The Rangers Silence is Deafening
Right now in America, we are in groundbreaking times. I grew up in a VAST majority white town in New Jersey. In school, we learned racial issues were a thing of the past and not something happening in today’s world. Man, do I have A LOT of learning to do. Black Lives Matter is not and was not ever about politics. It is about ending police brutality towards black people. It is about the right to live, the right to not be afraid because of their skin color. Jess recently wrote a post that you should definitely go and read if you have not yet.
Sports Reaction
Ever since George Floyd was murdered, protestors have been gathering all of over the world in support of BLM to fight against police brutality. Athletes and teams alike have been making statements condemning racism and supporting BLM.
We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People. We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter. #InspireChange pic.twitter.com/ENWQP8A0sv
— NFL (@NFL) June 5, 2020
One team that is for some reason deciding to stay on the sidelines is the New York Rangers. This is DEEPLY concerning to me. When almost all other teams have released some form of statement, the Rangers have been silent. And their silence is deafening.
New York Rangers
Hockey is not an inclusive sport. It is a vast majority white sport that also has a history of homophobia. They claim hockey is for everyone, but that could not be farther from the truth. A couple months ago, the Rangers were introducing K’Andre Miller, one of their top prospects, over a Zoom call. A vile and despicable human being decided to crash that call and spam racial slurs at Miller. It took the Rangers more than FOUR hours to release a statement on the matter. That is completely unacceptable.
Black Lives Matter. pic.twitter.com/8RFWwSEaaE
— K'Andre Miller (@kandre_miller) June 1, 2020
How would you feel if you’re K’Andre Miller? The organization that drafted you, and is putting a lot of stock for the future of their defense in, is not backing you on this matter. Months after the horrible Zoom call, you remain silent in a generation defining movement that personally affects one of the prominent members of your organization.
Final Thoughts
Like I said in the introduction, I have a lot of learning to do. I fully recognize and understand that I will never understand what it is like to be black. What I can do though is educate myself on these matters and do my part in supporting the movement. The Rangers have let Miller down as a player, but most importantly, as a person. Their silence is loud and should not be tolerated.
-Pete Chatterton (@Pchat12)