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© 2020 AFPOsaka using U.S. Open as platform for activism
By MATTHEW STOCKMAN NEW YORK©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
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© 2020 AFP
106 Comments
Jonathan Prin
Stop doing politics.
World is not black and white, and Osaka should know it.
This nurse shall be remembered but she is not the one to judge who is right or wrong.
Peace to all.
WA4TKG
People do not attend Sporting Events to listen to the Player's Political Opinions.
kurisupisu
Osaka needs to focus on tennis not playing politics...
3RENSHO
Her sponsoring companies, including Nissin and ANA will not be pleased...
jiji Xx
bandwagon politix.... a lot of it about!
Fighto!
Good for her. Naomi-chan is a strong Black woman standing up against the brutality of police against Blacks in America. Along with the NBA players and Lewis Hamilton, they wont be silent anymore. Get that Major, Naomi-chan!
Peter Neil
Black people shot and killed this year by police: 160
White people shot and killed this year by police: 506
So, she's OK with White people getting killed?
Vince Black
She’s getting more and more annoying by the day
memoryfix
You don’t have any proof that police kill or injure Blacks because they are black. You have no proof that it’s based on racism.
Fighto!
@ Peter Neil - your statistics prove the point that Police kill Blacks at a much higher rate, since the population of Blacks in USA is only about 13%, yet make up 24% of Police killings.
Peter Neil
Yes, and Blacks commit 44% of all the crimes and 52% of all murders in the US.
That means that they interact with police at a higher ratio than would be expected.
dbsaiya
For the naysayers; sports is politics, everything is politics, including the food you eat and the air you breathe. You would say the same to Jackie Robinson, Arthur Ashe, Ali, Kareem, Jesse Owens or even Luz Long a white German who befriended Owens in front of Hitler? People who have the platform and the courage to act do it in their own way, some are vocal, others not. If you had the platform would you just "shut up and dribble?" You go on girl, keep your head high and show people you can walk and chew gum at the same time.
Peter Neil
And she has no concern whatsoever about the facts that 5 times as many white people blacks and more unarmed white people than blacks are killed every year by police.
Why don't we make this about people getting killed and not just about race all. the. time?
CharlieCroker
You have my support, good for you.
Strangerland
And you don’t think this leads to an unconscious bias within police officers, making them more quick to shoot black people?
finally rich
Last night I was driving by 3am in Setagaya when I saw a group of blacks loading debris from a demolition site into a truck, all sweating, hard working, in the middle of the night. If BLM really cared for blacks they would start working from within, teaching the virtues of hard working, good parenting, how to behave when stopped by police etc.
This never ending victimism never leads to anything, people from all races all cultures have suffered at some point in history.
Alfie Noakes
It's bizarre how so many people vehemently object to protests like Osaka's, yet are quite happy to accept the Olympics...
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/olympics-are-political-ioc-ban-denies-reality-athletes-their-voice-ncna1117306
Peter Neil
Do you have any evidence to support this?
If that's true, why are five times as many whites shot by police? Wouldn't that indicate a bias?
Yrral
Dbsaiya, I second your motion
noriahojanen
Osaka is free to do what she think it is necessary. With her multicultural background and deeper involvement into the US society (despite her Japanese nationality) I understand that she feels like being responsible for American issues.
What annoys me is a growing (mostly anonymous) call for the other Japanese to follow her suit. Some BLM or #MeToo activists even criticize Japan as being too apolitical or chauvinist. That seems to be going too far. Unlike Osaka, I as well as most non-US citizens don't have connections, nor sense of belonging at any point to American community. I don't have a voting right to make any change for American affairs.
itsonlyrocknroll
Naomi Osaka has a right to a political opinion.
Naomi Osaka. status as a sportswomen/celebrity, affords a platform that a number of elected politicians could only dream of, to peddle any number political views.
The difference?
Naomi Osaka the political activist has little or no recourse to the public/electorate or pretence of a mandate.
