Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a very unfortunate tragedy took place last week in Minneapolis, Minn., when a police officer choked civilian George Floyd to death for no reason. Since the murder, riots have been sparked throughout the city of Minneapolis and have spread throughout over 35 cities in the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Miami.
What will it take to stop these riots?
There are many solutions, but one stands out amongst the rest: celebrities and athletes. The world leaders have been relied upon for too long due to the extent of the pandemic and it is time for a new group of voices to attempt to settle the nation down. The brutality and lack of human rights that the country has dealt with since the founding of America should not be downplayed, but the only way to fix something is to progress. This is where athletes come into the picture. Had there been sports ongoing, society would have an outlet to rely on to keep them calm and look forward to.
The protests have turned violent with civilians looting helpless stores, setting structures on fire, burning dumpsters and trash cans, and defacing buildings. They also have been burning city halls, defacing important buildings such as the CNN headquarters and College Football Hall of Fame, destroying synagogues and churches, and obliterating law enforcement vehicles.
NFL players have the biggest spotlight due to their media coverage recently with the draft and free agency. If several players come out and make an effort to help calm society and speak to the powers that be about reform regarding racial injustice, there is a large part of society that will calm down and restore peace in the nation.
If health permits, the NBA, NHL, and MLB will all be resuming their seasons within the next month and should kill two birds with one stone. Sports will be back, so everyone will have an outlet in this very difficult time. Sports resuming will also allow more athletes to use the media coverage as support for racial injustice and pressure the governments to change.
With the nation’s best interest in mind, let there be hope that the state of affairs in the country calm down and that calm and peace are restored better than ever.
