While much of the United States is marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day, SBN Nation’s PFT Commenter reminds us that, “there are still those out there among us who would disavow the teachings of Dr. King and allow racial intolerents to persist.” However, the author is referring to Eagles WR/country music fan Riley Cooper, “probably the most Martin-Luther-King-Jr- like of any NFL player.”
Riley didnt exactley have the easiest life leading up to his career. Coming from a background where as a white wide recever he was technicaly a minority being pressured into following more traditional paths like becoming homecoming king or quaterback. A country kid from the Clearwater whose more used to wake ‘n’ lake then wake ‘n’ bake was cast as a fish out of water at a Universty so street even their coaches office was a urban environment.
Dr. King would of forgiven Cooper the instant he said “sorry I said those words.” If you hold a grudge, the grudge actualy ends up holding you. In fact, Kings major problem with this whole ginned-up controversey would be the fact that the word is used as a exclusive tool to divide us instead of letting white people use it to demean minorties. Dr. Kings message, first and foremost, was “Racism is a WE problem” and before the healing can truly begin, I think both races need to acknowlege they had a part in Riley Coopers outburst.
King was locked up for his beliefs, and anyone who refuses to support Cooper for his redempton is figuratively spitting on “Notes from a Birmingham Jail.” You know folks I know another guy that wrote alot of his ideas down while he was in prison, and the real danger comes when people misuse everything they were trying to say in order to support there own selfish causes. Can you imagine trying to explain to MLK that his principles of Civil Disobedence laid the foundation for Terrell Owens to do sit ups in his driveway, or for DeAngelo Williams to continue to honor his familys history of breast cancer? He probably would of rather just stayed home and watch cartoons.