Pukey2
That's great and all, but as a Japanese and non-American, shouldn't she be more concerned about discrimination in her own country? Or is that out of bounds?
socrateos
Peter Neil:
Because black people, not white people, are a target of systemic racial discrimination and it is the year 2020, when a symbol of such evil can be thrown out of the highest office of the system.
Strangerland
It doesn’t appear she gave up her US citizenship. She simply met the Japanese requirement of stating an intention to do so. There is no requirement to follow through, and nothing I’ve seen indicates that she has.
memoryfix
Stangerland
In the body cam recordings I’ve seen, police are always seen as polite to blacks unless approaching known criminal - despite their treatment by protestors.
As far as being more ready for problems if stopping Blacks, that’s quite likely. But who’s responsible for that? High black crime, high likelihood Blacks will flee ( usually because already have criminal record on file).
You just proved the point yourself.
oldman_13
We stand with you Naomi!
Peter Neil
Osaka mentioned nothing about systemic racial discrimination.
The highest paid female athlete in the history of planet Earth is not a victim of systemic racial discrimination.
I'm right beside anyone in support of fair and equal access, opportunities. I am not a party to any systemic racial discrimination.
I'm sticking to the point and the topic, which is that she made this about Black people, not me. I'm concerned about all people who are being killed by an overly aggressive, militarized police. I've said that repeatedly.
Serrano
Naomi Osaka arrived on court for her opening U.S. Open game on Monday wearing a face mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor, the African-American nurse shot dead by police who raided her apartment in Kentucky in March.
I'd like to see her wear a mask bearing the name of Bernell Trammell, an African-American man killed in Milwaukee because he was a Trump supporter.
Vernon Watts
If America is such a systemic racist country why are so many people from around the world willing to risk life and limb to get here?
Strangerland
Then I imagine you must have then been shocked when you searched for videos of black people being treated unreasonably by the police, when you fact-checked yourself to see if you were in a confirmation bias echo chamber.
Bjorn Tomention
So has does she feel about the foreigners here in Japan (she claims Japanese ancestary) being openly discriminated on race ? Is she getting up on her podium about that ? Nah didnt think so.
Is she discriminating based on race ie her race is more important than others or are we all equal?
awomde
Breonna Taylor was a drug dealer
Jacob Blake is a rapist
George Floyd was a violent criminal
Clebes/Sportspeople hitching their Social Justice Warrior bandwagon to the wrong types
Strangerland
You think being a high paid athlete protects one from systemic racism? Didn’t bother to fact-check yourself to see if you’re in a confirmation bias echo chamber did you.
sakurasuki
I just couldn't image if black person exercise open and carry right just as a white person in US. Simply puting hands inside pocket can be lead to fatality.
While person like Kyle Rittenhouse can carry weapon and shot people to dead still free and well.
Strangerland
I don’t get it. This means that these people rightfully face extrajudicial extermination? That Breona deserved to be murdered as she slept?
The whole problem with expecting martyrs to be perfect is that the martyrs are coming from a pool of people who have been marginalized, providing more incentive and desperation that leads to crime. It’s harder to find a martyr who hasn’t skirted the law.
memoryfix
Strangerland
In nearly all the “famous” shootings of blacks by white police, it starts with the white cop trying as much as possible to be patient and polite. Then the black guy flips out and trouble follows. Check the famous cases of traffic stops. Or the guy killed in Atlanta who parked in a drive-through zone. The cops are really polite.
However, I’ve seen cases where they were not. And that was when white guys were killed by the cops.
Jax
https://youtu.be/okUVUQpZyIA
One of the answers why the cop needs to assume the worst when faced with a person who resists arrest or doesn't cooperate. Especially in America, where there is 300 million pieces of guns.
Sam Harris said it all in his podcast too. So did Chris Rock on "how not to get your bum kicked by the police."
socrateos
Peter Neil:
How do you know that? She has become famous only recently. Besides, she does not exist alone; she has family, she has relatives; she has friends. She hears stories from all of them. It's a black people's experience. It's a serious problem that need to be addressed. That you cannot recognize it shows how deep the problem is.
