Photo: VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty
Seth Jahn, a former soccer player for the United States' 7-a-side Paralympic team, was removed from the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Athletes' Council after he gave a racially charged speech over the weekend.
Ahead of the vote, Jahn, aU.S. Army Special Forces Veteran, spoke out against the repeal.
“I’m sure I’m going to ruffle some feathers with what I’m about to say, especially given the athletes' council that I’m on, but given the evolution of our quote-unquote, progressive culture where everything offends everybody, those willing to take a knee our for anthem don’t care about defending half of our country and when they do so, then I don’t have too much concern in also exercising my First Amendment right,” Jahn said, according to theAssociated Press.
“We’re here to get a different perspective. I also feel compelled to articulate that I’m of mixed race and representative of undoubtedly the most persecuted people in our country’s history, Native Americans,” he continued.
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“Where were the social justice warriors and the news journalists there to bring their ruminations to these real atrocities?” Jahn continued. “And yet in all of history, only one country has fought to abolish slavery, the United States of America, where nearly 400,000 men died to fight for the abolishment of slavery underneath the same stars and bars that our athletes take a knee for. Their sacrifice is tainted with every knee that touches the ground.”
“The athlete’s council does not tolerate this type of language and finds it incompatible with membership on the council,” the statement said, in part. “While the council understands that each person has a right to his or her own opinion, there are certain opinions that go beyond the realm of what is appropriate or acceptable.”
“[The council] wants to be unequivocable in its condemnation of the statements that Mr. Jahn made yesterday,” it continued.
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source: people.com
