“If your experience with racism is at a level ten, and another persons is at a level three, it’s unfair to expect them to be at the same “level ten” you are, until we have made them fully aware of what is happening.”
Those are the words written by former Seattle Seahawks long snapper Clint Gresham, who shared on his blog Tuesday Night, that he believes if he were still active in the NFL, that he would sit for the National Anthem.
“As someone who is a Christian, I try to live how Jesus did. There is a verse in scripture that says “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” Really, God just wants everyone to show empathy towards each other. I’m hoping that if you are a white person, you will realize that right now, African Americans are weeping. So I’m going to do what Jesus said, and weep with them. I’m going to stand against racism. I’m going bring things into the light. And as a white guy who saw first hand, the pain that many African Americans are in, I have to speak up about it.”
Michael Bennett continued his protest during the national anthem.
This time, teammate Justin Britt was by his side. pic.twitter.com/bTxurjGDxC
— SB Nation (@SBNation) August 19, 2017
Gresham watched his former teammate Michael Bennett sit during the national anthem in protest during a recent preseason NFL game and wanted to support him. Clint says sitting during the anthem isn’t something he would do to offend anyone or show that he doesn’t love his country, in fact, the former TCU product says he would sit because he believes that is what Jesus would do.
“So If I could, I would sit next to Michael Bennet on the sideline, during the national anthem at Seahawks games. Not because I am disrespecting our country, but because I believe God cares about peoples’ felt pain. I want minorities to know that there are in fact white people, who want them to experience the same privilege that I do. You see, the price God paid for humanity was the same, because the value of each person is the same. Jesus didn’t die harder for white people, and that BS about whites being a superior race, is straight from the pit of hell.”
You can read Clint’s entire blog post here.
If I was still with the hawks, I would sit next to Mike B. I do hope that at some, white players will engage in the conversation https://t.co/lrECUg5sHq
— Clint Gresham (@Gresh49) August 18, 2017
Gresham was a member of the 2013 Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl winning team. He played six seasons with Seattle before getting released in March of 2016.
The 31-year-old has written a new book titled “BECOMING: LOVING THE PROCESS TO WHOLENESS,” which will be released in October.