Serrano
If America is such a systemic racist country why are so many people from around the world willing to risk life and limb to get here?
America is such a racist country we elected an African-American president twice.
Strangerland
Would you wear a shirt bearing the name of Breonna Taylor?
sakurasuki
If that number proportionate black population is 12.5% and white population is 60.5% then when there is 506 fatality among white population then it should be only 127 death among black people while the fact is 160. So there's some disproportionate.
Of course this number only speak little, only tell about the shooting while there more stories on the street like what happened to Kalief Browder.
NOMINATION
The funny thing is a lot of people don't know anything about the topic they claim to be passionate about. Rand Paul, senator of Kentucky, was walking with his wife after the Trump rally. BLM protesters yelled "Black Lives Matter" and "say her name" to him while attacking him. Rand Paul is a long time advocate for criminal justice reform and was the one that made Justice for Breonna Taylor Act abolishing no-knock warrants. All people see is old, white and coming from a Trump rally.
finally rich
Exactly!!
It's surreal all this mayhem over a suspect reaching for something in his car during a police stop.
Guess people should watch more PoliceActivity vids on Youtube for a little dose of reality.
Strangerland
You don’t have to imagine. It’s been documented:
https://youtu.be/StrqQLQr8BA
memoryfix
Wow, so sad. Naomi Osaka was so simple and “ Japanese” in deferring away from controversy. But they got to her. Expect her head to be the size of a tennis court within a year, That’s what happens to the egos of celebrities that “speak out“. And don’t talk about how she’s “free” and “has the right”. The question you should ask is if she’s free to NOT speak out.
I liked Naomi. And a great talent. But - to be honest - not what you’d call a very smart girl.
Toasted Heretic
Funny how strong women role models who have something to say really upset why people.
sakurasuki
Why not? Other celebs and public figure do that. What is the different from other kind of activism that already being done by public figure from Leonardo DiCaprio to Harrison Ford, just choosing different theme.
sakurasuki
People who made it video they did it for experiment, just one slight wrong move it could lead to another fatality.
Toasted Heretic
In bizarre world but not in this one.
Toasted Heretic
A real pity these victims of racism aren't alive to counter your statement.
Strangerland
You don’t actually think this is a logical question do you?
sakurasuki
Have you checked Charlie Kinsey's case? He already comply and lying in the ground while keep his arm visible to law enforcement, he've done nothing wrong while trying to help someone else with autism, they just shot him anyway.
sakurasuki
Because they know they are being recorded, what if their cam is not being active? What will they do? Public really need to rely on bystander to record that, for example Rodney King's case.
Toasted Heretic
Post of the year.
Speed
Um...I'm not really interested in what she has to say about this. Well, you know? Maybe you'll understand or something, So I thought I'd just sort of put it out there.
memoryfix
sakurasuki
No, they are obviously being polite and patient. Check it. Can’t be faked and rehearsed. Check the videos on YouTube.
Look, it all starts with this: Blacks are far more likely %-wise, to commit crime. I know it. You know it. I don’t know if you’re black or white, but you know it. Jesse Jackson knows it. He said how he’s afraid on a street with black men possibly following him.
Start with that fact. All the problems stem from that and people’s refusal to admit what they know.
NOMINATION
Funny thing is her very own grandparents disapproved of her mother marrying a black man that they disowned her until Naomi was 15. After she started making a name for herself, they welcomed her with open arms. This is recent history folks. I guess it has been a boost to his fishing company too. Throwing money at racism will make it magically disappear I guess.
Shinjuku No Yaju
How is it that so many anti-black comments never EVER get deleted by mods.
no one is protesting robbers and criminals in the act being shot by police. But a nurse sleeping in her bed? Come on. You’re not a traitor to the Right if you admit that that’s just wrong
Osaka isn’t our toy or our employee. She is free to express herself and her views in anyway she sees fit. If her sponsors feel Black lives are worthless then she’ll lose them and I’m sure some of you will be thrilled.
