In the two months since George Floyd was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer, the world has changed significantly. For example, major businesses in America are fully onboard with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement as almost 300 top corporations have pledged support for the cause. These corporate leaders have been joined by all the professional sports franchises and political leaders of both parties have expressed solidarity with BLM.
Any expression of “All Lives Matter” has been deemed to be racist. For example, a Sacramento Kings broadcaster lost his job for tweeting “All Lives Matter.” In New Orleans, a Mardi Gras krewe captain faced intense criticism and the defection of members and bands from her parade for issuing a similar message online. A New Orleans area teacher was fired because her husband admitted to painting “We All Matter” and other non-racist slogans on his fence. It seems clear that in the politically correct climate today, everyone must express support for BLM or face a withering backlash.
The problem is that the BLM organization was founded by individuals who admitted to being “trained Marxists.” Of course, all Americans should oppose individuals advocating an ideology that threatens our constitutional republic and our capitalist economic system.
Karl Marx is the founder of communism, a system of government that survives by fully destroying the freedom of its citizens. People living in communist countries have no human rights and exist only to serve the all-powerful state. Today, communist governments endure in North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, and China.
All these countries repress their people and deprive them of basic freedoms such as the right to speak, assemble, petition, and practice their religious faith. These barbaric practices have existed in all communist nations since the overthrow of the Czar in Russia in 1917 and the eventual formation of the Soviet Union. Since that time, communist dictators have killed at least 100 million innocent people throughout the world.
Unfortunately, the media does not allow any mention of the Marxist origins of BLM or any criticism of the organization. Any courageous critics will be labeled a racist. Understandably, most people fear being given such a label, so they will refuse to give their honest opinion and just appease the mob to protect their job and their family.
The stampede to support BLM has been seen in every sports league over the last few months. Americans used to be able to enjoy sporting events without being lectured about their political beliefs. It used to be a nice diversion from the pressures of everyday life. Unfortunately, those days are long gone. Today, sports are just one more area of life that has been overtaken by social justice warriors.
The NBA has painted Black Lives Matter next to their court in the “bubble” in Orlando. The NFL has expressed support and will play the “Black National Anthem” prior to the National Anthem during the first week of games this season. In Major League Soccer, players raised their fist and knelt in support of BLM at the opening of their season.
The acceptance of this Marxist group has been especially apparent in Major League Baseball. Members of the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants knelt during exhibition games. In Boston, the Red Sox just unveiled a massive Black Lives Matter billboard right outside of Fenway Park.
On Thursday night, before the opening game of the season, all the players with the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals knelt before and during the National Anthem. However, in the San Francisco Giants game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, all the players knelt prior to the National Anthem, except one lonely “Christian.”
The player who refused to kneel was Giants relief pitcher Sam Coonrod, a true hero. In an interview after the game, Coonrod explained his refusal to join his teammates by claiming that he “can’t kneel before anything besides God.”
Such a courageous stand needs to be applauded. Usually, a player, such as Saints Quarterback Drew Brees, who expresses support for standing for the National Anthem, will cave after strong criticism. Eventually, Brees and his wife apologized multiple times.
Coonrod took the road less traveled. He explained his opposition to BLM by noting “I’m a Christian, like I said, and I just can’t get on board with a couple of things that I have read about Black Lives Matter. How they lean towards Marxism and they have said some negative things about the nuclear family. I just can’t get on board with that.”
Fortunately, Gabe Kapler, the manager of the Giants, supported Coonrod’s decision. He said that players were going to be able to “express themselves.” He also noted “We were going to give them the choice on whether they were going to stand, kneel, or do something else. That was a personal decision for Sam.”
This “personal decision” is quite exceptional in the environment we live in today. Congratulations to a rare breed indeed, a player who truly stands alone.
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