One truth about the people of today is that they get offended easily, which makes it difficult for the rest to be open and honest.
Four off-duty officers from Minneapolis walked out of an WNBA game of the Lynx because of what was written on the pre-game shirts of some of the players.
In fact, the players wanted to honor victims of police shootings, thus the names of two black men who were shot by police were written on the them. The back of the shirts read: “Black Lives Matter.”
As per reports, before leaving the game as a sign of protest, the officers asked from the players to take the shirts off.
The players explained the intention behind their act and said the shirts emphasized their desire to honor the deceased and advocate for change in racial profiling and violence.
Minneapolis Police Chief, Janee’ Harteau, issued a statement in which she said that she understood the officers’ frustration, but condemned their action of walking out of the game in protest.
Further, she said that no matter if they are on duty or not, police officers must adhere to their oath of office.
Police Federation President Lt. Bob Kroll said, “It’s just a shirt,” but at the same time he added that the Lynx players’ protest was “anti-police” and that the players were buying into a “false narrative” about police misconduct, which is why the officers, who were at the time working security, left.
Not everyone, however, agreed with Kroll. “Bob Kroll’s remarks about the Lynx are jackass remarks,” Betsy Hodges, the Minneapolis Mayor at the time, said. “Let me be clear, labor leadership inherently does not speak on behalf of management. Bob Kroll sure as hell doesn’t speak for me about the Lynx or about anything else.”
The Lynx players’ protest and the officers’ counter-protest came at a time of racial unrest.
What are your thoughts on this?
Please SHARE this article with your family and friends on Facebook.