BLM too.
sakurasuki
Proof?
https://www.vox.com/2016/7/8/12128858/police-racism-officers-admit
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/06/nyregion/nyc-police-subway-racial-profiling.html
Some officer and ex-officer finally admit that they are under direct order to do racial profiling. Their initial disproportionate engagement is already based on this kind of profiling, which some of those engagement can lead to fatality at the end.
memoryfix
sakurasaki
Preparedness is not bias. Of course, with 1) the high incidence of black crime, and 2) the politics and violent protesting associated with it, they HAVE to consider the ramifications. They are forced to.
But - again - return to the fundamental problem: Why do black men commit so much crime? And other black people are usually the victims - Sometimes helpless, elderly black people alone in their apartments or walking. Do you care nothing about them?
Bjorn Tomention
Shut up and play tennis !
Same like those actors shut up and act !
Same like that race car driver shut up and drive !
their opinion or view is worth no more than any other persons, worth no more than the samwich maker the factory worker the taxi driver the store clerk or anyone else, why do these self centered people think they have more weight to their opinion or what they say carries more substance.
Sure they can have an opinion, share with their friends dont grand stand it , or do we all get a podium to stand on in the park and spout our own views on things ...............................maybe i could hire a black truck and put loud speakers on it and drive round town playing speeches over and over again..........
Stev
Tennis yes, politics please keep it to yourself else where.
Pukey2
nomination:
And yet he didn't think lynching should be made a crime.
Spare me your tears. If I had my way, I'd make going around having lunch with colleagues and friends and using swimming pools while all the time knowing you are most likely infected with the virus a big fat crime.
There's a reason why his neighbor found him annoying.
sakurasuki
@memoryfix
Preparedness? Now you are calling racial profiling as preparedness? The kind of preparedness that won't make prepare for someone horrible like Dylann Roof.
Whether preparedness can be justified, just read this an ex-cop Michael Wood interview, he mentioned that both black and white use the same illegal substance at the same rate.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33293421
But stop and frisk is being done based on reacial profiling, so easy to draw conclusion that black person commit a crime more than white.
Michael Wood, already being advocate for better policing in US, you can find more about internet if you are interesting to find out facts how policing is being done.
sakurasuki
Wow I can believe in 21st century, still have that kind of voice just like in plantation in 18th century.
Some people they know that public eyes are on them, and they can make real change by doing so.
Or you are proposing that just stay quite and hope everything just move toward better way?
memoryfix
sakurasuki
Michael Wood is a revolting scam.
JeffLee
As far as I can gather, the only time she was a direct victim of racism was when her Japanese grandparents kicked her and parents out of the family home on the basis of race. Life is certainly a lot better for her in the USA, where she now chooses to live.
Naomi might get more respect if she came clean about such things and were not so blatantly selective in her outrage.
Yes, she does. And we have the right to criticize her. And she makes such an easy target.
Stop!Hammertime.
Elijah McClain was a black, unarmed 23-year-old, described as a "spiritual seeker, pacifist, oddball, vegetarian, athlete, and peacemaker who was exceedingly gentle," who was handcuffed and put in a chokehold by police and administered ketamine by paramedics. During the course of the interaction, the body cams of all three of the police officers "fell off."
Here are his last words:
"I can't breathe. I have my ID right here. My name is Elijah McClain. That's my house. I was just going home. I'm an introvert. I'm just different. That's all. I'm so sorry. I have no gun. I don't do that stuff. I don't do any fighting. Why are you attacking me? I don't even kill flies! I don't eat meat! But I don't judge people, I don't judge people who do eat meat. Forgive me. All I was trying to do was become better. I will do it. I will do anything. Sacrifice my identity, I'll do it. You all are phenomenal. You are beautiful and I love you. Try to forgive me. I'm a mood Gemini. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Ow, that really hurt! You are all very strong. Teamwork makes the dream work. Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to do that. I just can't breathe correctly."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Elijah_McClain
TheLongTermer
Because thats not convenient to talk about. Also, Japanese can be brutal, just ask the young lady who was Miss Japan of mixed race. Being a collective, conformist society, you dont get to "straddle" the line at your convenience in domestic Japan; your either Japanese, or you arent, and if you are not, your reminded constantly "this is Japan" if you become too individualistic. Wonder how long this will go on, before you start to see "complaints" of "is she really Japanese?"
