Jets’ Wheeler asks Trump to take action

Jets captain Blake WINNIPEG Wheeler picks his spots when it comes to using social media.

Wednesday night was one of those spots.

Wheeler waded into the guncontrol debate following the latest mass school shooting in Florida, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tweet about his meeting with school kids and not wanting to let them down.

“Well ... then let’s stop letting them down, Mr. President,” Wheeler said via his Twitter account (@BiggieFunke).

Thursday after practice, Wheeler explained his motivation.

“Regardless of where people stand, we can probably all agree that what’s been going on in the U.S ., the amount of school shootings—we’ ve got to find away to remedy that,” he said. “It’s been going on too long without anyone really doing anything to help. It just seems like something that should be fixable.”

Wheeler says players are beginning to look at the advantages of living in Canada.

“I have three kids now,” he said. “You start to get scared about thinking of them going to school in the United States. It shouldn’t be that way.”

It’s the second time Wheeler has waded into politics this season.

The first came when he reminded Trump, via Twitter, that freedom of speech is the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, after the president criticized athletes for kneeling during the national anthem to protest racism.

The right to bear arms is the Second Amendment, of course.

“Times are different now than when the constitution was written,” he said. “Abolishing guns from the world is not happening, not possible. But if there’s a way to make our schools safer, make our kids safer ...

“The United States is a little bit behind on that.”