Drew Brees To President Trump: ‘We Can No Longer Use The Flag To Turn People Away Or Distract Them From The Real Issues…’
On Friday, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees issued an Instagram statement to President Donald Trump.
“To Donald Trump,” the text-image reads:
Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities.We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform.We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history! If not now, then when? We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities. We must acknowledge the problems, identify the solutions, and then put this into action. The black community cannot do it alone. This will require all of us.
The Instagram post from Brees has more than 237,000 “likes” as of publication.
Brees’ latest post is likely in response to the following tweet from President Trump:
...We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart. There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag - NO KNEELING!
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Brees has been caught up in controversy since Wednesday, when during an interview with Yahoo Finance, he spoke about the anthem kneeling protests in the NFL.
Yahoo Finance Editor-at-Large Daniel Roberts asked Brees about the possibility that anthem kneeling would return to the NFL in light of the ongoing protests and riots following the killing of George Floyd.
Brees replied in part:
I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America, or our country…Is everything right with our country right now? No, it’s not. We still have a long way to go. But I think what you do by standing there and showing respect to the flag with your hand over your heart is it shows unity. It shows that we are all in this together, we can all do better, and that we are all part of the solution.
Read his full statement here.
After the interview went live, Brees was hit with intense backlash, including from Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins, who released a lengthy video in which he severely criticized Brees.
“Even though we’re teammates, I can’t let this slide,” Jenkins stated.
The very next day, Brees issued the following apology on Instagram:
Some commenters were disappointed that the quarterback “caved” to the “mob.”
Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” tweeted:
Bad move Drew. Now live on your knees forever.
Conservative radio host and columnist David Webb tweeted:
It's a sad day when your or any American's right to voice an opinion succumbs to the mob, any mob, regardless of agreement or disagreement. #GeorgeFloyd
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It’s a sad day when your or any American’s right to voice an opinion succumbs to the mob, any mob, regardless of agreement or disagreement. #GeorgeFloyd
Regardless, Brees’ apolotweet has received more than 57,000 “likes,” and been retweeted appropriately 26,000 times as of publication. His statement on Instagram, which was linked in the tweet, has been “liked” more than 329,000 times.
Brees’ initial Instagram apology was followed by another post in which he wrote: “Step-by-step you will see my heart for exactly what it is and the way everyone around me sees it. I’m sorry it has taken this long to act and to participate in a meaningful way but I am your ally in this fight.”
Drew Brees To President Trump: ‘We Can No Longer Use The Flag To Turn People Away Or Distract Them From The Real Issues…’
![Drew Brees To President Trump: ‘We Can No Longer Use The Flag To Turn People Away Or Distract Them From The Real Issues…’]()
Reviewed by CUZZ BLUE
on
June 07, 2020
Rating:
Sadly, Drew has rolled over. I'm guessing, someone "talked" some sense into him by making him an offer he couldn't refuse.
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