Fighto!
All those Naomi Osaka haters on here are the first to claim "discrimination" against them in Japan, where there is close to zero risk they will be genuinely discriminated against, hunted down by police and shot dead. For simply having a different skin color.
Thats why I say her name for justice - Breonna Taylor.
Thats why I say his name for justice - George Floyd.
TheLongTermer
What about the haters of the mixed race girl who was Miss Japan? Can you read Japanese?
TheLongTermer
where is the cave at that you live in? I wanna go there.....lol,
some of these people just make it up and say whatever makes them feel good
TigersTokyoDome
Osaka protests the police killings of people of her own colour and you headline it activism.?
Whose headline (activism) is this? Japan Today or Matthew Stockman?
Bjorn Tomention
Venus Williams ( Black Woman )been playing on the same tennis tournament as osaka this week, , I noticed her because she has stuck to the game and not been grandstanding.....................she has been playing tennis not making political grandstanding the point.
Hoon Lee
To the posters who cite statistics to claim BLM protests are unfounded: what is your source?
How do you counter data that clearly show effect of race?
https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2020-06-03/data-show-deaths-from-police-violence-disproportionately-affect-people-of-color
Pierre LeVenerable
If BLMs want their lives to matter, I suggest them to take responsibilities for their crime rates (13% of black population causing 53% percent of murders), their culture of violence (gangster rap), their out of wedlock pregnancies, etc, the list goes on and on. Above all, stop asking for handouts; it is just insulting for hard working, law abiding black people, and it is not good for your psyche.
ohara
No - Kyle ventilated known FELONS, at least one of which was a pederast. You would really hope that having such degenerates agitating for your cause would make people stop and think.
Yes, Quite right.
Jonathan Prin
I am all for she gets a political opinion. Not on a court.
My employer forbids it for good obvious reason. Tennis system is enduring it not voluntarily.
Your star status should lead by example, not by asking formerly to follow their opinion.
And she is not black, she is half.
Long life to all sports people and respect everyone.
sakurasuki
Well that's because systematic racism that happening, let's say black person really want do have better life. Some of them try to ask for credit to the bank to start a business, they got perfect score, bank can and will reject them only because they live in redlined area. Where most of redlined area will likely happened in black communities neighborhood.
https://fortune.com/2020/06/19/banking-while-black-financial-discrimination-redlining/
In another time they want to vote for change so they can choose politician that in favor of their community. Problem is their vote for candidate of their choice will be gone due gerrymandering or other voter suppression technique.
https://www.businessinsider.com/why-black-americans-still-face-obstacles-to-voting-at-every-step-2020-6
Let's say these black people manage to have good education and try to find a good job, even when they send resume they employer will got during recruitment bias in the first place based on their names. Black and Hispanic names will less likely being preferred.
https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/9/18/16307782/study-racism-jobs
So when black people just stuck in poverty and stay in bad area of influence. At some point they'll commit crimes. You will put all blame only because of the number happened is there? Not by systematic racism?
sakurasuki
She is no one employee, not all people can have that kind advantage and put it in good way.
ohara
Osaka’s hypocrisy.
Cyrus Wu
she's fighting the good fight.
ohara
No wonder shes got it all wrong.
TheLongTermer
@Stop!Hammertime,
I used to be moved by such stories like you posted, but later, through life experiences, I became more of a realist and I investigate the whole story. The MSM recently has become quite crafty in leaving out key points that took place during events, which is very unprofessional and biased. After watching videos later, I was quite alarmed by the real events. Also, there are videos of white people being executed by police, very disturbing, but curiously nobody upset about it.
sakurasuki
Make sure you watch video of Charlie Kinsey, George Floyd, Philando Castile and Walter Scott. No need to involve MSM to see unedited footage.
