively working to destroy those same departments.
He also has investments in foreign countries that he protects using government policies and is trying to use his position to make money from us taxpayers. Unlike other Presidents he refuses to release his tax forms which our intelligence officers check to make sure our President’s investments do not open him up for Blackmail. This has an effect on our day to day life as well as the security of our country/relationship with other countries.
I’m guessing if Canada elected a prime minister with no skills and a history of corruption who decided he is going to raise taxes until you loose your farm or he uses his position to make money for his business while making policies that will lead to your farm becoming backrupt or decide to have the local police force to come to your farm and harass you every.single.day, you may have a thing or two to protest?
**rolls eyes**
Has your prime minister been endorsed by the KKK?
Dear Linda: I accept the results of the election. I have moved on. However, I am NOT accepting the actions of the man who now occupies the Office of the Presidency. See? There is a difference. If he started to behave himself like a normal, sane human being, rid himself of the bigots, unqualified, and incompetents around him, divested himself of his business interests properly, started to uphold the Constitution that he swore to uphold, and made an effort to do the actual job, I would have less of a reason to demand his immediate removal from the office.
Hey Linda,
Megan Also-From Canada Here.
Linda, I checked, but didn’t see any of your comments on this article:
http://www.celebitchy.com/523537/donald_trump_is_still_referring_to_sen_elizabeth_warren_as_pocahontas/
It seems like it’s not so much an “understanding” issue you have as a “selective reading” issue. If you take a look at the article (posted on this site the same morning as the article you DID comment on, so don’t even try with the “I’m busy feeding cows and can’t spend time on websites reading things” nonsense), it’s sort of a weekend round-up of just a few of the more incompetent, scary, threatening and generally awful things Trump has done literally just since Friday. You believe Trudeau is “ruining” our country… I’d be interested if you could find even one thing that comes close to this level of willful destructiveness? Claiming a high IQ while remaining dedicated to your willful ignorance of what is happening south of the border just illustrates the difference between “smart” and “informed”… although the fact that you are unwilling to listen to those who are telling you exactly WHY they are protesting this government leads me to think you aren’t actually as smart as you think you are either. Truly smart people aren’t afraid learning, IMO.
And, as a fellow Canadian, let me take a moment to express my discontent with Trudeau. I asked you to find one instance of him “ruining” our country, and I would actually bet real monies that you would come up with issues like his willingness to accept immigrants, his feminist ideals, or any number of social issues that you disagree with; anything anti-deplorable, if you will. Truly though, with the world going to hell in a handbasket the way it is, the thing that very well could ruin this country is his reversal on the electoral reform platform that he made a centerpiece of his campaign. And the reason that is so important, the reason Canadians actually ARE protesting (very different from rioting, btw, maybe go look up some facts the next time you want to exercise that IQ of yours) is because the thought of a voting system that could let residual pockets of ignorant bigotry in our country set the tone for our government is absolutely terrifying. Don’t believe me? Try reading about what’s happening in the USA right now… and not just articles about a couple of football players who won’t go to the White House. People like you terrify me for the future of our country; it won’t be Justin that ruins things, or the liberal or even the conservatives… it will be willfully ignorant and hopelessly bigoted individuals like yourself.
Peace out from Canada,
Megan
The only issue I take with Trudeau is the lack of repealing c51. He has 3 more years to get that together, and he absolutely has to.
originalkay: Trudeau didn’t or more accurately, wouldn’t specify the real reasons for breaking that pre-election promise. That also annoys me. He whitewashes everything like every other PM in history.
Linda is a troll…
Linda –
As a Canadian, I don’t understand what you fail to get. Being Canadian has nothing to do with it… as a human being understanding the ridiculousness (But in seriousness – the fear, the outright racism, the rights being taken from women DAILY, the hate mongering of minorities etc etc ) that is happening down in the States is plan and simple. And something THAT WE ALL should be SPEAKING OUT against.
Perhaps, heaven forbid, if Kevin O’Leary gains any kind of momentum in this country it’ll be easier for you “to get” when it’s on your doorstep or affects you directly. It shouldn’t have to get that far for you to “get it”.
In the meantime, while you are choosing to remain willfully ignorant, I will continue to use my self acknowledged privilege to protest (yes protest, not RIOT… that’s actually what Canadians do over Hockey!) in support of those being victimised and kept voiceless every chance I get. Becasue that is MY RIGHT in a DEMOCRACY.
Personally, I think “Linda from Canada” is just a troll and don’t care what “she” has to say.
Agree.
Linda? Or is that you, Ivanka? Unless you live under a rock, you can’t possibly not understand why Trump is so disliked. We’re all scared of his mean, stupid opinions and how carelessly dangerous his actions have been so far
I don’t know where you live, but in Alberta we burn effigies of all PMs (trudeau sr) that we don’t like. ???? What back-a**ed no media town do you live in?
“Ohhh, Canadaaaaaa”……..So nice to hear from my northern neighbors. Welcome to the fight!
