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Sports in Society

Athletes React To White Supremacist Event In Charlottesville, President's Reponse

Eagles DE Chris Long, who is from Charlottesville, Va., "feels a responsibility to speak out about the crisis in his hometown," according to Dave Zangaro of CSNPHILLY.com. On Saturday, Long "spoke out publicly, via Twitter, against the white nationalists holding the rally" and President Trump's response, which "condemned 'violence on many sides.'" Long said, "Some people are tired of hearing me tweet because they want me to stick to football but I like to use social media like I was a regular guy because I think I am. I don't tell people to stick to their job when they want to talk politics. And this isn't political. That's the thing. Everybody is trying to turn this political. This isn't a political issue. This is right or wrong." Long said he is "all for free speech" but finds those opinions to be "despicable" (CSNPHILLY.com, 8/13). Long: "When you think about the right way to digest it, it’s hard to do anything but get angry. I don’t know if that’s what these people are trying to incite, but it’s working. It pisses you off." Long maintains a residence in Charlottesville but said that "no one close to him was affected by the weekend’s violence." He said, "People are asking me, 'Why Charlottesville?' Look, Charlottesville is taking the right steps to accommodate the sensitivities of people who might feel offended by statues and parks named after Confederate generals. I think that is very reasonable. I don’t know what it’s like to walk past a statue like that, as a minority. We’re doing the right thing" (PHILLY.com, 8/13).

SPEAKING FROM THE HEART: THE ATHLETIC's Kevin Fishbain noted Bears G Kyle Long, Chris's younger brother, met with the media yesterday and "discussed his reaction" to what happened in Charlottesville. Long: "It’s a small percentage of people involved who are blatantly in the wrong and we need to do our best as good folks and continue to outnumber and express our opinions and act accordingly when given the opportunity to." He added, "Coming from Charlottesville, it’s a quiet town. The loudest it gets is on Saturdays at Scott Stadium. I’d say it was shocking to see that" (THEATHLETIC.com, 8/13).

TWITTER REAX
: Numerous athletes and sports personalities took to social media in wake of the rally and Trump's response. LeBron James: "It's sad what's going on in Charlottesville. Is this the direction our country is heading? Make America Great Again huh?! He said that." ESPN's Damien Woody: "How ppl are shocked by these developments is baffling. Did ppl think since we elected a black man as POTUS that everything went away?!" Mavericks F Harrison Barnes: "Sad but not surprised by what's happening in VA. Painful reminder that we need to stay woke & continue organizing against racism & hatred✊🏾" ESPN's Jeremy Schaap: "400,000 Americans died to defeat the fascists. What could possibly be more odious and un-American than to celebrate their ideology?" Chiefs WR Chris Conley: "The fact that some people are more mad about beast mode sitting than events that lead to the death of someone yesterday is telling." Nationals P Sean Doolittle: "It's 2017. Actual Nazis just marched on #Charlottesville. We have to come together & drive this hatred & domestic terrorism from our country." 

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