Wow, I'm disappointed in The Coli. I'm going to break down for you what's happening in Hong Kong.
Up until the last 60 years, post-WWII China was plundered by the Western Powers. Because China lost a war, GB took control of Hong Kong among other things. At some point GB and China signed an agreement stating that Hong Kong will have 50 years of sovereignty and western freedoms and then it'll become part of Hong Kong. Hong Kong wants freedom. For Americans, like Daryl Morey that's all they need to know. Hence his tweet.
From China's perspective, this entire issue is wrapped in a long and sad history of Colonialism. Not only that but as an Authoritarian regime, they rule through fear. If they let Hong Kong slide, then the fear that they use to control their populace no longer has any power. To put it another way, this issue poses an existential threat to China's government. If you want to interact with China at all, there can be no siding with Hong Kong.
So here's the question. Should LBJ and other stars stand with Hong Kong or should they remain silent? Now the media will say they are cowards, but here's the thing. These guys are all Black. Why is it that America finds it easier to criticize other countries and fight for the rights of citizens that live halfway around the globe, but they can't find the courage to stand up for Black people right here. Why is it that Daryl Morey will tweet support to Hong Kong protesters, but when Atatiana Jefferson gets murdered in her own home by a police officer he remains silent? And the same goes for all the Americans calling out any NBA star that doesn't take a stand on an issue that will directly hurt them. If they did I'd respect them, but do they need to?
Definitely no. Look at all the American companies that do business in China. Why is it that Black people are vilified for not taking a stand when none of them are? And more importantly, why is it that the same people criticizing these Black athletes for not standing do not support African-American rights when we protest? African-Americans are the most politically immature people in the world. The only thing that will happen to any of these stars if they protest is that it'll directly hurt their self-interest. If China came out and called them monkeys and n-words and talked about how African-Americans aren't humans. I'd most definitely call them cowards. But to fight for someone halfway around the globe? Why?
Just because America forces African-American to protest and march and do all kinds of crazy nonsense to get our rights as human beings, does not mean that we now have to march around the globe speaking out on every issue. If one of them wants to do that fine? But not protesting doesn't make them cowards, it only makes them American.
And the next time you hear someone call out one of these guys for not taking a stand, ask them the last time they took a stand for African-American rights. We've been fighting for more than 400 years for our complete rights as citizens and we are still fighting. But not only do we have to live through the sad reality of having to fight for our natural given rights, we also have to deal with Americans who have the audacity, on the one hand, to remain silent while: police terrorize us, the financial system redlines us and our school system sabotages us, and on the other hand, demand that we speak out for human rights violations across the globe.
Americans suffer from a weird kind of arrogance and self-delusion that allows them to call out everyone's flaws but their own. It should come as no surprise, that racism far-reaching effects are seen even in this phenomenon. The same people who pose the biggest obstacles to our freedom and full rights as citizens -
Trump rips NBA players, officials for 'pandering to China,' but says league has to work out dispute on its own - are the ones calling them out the loudest. This is why you have to stay woke.
