Today is September 25th, 2017. Today is a turning point for me as I have reached a point in my life that I feel defies part of who I am as an individual and as an American, so i guess you can say it’s a pretty important day for me. I have sat back and I have seen over and over again a re-run of what I wish was a television show or movie. Unfortunately, it is an unscripted reality.

This past weekend has been an interesting one to say the least. Our president not only managed to offend 1 prime American sport but 2! Before I dive into the situations, as Americans we look to sports to help us through troubling times. Where would we have been without the exciting 2001 World Series to help bring a distraction for the horrific events that took place just prior to it?

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt raising $40 million for hurricane victims over the last few weeks was great. It’s o.k. when there is a benefit to the general public but aren’t these teams filled with individuals with their own lives, beliefs, and feelings? The hypocrisy demonstrated recently is absolutely offensive.

First and foremost, the NBA. An invitation was revoked to Stephen Curry of the Championship Golden State Warriors (it still hurts me to call them that). To address the declined invitation on Twitter, a large social media platform, was very immature. My opinion is that our President’s pride was hurt so bad, he attempted to return that feeling on Twitter.

For those of us that expected this attitude and the childish antics on social media, we laughed. Hell, LeBron James used the same stage to respond saying you cannot revoke a declined invitation. He addressed it in media day as did others like Gregg Popovich and Carmelo Anthony. By the way, media day went pretty well and I feel this will be an exciting season. I think the Oklahoma City Thunder can get past Golden State if they can add a little bit of depth to the bench and with Dwyane Wade heading to Cleveland, I think they get ring #2.

Next, the NFL, also America’s fastest growing sport. I waited to write this because I was really curious of what was going to take place on Monday Night Football. Not long after the Stephen Curry topic came up, our president decided to jab those protesting America’s inequalities by trying to flip the script on the protests making them about the flag and national anthem in which it isn’t and proceeded to state the owners should “fire those sons of bitches” should they continue to protest.

Something needs to change. Over the short span of the last five years, we have witnessed sad events with uncanny injustices. We have been a country divided for a long time but it’s getting worse. To challenge one’s livelihood by “firing” them for utilizing their 1st amendment right, is not only unconstitutional but also unpatriotic in itself. I have a very strong military background, my grandfather was in WWII, my mother was one of the first women to work on Top Gun (not the movie), and my father was a U.S. Army Sargent. This topic has been discussed in-house for the past couple days. I understand and respect 100% any proud Veteran’s opinion on kneeling. I support, thank, and deeply appreciate those who serve this country daily and I ask this, if you fought for or support the freedom’s we have and those freedom’s aren’t used, what did you fight for?

Colin Kaepernick started kneeling for more than 1 reason. It seems we have forgotten why and have focused on him not having a job just for kneeling. Not one of those reasons to disrespect the flag in or of itself, the national anthem, nor any veteran that has served. His reasons include: #TamirRice  #PhilandoCastile #SandraBland #FreddyGray #AiyanaJones and there are plenty more.

These are individuals that have lost their lives with an unjustified outcome. Not one of those names, killed by white officers unlawfully and were African-American, came to justice. Every one of those officers were not convicted and were let off scott free. The racial inequalities in this country cannot go unnoticed nor can they be misdirected anymore. By mentioning the flag and anthem, our president created an unnecessary uproar of classic misdirection. Kneeling was the 1st thing done and it was during the National Anthem, we all know that. Was it perfect? No, it shows disrespect to veteran’s and family members of those veteran’s. Can it be done better? Did anyone catch the Monday night game? The Dallas Cowboys knelt BEFORE the anthem was sung and the flag presented and the Arizona Cardinals stood near the Veterans. Classy, much credit to those 2 teams. There were boos and some offended but as Scott Van Pelt, asked Monday night, “if it is before the anthem and flag, what do you have to be mad at?

The fact he is trying to turn individuals against each other for demonstrating is sickening. Instead of 8 tweets about kneeling and White House invites, he should be more concerned with disaster relief. Instead of condemning individuals for protesting, find out a resolution to why there are protests. There are individuals that have died wrongfully and apparently that isn’t a problem. His main concern is image, how he looks to his supporters. The irony of it is once he speaks or tweets, he looks even worse. Instead of being offended by the kneeling, Veterans and veteran supporters should band together with minorities. It would be hard to believe that any veteran would go and fight for a country where a minority would be shot and killed innocently and nothing happen to the aggressor while they walk the streets freely. Social media has allowed us to become more aware and see what has happened.

54 years ago we had the civil rights movement, there wasn’t a social media presence. The unfortunate side is over the last 54+ years, this is what African-Americans have been saying. What may be new to someone and horrifying to witness is a big “this is what we have been saying all along.” The misdirection attempt of disrespecting the flag, the poor attempt to address Charlottesville, the lack of effort to help Puerto Rico tells me one thing; our President has no compassion or drive to assist minorities as a whole.

This divide needs to end and it’s need to happen now. We are the laughing-stock of the world. If we allow him to continue how he has been, we will be up a creek without a paddle and left to say our coulda, shoulda, woulda’s. Let’s not wait any longer and I think we all can agree President Trump and Twitter are a bad mix like an Alcoholic and 24 hr liquor store. Within my inner circle of people, it’s all minorities. I love African-Ameircan culture, my fiance is Puerto Rican, and yet I am of the Caucasian decent. I am curious, what would happen if I were Philando, or Tamir, or Sandra, would I have gotten justice? Please, let’s not lose focus on the big picture of the clear and present racial divide line. Let’s start banding together a lot more, accept differences and embrace those differences.

Thank you!