Typically I try to stay away from political subjects in public forums due to the fact that I have an audience that is broad based and I have friends and acquaintances that have vastly different views than I.  However, in light of what has transpired in the media over the last 24 hours regarding our current president and the athletic community at large, I can no longer be silent.

As all of sports fans know, the Golden State Warriors won the NBA title this summer, their 2nd in the last 3 years.  Typically the champion in any sport in the U.S. makes a trip to the White House to be recognized by the country and the President for a job well done.  However the current resident in the White House has been very divisive.  He has refused to call out white supremacists for their actions; he is insistent on erecting a border wall along the Mexican border to keep out what he says are the dregs of society; he has the lowest approval rating in the history of the office; and today he decided to turn his attention upon the sports community and uninvited Steph Curry and the Warriors to the White House.  Who does that?

But he wasn’t done there.  He criticized and called for NFL players who protest during the National Anthem to be immediately fired/released by their teams.  He even referred to these players as “sons of bitches”.  This is highly inappropriate behavior for the leader of the free world.  This guy is out of control.  Sports has always been one of the avenues that has united this country because it stretches across racial and soci0-economic barriers.  But “Agent Orange” has managed to throw his divisive nature into that arena as well.  And athletes have always been socially aware.  Think about John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the ’68 Olympics; Muhammad Ali refusing to be drafted; and even the U.S. boycott of the ’80 Olympics in Moscow.  So this is nothing new Mr. President.

Many stars such as LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant have spoken on this situation because “The Donald’s” Twitter fingers are out of control.  As the President you cannot refer to citizens as “sons of bitches” because they are peacefully exercising their freedom of speech under the Constitution.  This country was founded by immigrants who protested the status quo.  Achievements were made during the Civil Rights Movement of the ’60s due to protesting against racism and segregation.

Athletes like Colin Kaepernick, Michael Bennett,  Eric Reid, Brandon Marshall, and Marshawn Lynch are sitting or raising fists during the National Anthem because it is open season on Black men in America.  Unarmed Black men are being killed by the very people  that are supposed to be protecting them.  And it’s occurring at an alarming rate.  With their high profile voice these athletes are bringing attention to this issue in hopes of starting a dialog and bringing about a solution.

So in the words of Chris Paul, #StayInYoLane Mr. Trump!  Concentrate on running the country.  Concentrate on uniting a country that is splintered more so than I’ve seen in my lifetime.  Dividing us will NOT make us GREAT!