From the White House Tuesday, President Trump reiterated that he thinks it's disgraceful for people to kneel during the national anthem.
It all started last season with Colin Kaepernick as a statement about racial inequality.
So, I want to know—Is our country ready to have a conversation about race?
I don’t think we’re ready, and I don’t know if we’ll be ready in my lifetime.
I can hear people right now, some of them maybe even my neighbors. They’re gonna say we’re playing the race card, “There you go again. You want me to pay for what my great-great grandfather did a long time ago, I had nothing to do with slavery.”
That’s not what we’re talking about.
And then my friends will say, “Why can’t we all just be Americans?”
Because we’re all not just anything. We’re a diverse group of people.
How about we settle for being a diverse group of good Americans? The kind that came together during 9/11 and other terrorist attacks. The kind that came together during Hurricane Irma.
You see, my people we’ve got this unique history that everybody knows about. We came here differently than other immigrants. And we’re reminded of that regardless of how educated or how much money we make.
But we need to listen too to the widow of the slain police officer, to the widow of the slain military man and woman. We must listen how people feel when a player refuses to stand for the national anthem.
Let’s talk and just as importantly, is it not time for us to begin listening to one another?
'Off Script with Bruce Johnson' airs weekdays at 7 p.m. on WUSA9. You can share your thoughts with Bruce anytime by using the hashtag #OffScriptOn9 on social media or by emailing the 'Off Script' team at OffScript@wusa9.com.
