FOLLOW US

Chris Long, a defensive end on the Philadelphia Eagles, has said he would skip the traditional visit to the Whites House reserved for Super Bowl champions. Long cited Charlottesville and “fighting for equality” as reasons for his skip. Yet while it is fashionable to criticize Trump’s reaction to Charlottesville, it is Long’s silence about the city’s vice mayor that exposes his hypocrisy.

History of Social Justice

Long has been a supporter of the NFL’s social justice movement. He told the Philadelphia Inquirer, “I think it’s a good time for people that look like me to be here for people that are fighting for equality. If you don’t see why you need allies for people that are fighting for equality right now, I don’t think you’ll ever see it. My thing is Malcolm’s a leader and I’m here to show support as a white athlete.”

Unlike many professional athletes who are outspoken on their views, Long puts his money where his mouth is. He donated his entire year’s salary to various charities in the three cities where he has played in his NFL career and funded scholarships in Charlottesville, Va. Long said:

"In my 10th year, I want to celebrate the awesome opportunity I've had to play football by giving back to the communities that have given me that gift. Education opportunity and equity are the best gateway to a better tomorrow for everyone in America," Chris said in a statement.

Reasons for Declining White House Visit

However, his decision to decline a visit to the White House deserves scrutiny. On Tuesday evening, Long and former Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn engaged in a Twitter conversation. Long elaborated on his decision to skip the visit and why he’s not interested in starting a dialogue with President Trump. Long cited Trump’s response to the Charlottesville incident:

“Who were the fine people on the side of the Nazis and KKK that gathered in my hometown the day a terrorist put 20 ppl in the hospital? Why reference the hatred and bigotry on “many sides” that day? Why didn’t you immediately denounce them? The lack of condemnation of said groups is either a calculated omission to pander to an ugly corner of our country OR he agrees with those folks. Either way, no convo needed.”

First, the implication that this is the reason why Long is skipping the visit is a farce. Long also skipped the visit last year when he was a member of the New England Patriots. It’s completely disingenuous to lump Charlottesville into the reason for the skip. He is posturing and propagandizing.

Second, Long, and fellow liberals, omit a key fact from Charlottesville. The “fine people” that Trump was referring to were not the Nazis or KKK protesters. President Trump has disavowed these groups repeatedly. He was referring to the people who showed up to protest the removal of the statues. They should not be lumped in with Nazis or KKK. Yet that is what transpired.

Additionally, Long mentioned “fighting for equality.” A careful examination shows this is not necessarily true. While Long was very outspoken about Trump’s reaction to Charlottesville he was quite quiet regarding the city’s vice mayor, Wes Bellamy.

Charlottesville Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy's Tweets

Bellamy is an African-American male and has a relative new history in the political arena. Vice Mayor Bellamy is also quite the tweeter. Among his tweets:

“I don’t like white people so I hate white snow!!! FML!!!” or “I hate seeing white people in Orangeburg…”

“I HATE BLACK PEOPLE who ACT WHITE!!”

“Lol funniest thing about being down south is seeing little white men and the look on they faces when they have to look up to you”

But inflammatory racist tweeting is not Mr. Bellamy’s only talent. He also encourages sexual assault and homophobia:

“Eat it while she sleep if she moan it aint rape”

“I’m all for equal opportunity…but a Female Principal with a school full of female teachers is fkn a sure fire way to fk our lil boys up smh”

And a retweet with the affirmation ‘This is true tho’: If your man asks you how many niggas you fucked…Call him a faggot.”

Hypocrisy

Why hasn’t Chris Long been vocal about his hometown’s vice mayor troubling history? In the “fight for equality,” the group often ignored are white people. Their rights are ignored or disregarded as some sort of misguided payback for slavery. Our culture has been conditioned as such to accept these slights.

Racism must be squashed but ALL RACISM – not the kind just championed by the Marxist left for political influence. Long’s silence in this make him complicit. What is the message he is conveying: rhetoric deemed harmful to minorities is bad but to whites is permissible?

If Trump’s Charlottesville response gets Long’s wrath then so should Bellamy's tweets. The city’s Vice Mayor who is on record of saying “I hate white people…” This is far worse than anything Trump has said or done. Yet Long remains silent while championing the fight for equality. Refusal or dismissal to punish one without the other is hypocritical and divisive. It will further fan the flames of racism in America. It will keep us divided.