Wall enlists for war on hate
WASHINGTON— John Wall joined a growing chorus of NBA players who have expressed dismay stemming from the events last weekend in Charlottesville, Va.
While hosting a back-to-school event at the Rosedale Community Center, the Wizards all-star point guard shared his thoughts on the state of the country in light of last weekend’s demonstration by white supremacists that led to the death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer, who was run over when James Fields Jr. allegedly rammed his car through a group protesting the Ku Klux Klan, neoNazis and other groups.
Wall did not follow the path of Kevin Durant and LeBron James, outspoken superstars who delivered sharp criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump after he cast blame on “both sides.” Without addressing the president directly, Wall shared his belief that violence in Charlottesville had sent the nation backward.
“It’s been difficult. It’s been tough,” Wall said, referring to the previous week. “We go through times where times are going in the right direction for us. Our country is going in a positive way. Then we turn back around and revert back to the stuff we try to tell our kids not to do, or what our parents told us . . . they went through in the past, and we thought we got away from that.
“It’s kind of amazing to understand that in 2017 going into 2018, we’re still dealing with the same type of things that our great-great-grandparents dealt with, and we thought we were going in a positive direction,” Wall continued. “All we can do is not use it as retaliation and try to stay positive and understand that we want to give these kids a brighter (future than) what’s going on and not use it to go back at these people.”
Durant, a D.C. native and star of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, said he will refuse a White House invitation if one is extended. The NBA final MVP — who also returned to his home town of Seat Pleasant, Md. for a day in his honour — explained his decision was based on disagreements with Trump, according to ESPN. Durant added Trump has splintered the country.
“I feel ever since he’s got into office or since he ran for the presidency, our country has been so divided, and it’s not a coincidence,” Durant told ESPN. “When Obama was in office, things were looking up. We had so much hope in our communities where I come from because we had a Black president, and that was a first.
“So to see that and to be where we are now, it just felt like we took a turn for the worse,” Durant said. “It all comes from who is in the administration. It comes from the top. Leadership trickles down to the rest of us. So, you know, if we have someone in office that doesn’t care about all people, then we won’t go anywhere as a country. In my opinion, until we get him out of here, we won’t see any progress.”
Earlier, James also expressed his feelings about the current administration via Twitter, stating Trump has made hate “fashionable again.” James followed that at an event for his foundation in Ohio by refusing to mention the president by name while calling for change.
“It’s not about the guy that’s the so-called president of the United States or whatever the case,” James said. “It’s not about a teacher that you don’t feel like cares about what’s going on with you every day.
“It’s not about people that just don’t feel like wanting to give the best energy and effort to you. It’s about us.”
“We go through times where . . . our country is going in a positive way. Then we turn back around and revert back to the stuff we try to tell our kids not to do.” JOHN WALL