@Linda – I am Canadian and I’ve never been more disgusted or fearful about what’s going on south of the border. Trump is a sociopathic, lying narcissist who will stop at nothing to enrich the rich and screw the poor. He is dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency. He is dismantling the public school system. He ‘s taking back hard-won women’s reproductive rights. He is authorizing airport security to stop and question Muslims – doesn’t matter if they have green cards or, in the case of an Olympic medal winner, was BORN in the U.S. He has created open season on all those who are not white and Christian.
People have long memories of fascist dictators of the past and how quickly genocidal wars can erupt into all-out slaughter and anarchy. Is this merely an issue of “sulking” about “silver spoons”? No, you trivialize a political leader who is capable of starting world war III and shattering the economy and health of not only America but the world.
Canadian here too, Linda. I’m struggling to understand your not understanding what the opposition is to Trump? We had our own opposition to Harper (remember him? refused to speak to the press and conducted all of his business in secret??) and now JT is in for his fair share. That’s democracy. You don’t just shrug your shoulders and say “oops, too late”. You make your voice known.
I’m Canadian too….
…. and I think this chick is out of f*cking touch. Read the news, kid.
Good for them! Every bit of resistance matters!
Umm, Tom Brady declined to go to the White House to meet Obama after last years Super Bowl win…he went to the Apple Store instead. So everyone can STFU about these guys not wanting to go meet a dictator whose holding our gov’t hostage.
Sorry, meant 2015
He also met with his lawyers to prepare for the Deflategate investigation that was unfolding at the time.
Good story – except he didn’t go because Obama had made jokes about Deflatgate which Tom was upset about. Nothing about political party.
It would make more of a statement if Brady, Edelman or Gronk said no since these are the only people Trump cares about getting a photo with.
Don’t ever let the horrors of the outside world encroach upon your cow-feeding and head-shaking, Linda.
Ha ha
“I’LL SEE YOU IN COURT”
“NO YOU WON’T, I’M TOO BUSY FEEDING MY LIVESTOCK”
“I HAVE LOTS OF WORDS, THE BEST WORDS…”
“MY IQ IS THE HIGHEST IQ OF ALL TIME, PERIOD!”
I feel like Linda and Trump should hang out sometime… I bet they’d get along so great The best. People will give them a standing ovation for their witty repartee.
Both are trolls, would have a lot in common.
I think this is so great for kids who are football fans and for parents who are trying hard to show their kids that thoughtful dissent can be patriotic. It is also good for teachers who are seeking teachable moments as evidence that a functioning democracy allows citizens to express themselves without being threatened or jailed.
This. One of my colleagues said this is one of the best civic lessons we could have, and she is right. Hope we don’t have to learn it the hard way.
I don’t know a thing about American football, but I just googled the Patriots and there are 68 players in the team, and at least 46 are not white. Are all the 68 invited to the WH? If so and only 6 are refusing to visit the aspiring dictator, there is a long way to go, no?
sure. but if you consider that they are going against the wishes of the team owner, team coach, some of their team mates and a lot of fans, plus have to risk being tainted with the typical “angry ignorant black men” label – i would say it is a brave decision and every single one of them counts!
Yes it’s too bad CB didn’t bother to insert the actual facts into that sentence that they are not the “whitest team” in the NFL.
Athletes and actors, even ones who may not be superstars, have the privilege of access in order to influence the public, in particular young people.
I see what these men are doing, and what others have been doing in the past few months, as furthering the call for personal responsibility in exercising democracy, in encouraging all of us to use the ways we are able to make the world more just for everyone.
For these men to decide not to celebrate, not to take part in an honour that they may have dreamt of because their conscious is telling them not to, takes guts. And to do so publicly and directly, especially given the ways DT attacks people who disagree with him, is impressive to me.
NFL players don’t have especially long careers, and don’t have guarantees that these actions won’t hurt them financially in the long run (endorsements, being seen as troublemakers by ownership). And they are doing this anyways. Wow.
Dear Linda:
I know that you are a useless troll; and probably NOT from Canada. Bye girl.
exactly. As much as I admire other posters trying to educate her, you cannot fix stupid. I am not going to explain to somebody how democracy works on the most basic level. Since when do you have to accept the results of an election.? There has always been opposition, be it from the other parties or be it from the citizens who use all their possible options, including protest and freedom of speech.
Atlanta (Trump won in Georgia) has more black players and 1 less white than the Patriots (in the state where every county Clinton won). Eagles have the most white. 67% of the NFL is black. Don’t keep using race as a reason to not want the Patriots to win. I HATE Trump. The team who played better won.
I applaud this white dude. Real change won’t happen until white people start to identify with civil rights issues and recognize that this isn’t about just about black people, it’s about all Americans. All Americans should be offended, and all should be protesting. Sadly, it’s only one white dude (along with the black players) who seems to get that.
agreed.
I’m sure Trump isn’t losing sleep over any of these people!!!