Contact the station by telephone. Or 667369. 96. From Pacifica This is Democracy Now when you love to see one of these in the photos when somebody disrespects our flag to say I did that son of a bitch off the field right out the sky. President Donald Trump lashes out at players who joined a protest movement started by former 49 ers quarterback Collin Caprona against racism and police violence kneeling during the national anthem the head games Trump has attacked the n.f.l. The n.b.a. And some of their most popular athlete n.b.a. Superstar Le Bron James spoke out and all their defense. Will. Ask him a little bit of orders to. To get rid of players off the field because. They're exercising their rights and that's no right we'll look at how Trump's comments have sparked a nationwide protest on Sunday for the n.f.l. It was Choose your side Sunday with many n.f.l. Players taking a need during the national anthem while others locked arms or home teams stayed in the locker room some owners issued statements condemning Trump's comments to get response from former n.f.l. Player Dante Stallworth the nation's sports writer Dave siren and Dr Harry Edwards sociologist there are sports activists and he was the architect of the 1968 Olympic Project for Human Rights longtime staff consultant with the San Francisco 49 er's advising Collin copper net and he's the author of the revolt of the blackout then we look at climate justice after hurricane Harvey and the fenceline community of Port Arthur Texas home of the largest oil. Finery in the country I see you a small breasted there to greet the boredom with the what is there in the still of the night but tell stores to be in the still of the idea of the stores to leave your bright right towards the burbs the probably grow house you will need or like the rule book you'll play about words with the will even those combusted Barbara Bush will speak with Kelly who made history in 2007 by becoming the 1st African-American man to win the green Nobel Prize the Goldman Environmental Prize he's up from Port Arthur all that and more coming up. Welcome to Democracy Now Democracy Now dot org The War and Peace Report I mean the goodman this weekend the professional sports world was rocked by widespread protests against racism police brutality and President Trump on Sunday members of the majority of all National Football League teams took the name or locked arms during the national anthem or even sat out the anthem entirely in their locker rooms professional baseball players n.b.a. Players cheerleaders and national anthem singers also protested on Sunday that weekend of defiance came after Trump lashed out at players who joined a growing protest movement started by former 49 ers quarterback colony against racial injustice while speaking at a campaign rally in Huntsville Alabama Trump on Friday evening. Lou through and everyone in this arena to know they're unified by the same great American values we're proud of our country we respect our flag. When you love to see one of these or their followers when somebody disrespects our flag to say get that son of a bitch off the field right now the story. This morning President Trump tweeted quote many people booed the players who nailed yesterday which was a small percentage of total these are fans who demand respect for our flag unquote over the weekend Trump also took aim at the n.b.a. Rescinding an invitation to basketball champions the Golden State Warriors to visit the White House after the team's star player stuffed Curry said he would not attend in response to n.b.a. Superstar Le Bron James one of the nation's best known athletes tweeted you Stephan Curry already said he ain't going so therefore no invite going to White House was a great honor until you showed up Le Bron tweeted will have more on the protests across the sports world after headlines in Puerto Rico 100 percent of the island just still without power after Hurricane Maria in the northwest corner of the island $70000.00 people have been ordered to evacuate the areas around the world have taka dam which was damaged by Hurricane Maria and is at risk of collapsing at any minute there when I was yesterday an emergency crew arrived and said that we had to evacuate because the dam collapsed it had a 30 foot critic and we had to move when the water was a scaping it left a big hole it was ugly it destroyed the bridge we made a pass to leave through another way we didn't really have much communication the last thing the authorities said was to leave and we couldn't take anything I don't have anything it was all there in the house. Because Governor Ricardo roughs a hero has called the hurricane the worst catastrophe in the island's history Meanwhile in Mexico the death toll from last week's devastating magnitude 7 point one earthquake has risen to over 300 people as southern Mexico was shaken by 2 more earthquakes Saturday among those who died in last week's earthquake or garment workers who were buried after their factory collapse this is a garment worker organizer Gloria Diego months on. To the world to New Mexico and here in this budget conditions are just so you must 1905 that is why we are here it is painful to see that here in this base just us what happened in San Antonio there were so many bodies taken away there were so many bodies trapped in the rubble and today just as they did 32 years ago they hide how many bodies they really found and how many have died that is why we came out here to keep on struggling from each of our own spaces President Trump has again threatened to destroy all of North Korea