Written with contribution from Sheriff David Clarke
Well, soccer may not be the most well-loved sport by Americans and apparently, the feeling is mutual.
Although the U.S. Soccer Federation required players to stand for the National Anthem back in 2017, the organization has reversed its stance and punished a member who argued against allowing the form of protest, which originates with the 2015/16 Black Lives Matter movement.
“I’m sure I’m going to ruffle some feathers with what I’m about to say, especially given the Athletes Council that I’m on, but given the evolution of our quote-unquote, progressive culture where everything offends everybody, those willing to take a knee for our anthem don’t care about defending half of our country and when they do so, then I don’t have too much concern in also exercising my First Amendment right,” former U.S. Soccer player Seth Jahn, 38, said ahead of the lengthy virtual meeting in which the change was approved.
“We’re here to give a different perspective. I also feel compelled to articulate that I’m of mixed race and representative of undoubtedly the most persecuted people in our country’s history, Native Americans,” he said, noting that he had Cherokee heritage.
He sharply criticized “identity politics” and “politicizing sports,” noting that “95 percent of deaths in Black communities come at the hands of another Black man.”
“I worked in law enforcement in two large agencies alongside my black, brown, white, yellow, red, purple peers, I never once saw a hint of police brutality,” he explained.
“Does that mean it doesn’t exist? Absolutely not and it’s important to address those atrocities when they manifest, to exercise critical thinking, and to also rebuke the divisive narrative exacerbated by the media in order to garner their ratings as they exploit our emotive state,” the athlete added.
The vote – 71% in favor with only a simply majority required – directly followed this sensational seven-minute dissent by Seth Jahn, a US Paralympian who is a current member US Soccer Athlete Council. pic.twitter.com/vH4Pc4vkT4
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) February 27, 2021
“I keep hearing how our country was founded on the backs of slaves, even though approximately only eight percent of the entire population even owned slaves,” he continued.
“Every race in the history of mankind has been enslaved by another demographic at some point in time. Blacks have been enslaved. Hispanics have been enslaved. Asians most recently in our country in the freaking 20th century, have been enslaved. Natives have been enslaved. Whites have been enslaved. Shoot, I lived in Africa for two and a half years where I could purchase people, slaves, between the price of $300 and $800 per person, per head depending on their age, health and physicality,” Jahn also said.
“Where were the social justice warriors and the news journalists there to bring their ruminations to these real atrocities?” he added.
“And yet in all of history, only one country has fought to abolish slavery, the United States of America, where nearly 400,000 men died to fight for the abolishment of slavery underneath the same stars and bars that our athletes take a knee for. Their sacrifice is tainted with every knee that touches the ground.”
Well, someone has been reading Thomas Sowell!
As it turns out, The U.S. Soccer Athletes Council later removed him.
Why?
He had “violated the prohibited conduct’s policy section on harassment, which prohibits racial or other harassment based upon a person’s protected status (race), including any verbal act in which race is used or implied in a manner which would make a reasonable person uncomfortable.”
“The athlete’s council does not tolerate this type of language and finds it incompatible with membership on the council. While the council understands that each person has a right to his or her own opinion, there are certain opinions that go beyond the realm of what is appropriate or acceptable,” the council said in its statement and no, it does not appear that Jahn did anything except challenge the dangerous and fallacious ideology behind the anthem kneeling.
No, U.S. Soccer is not interested in defending our nation, its constitution, nor its members’ First Amendment rights.
No wonder few Americans watch this sport on TV.
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