TheLongTermer
I saw the video of one guy who was asked repeatedly to be complaint, and who refused and appeared to be on drugs
I saw the video of another young white guy in a hotel, lying prone, and asked to put his hands behind his back, he complied and was executed.
Thanks, but I can think and process information myself, Im old enough to do that without your narrating.
TheLongTermer
Also, something you failed to mention in your long lecture, the morale and support for law enforcement. When you have mayors, whom the police answer to, scapegoat and blame them, what does that do to their morale? MSM then reinforces this, with celebs and other Dem doofuses looking for votes, kind of a recipe for a disaster? and you have police men and women who are exhausted who finally snap. police brutality does exist and Im not a fan of all police but there comes a point when you got to get real about this. I used to get pulled over all the time by this one sheriff, because my car was a boat and the rear end was all over the place, looked like I was DWI. He used to annoy the hell out of me and pulled me over, check my breath etc. Solution? I got a different car. I didnt spit on him, F you or drive away. Dont drive around with cars with broken windows, expired or no tag, Your still going to get harrassed no matter what, but I reduce the risk as much as I can, even in Japan. Im not sold on all this is a black thing either. Some of the worst treatment in life has come from other whites. Japanese will tell you the same thing, their worst enemies have been other Japanese. Racism is there but its not a perfect world where your going to be accepted. I used to get enraged when I heard Japanese talking ish about me; I wanted to be accepted by them. I no longer do, and I dont get mad.
sakurasuki
So those officers will always assume people will always sober and in good condition of mental health, while shouting various instruction to comply? Pointing deadly weapon to them while they unarmed. Failed to comply will result not only punishment but death?
Oh you meant Daniel Shaver death in Arizona, that too being reported by what so called MSM, nothing is disproportionate. Unlike Breonna Taylor death in March 2020 that almost become untold story if BLM movement weren't there.
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/justice/2016/04/03/daniel-shaver-shooting-begged-life-orig-vstan-dlewis.cnn
https://www.foxnews.com/us/unarmed-mans-death-an-execution-by-arizona-officer-widow-says
But is it mature enough to do reality check?
Dr.Cajetan Coelho
Sports and games - life in full flow for the athlete and for the fans. Our sports icons have a lot to contribute in humanizing the Planet. They are yet to do justice to their enormous potential. All the best.
TheLongTermer
No rioting burning or national outrage? And the young thug cop was exonerated? What makes his death any different than the people you mentioned?
sakurasuki
So why different communities with certain embedded identities should have same reaction? Especially kind of identities that will get pulled over and being stop-frisk due racial profiling.
sakurasuki
You just mentioned that you are being profiled because of your car, so profiling does exist. So does racial profiling, the thing with race or physical appearance it's almost impossible to change. So some people just being end up being profiling over and over again.
Unfortunately for some people just really difficult for them just to survive economically day by day, so they don't have luxury to change their car or fix their car. Even for some race group, broken tail light is really different between life and death.
https://inequality.org/research/broken-tail-light-death-sentence/
TheLongTermer
I didnt either, at that time I was paid 800 USD a month, military salary.
You find a way, you make a way. Or like you, you make excuses.
sakurasuki
People life can be really different from one to another. As you said you were in military, that means that you are in good health, have stable income also with various military benefit. Not all people have that kind luxury, not to mention sometimes they can be a sole breadwinner in their family or even extended family.
ohara
Sakurasuki,
VS Naipaul (Nobel prize for literature - back when the Nobel prize still had credibility) despised those who used disadvantaged backgrounds or circumstances to excuse anti-social and criminal behavior.
And he knew of what he spoke.
oldman_13
When an article about Rui Hachimura on this website discussed the racism he experienced growing up, and how he wanted to be an inspiration for others growing up and all, I didn't see anyone complaining that he was injecting the discussion of race into politics. In fact quite a few people used that to further engage in negative stereotyping of Japan.
Yet, now Naomi wants to discuss the problem of race and racism in America, using her celebrity status, and I mostly see people complaining about keeping politics out of sports, as well as trying to deny that there exists a serious race problem still in America.