a nation of 25000000 people on Saturday Trump tweeted just heard foreign minister of North Korea speak at u.n. If the echoes thoughts of little Rocket Man and apparent reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un they won't be around much longer Trump's tweet came after the North Korean foreign minister said Trump was on a suicide mission. Well due to his liking and basic common knowledge and proper sentiment he tried to insult the supreme dignity of my country by referring to it as a rocket you know one by doing so however he committed an irreversible mistake of making our rockets visit into the entire us mainland it inevitable all the more none other than Trump himself is on a suicide mission in case innocent lives of the us are lost because of this suicide attack will be held totally responsible on Saturday tens of thousands of North Koreans rallied in Pyongyang at a protest against u.s. Military aggression the trumpet ministrations issued a new order expanding the travel ban to include the countries of chad in North Korea and some government officials from Venezuela the New Order also include some restrictions on citizens from Iraq as well as all citizens of Iran Libya Syria Yemen and Somalia it's slated to go into effect on October 18th that's even more extensive than Trump's original ban which caused widespread protests today airports nationwide and has been blocked by multiple courts on Capitol Hill Republican lawmakers are scrambling to save their latest effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act after it looks like they will again fail to secure enough votes to pass the legislation on Friday Republican Arizona Senator John McCain announced he will not support the Gramm Cassady Bill Kentucky Senator Rand Paul also opposes the legislation and Maine Senator Susan Collins Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and Texas Senator Ted Cruz have all indicated they may vote against the bill top Republicans have revised the legislation to add additional benefits for Alaska and Maine and efforts to woo senators Murkowski and Collins is votes in Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel has won a 4th term and Sunday elections although her victory was overshadowed by the surge in support for the extremist right wing party Alternative for Germany the zenith phobic an anti immigrant party won 13 percent of the vote becoming the 1st far right wing party to break into the German parliament in more than 6. Years Meanwhile tensions continue to escalate over Catalonia its independence referendum October 1st the Spanish government's tried to take control of Catalonia as police force although Catalan police chiefs rejected the move also over the weekend pro referendum organizers distributed a 1000000 paper ballots ahead of Sunday's vote in northern Iraq voters are heading to the polls today for a referendum on Kurdish independence the governments of Iraq and Iran have both retaliated against the referendum Iran's halted flights to and from the semi autonomous Kurdish regions and launch war games at the Kurdish border Iraq also tightens its control over the region's borders and called on countries to stop importing oil from the Kurdish areas the Pentagon says it launched 6 drone strikes into Libya on Sunday killing at least 17 people the Pentagon describes the drone strikes as an attack on an ISIS training camp and says the 17 victims were ISIS militants it's the 1st time the u.s. Has launched drone strikes into Libya since President Trump took office in Turkey Syrian American journalist Hala Barakat and her mother Syrian opposition activist of Aruba Barakat have been assassinated in Istanbul their bodies were found in their apartment on Thursday night Hala worked with the opposition outlet Orient t.v. Her mother was a member of the political opposition group the Syrian National Coalition their family members believe the Syrian regime is behind the assassinations in France union workers have blocked access to fuel depots across the country amidst increasing resistance to the new and to worker laws signed by French president and then you will not comment on Friday the last signal the biggest changes to the French labor market in decades they radically empower corporations at the expense of workers including by weakening collective bargaining rights and limiting workers' ability to win compensation for wrongful termination on Saturday tens of thousands of people in Paris protested the new law. Was this is leftist politician Gianluca. For the decrees do you can law they have to come back before Parliament a battle zone over it's only just starting oh no we've now been told that democracy doesn't happen in the street Mr President you'll need to take a look at French history to learn that it was the street that brought down the King it was the street that brought down the Nazis. Now I shan't run for president against President that Kong back in the United States in St Louis at least 22 people were arrested Saturday protesting the acquittal of white former police officer Jason Stokley for the murder of 24 year old African-American Anthony Lamar Smith Saturday's protest at the St Louis Galleria shopping mall is the latest in a series of protests over the police officers acquittal earlier this month and in Washington d.c. Students at the historically black college Howard University disrupted a speech by former f.b.i. Director James Comey Friday over the F.B.I.'s efforts to undermine African-American resistance to police brutality if you're president Frederick. You are. And those are some