A CHANCE LOST
Cops in Minny stuff WNBA’s try at dialogue
Members of Minnesota police department won’t listen to statement by Lynx players, and that’s a shame
It seemed like such a well-planned weekend statement by the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday night, a carefully considered one about Alton Sterling and Philando Castile and the five fallen members of the Dallas PD. It seemed like proof that two divisive ideas could coexist, that we are an evolved and thoughtful enough nation to understand that black lives must matter more than they have, and that blue uniforms have earned respect, despite the work of a few bad officers.
And it was the first move we’ve been waiting to see from influential pro athletes, a strong, unified move from a WNBA team to send a message.
And then Tuesday came around, and you found yourself worrying about this nation’s racial divide more than ever, because a seemingly perfect and astute statement, sensitive to all parties, wasn’t good enough for one party, the Minneapolis PD.
Four off-duty officers of that department, working security at the Target Center, had been so incensed by the Lynx’s pregame T-shirts that they staged a walkout. And on Tuesday, Lt. Bob Kroll, president of the Minneapolis Police Federation, suggested it could happen again.
“I commend them for it,” Kroll, who represents the union but does not speak for the Minneapolis PD, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “Others said they heard about it and they were not going to work Lynx games . . . . If (the players) are going to keep their stance, all officers may refuse to work there.”
This isn’t how anybody wins in any of these racial debates. This isn’t how we all heal. The discussion of race in this country requires give-and-take on all sides, and an openness that too many right now — from police officers to BLM protesters to Facebook and Twitter warriors — have no interest in having.
Over the weekend, the Lynx and the WNBA’s Liberty were trying to bring that nuance. The Lynx’s tees read “Change starts with US, accountability and justice” on the front, and had the names of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, as well as a Dallas PD shield, on the back. The Liberty tees read “#blacklivesmatter #dallas5” on the front, a blank space on the back.
“Saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ is not discounting the other lives,” said Liberty center Carolyn Swords. “WE also have the Dallas 5 because we don’t support violence of any kind. And the Dallas police officers were doing their jobs, to serve and protect.”
That things fell apart in Minnesota was disappointing, said Libs forward Kiah Stokes. “I think it is unfortunate that that had to happen,” she said. “The shirts that they wore in Minnesota weren’t saying anything against the cops. They understand that they have a difficult job. They had the Dallas PD badge on it, so they were supporting and mourning the lives of those officers.”
But that wasn’t enough because, somehow, you’re only allowed to fall on one side of this discussion or the other. There is no middle ground, even if there’s a giant Dallas PD shield emblazoned on the back of a black T-shirt.
But there must be a middle ground if this nation is to regain its footing. And when you hear the Liberty talk about it, it’s hard to understand why the Minneapolis PD took such a hard line.
“You can support the value of life and the black lives in this country while also supporting the integrity and service of the police,” said Swords. “This isn’t a matter of choosing sides.” Yet that’s exactly what it became on Saturday night.
Those four off-duty officers had options that night, didn’t need to leave the Target Center. They could have approached the players donning the somehow-offending Tshirts, voiced their concerns, had a personto-person discussion with, say, Lynx star Maya Moore, two people talking instead of yelling on Twitter or a metaphorical scream in a walkout.
They chose righteous indignation over any such conversation.
“I think the object was to engage in a conversation,” said Swords. “By removing yourself from the situation, that conversation can’t happen.”
So everyone is left to keep choosing sides, and you can only hope that the police notice that on Tuesday night, the Lynx chose their side, ditching the offending T-shirts. And Stokes said the Liberty just might do the same thing, too, even though she wasn’t sure.
“I would love to wear the shirts again and make this relevant,” she said. “But I don’t want to make people feel uncomfortable where they have to leave.” So the Minneapolis PD gets its way. Such a hollow victory.