We stand with you Naomi, the fact that so many want to insult and denigrate your cause, proves that you are on the right course.
ohara
the fact that so many want to insult and denigrate your cause, proves that you are on the right course.
Well, thats bizarre logic but makes as much sense as Osaka, I guess.
Stop!Hammertime.
I don't doubt it. And sometimes the police are completely unjustified in their treatment of people, and go straight to arrest and detainment before trying any other de-escalating techniques. Sandra Bland another example.
Mr Kipling
She is trying to raise her profile in the US. After “becoming Japanese” and shunning the US, the country her family fled to to escape racism in Japan, she has a lot to do.
Jimizo
Regardless of what you think of her opinion, those in favour of freedom of speech shouldn’t be telling her not to exercise her right to it. Argue with her opinion but not her right to express it.
Freedom of speech applies to all people regardless of how many people they reach.
sakurasuki
Excuse of anti-social and criminal behavior?
All Osaka did, was trying to to raise awareness about what happened to Breonna Taylor, unarmed nurse who was sleeping in her bed then shot to dead by sworn law enforcement.
Peter Neil
The circumstances surrounding Breonna Taylor are well known in the US. Raising awareness of what? You act as if you're enlightening us. You're posting without reading what's been said here.
The circumstances of racial profiling are well known.
Everybody knows about red lining by banks.
The article and topic is Osaka's claim that Blacks are suffering "genocide at the hand of police" and she wants to raise awareness? Everyone is "aware" already. Five white people are killed by police for every one Black person.
Blacks interact with police more than they should because Black males (6.5% of population) commit 44% of all crimes in the US and commit over 50% of all murders.
If blacks didn't commit crime way out of proportion to population, less Blacks would interact with police and less Black people would be killed and less police would be killed.
If she wants to stop Black people from being killed, she should be raising awareness that Blacks should stop committing so many murders against other Blacks. 5,500 Blacks are murdered by Blacks.
It's not the police, it's Blacks killing each other. Raise awareness of that if you want to save lives.
Instead, we get a spoiled rich kid acting like it's "fashion" instead of real concern about people being killed.
Richard Gallagher
The issues she shines light on are institutional, systemic and purposeful, a construct of financial and economic policies and reflect a very prevalent corporate totalitarianism and increasingly authoritarian State. Read Wolin and Vitale. Racism is grossly reflected in the policing practiced throughout the USA and an inordinate number of minority individuals are the victims of extra-judicial killings. That she realizes a platform and is an activist is to be appreciated and welcome. That there is an awareness among athletes of the issue at hand & the willingness to act in protest or advancing critical postures towards repressive and violent actions by state agents is all to the good. One might recall a gathering of athletes in 1967: Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Carl Stokes, Walter Beach, Bobby Mitchell, Sid Williams, Curtis McClinton, Willie Davis, Jim Shorter, and John Wooten. All Black, who supported a rather unpopular action by Muhammad Ali, all did so at great risk to their careers. All were Black. The positions currently held by athletes of stature, such as Lebron James and others, recognizing gross injustice and violence against Blacks by the police & judiciary, is mirrored in Naomi Osaka. Naomi Osaka, is not only Japanese, she is Black. Osaka is bringing focus to the murder of Black individuals by agents of the state a minority of which she part, by the color of her skin and as the progeny of a Black Father, in the USA, she is Black. The onus of criminal behavior is on those agents of the state who murder innocent citizens, who do not happen to be Black, but because they are Black. The social issues which include impoverishment of specific stratums and segments of the body politic and social is very real and discriminates against people of color, it is designed to do so and the designated agents of control and enforcement are police, who kill about 1,000 individuals a year. Approximately 160 law enforcement officer aka police died last year from health issues, mostly wedded to obesity. She is to be lauded for her courage and stance, contrary to the posted negative assessments of Osaka, on this thread, she is very bright and articulate. She is only 22 years, old but exhibits an awareness well beyond some of the commentators on this thread.
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