of the headlines This is Democracy Now democracy now or the war and peace report I mean we could men. In the biggest display of defiance for decades football teams across the nation protested President Donald Trump after he attacked the n.f.l. N.b.a. And some of their most popular athletes for daring to draw attention to racism and police violence by taking the knee during the national anthem at a campaign rally and Huntsville Alabama Friday evening trumpet lashed out at players to join this growing protest movement that well in its latest incarnation was started by the former 49 ers quarterback Collin capper Nick against racial injustice nailing during the national anthem made the comments while stumping for Senator Luther Strange to replace Jeff Sessions in a close Republican primary and Alabama would you love to see one of these. When somebody disrespects our. Son of a big old road oh my God the. The with the with the with the the the the. You know some order is going to do that. He's going to say that guy that this is these folks are full and he's fired. That oh no they don't know it they don't know if they're friends of mine many of them they don't know they'll be the most popular person per week they'll be the most popular person in this country because that's a total disrespect of our heritage that's a total disrespect of everything that we stand for Ok Trump speech took place in the city of Huntsville a couple hours from our Alabama's governor George Wallace openly embrace segregation and his 1963 inaugural address during his remarks Trump urge football fans to turn off their T.V.'s when athletes protest during the national anthem but you know what's hurting the game more than that when people like yourselves turn on television and you see those people taking the knee when they're playing our great national anthem. The only thing you could do better is if you see it even if it's one player leave the stadium I guarantee things will stop things will stop just picked up with the trumpets comment immediately well comments immediately true outrage and criticism and f l commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement quote divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect the n.f.l. Players Association president Eric Winston said Trump's comments were quote a slap in the face to the civil rights heroes of the past and present former n.f.l. Wide receiver and Kwan Bolden told a.b.c. News he and other athletes are concerned about Trump's hate speach. The president's words are real divisive. Don't like the speech that is coming out of this model neither do the players in the locker room so I think we need to spend the go there and show that we're we're all about uniting one another and not the divisive rhetoric that's come over tomorrow for the president ahead of this series of n.f.l. Games Sunday Trump again or football fans to boycott n.f.l. Games unless clubs punish players who protest during the national anthem and tweeted if n.f.l. Fans refuse to go to games until player stop respecting our flag and country you'll see change take place fast fire or suspend n.f.l. Attendance and ratings are way down boring games yes but many stay away because they love our country league should back you ass trumps comments sparked nationwide protests with players on most teams participating in some form of protest ahead of Sunday games n.f.l. Players to kneel down locked arms during the national anthem included members of the Buffalo Bills Denver Broncos New Orleans Saints Miami Dolphins Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cleveland Browns Philadelphia Eagles New York Giants Super Bowl champions New England Patriots also protested with white quarterback Tom Brady interlocking arms with teammates of color as others kneeled several players and staff from the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltar rate Ravens also knelt in defiance of the game in London journalist Shaun King noted $27.00 players and staff from both teams participated in the protest making it the most ever in one game he wrote and nearly the entire Pittsburgh Steelers team sat out the national anthem in the locker room ahead of their game against the Chicago Bears who stood on the sidelines with their arms locked in solidarity Meanwhile during Game one of the w. N.b.a. Finals the links the length arms during the national anthem while the sparks stayed in their locker room the protest spread to baseball teams as well with the. Oakland Athletics Bruce Maxwell becoming the 1st major league player to kneel during the national anthem on Saturday night Max was born on an Army base his father is in the military he told reporters he is quote kneeling for people that don't have a voice and on Saturday legendary musician Stevie Wonder joined protesting athletes by kneeling on stage before his performance at the global citizens festival Meanwhile Trump also took aim at the n.b.a. Rescinding an invitation to basketball champions the Golden State Warriors to visit the White House after the team star player Steph Curry said he would not attend Curry told reporters he and some of his teammates disagree with Trump and quote the things that he said and the things that he hasn't said in the right times and response Trump tweeted quote going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team Steph Curry is hesitating therefore invitation is withdrawn this is Kerry responding to Trump's Twitter attack because it means to rid of those all types of players the Golden State Warriors say they'll visit Washington d.c. But skip the White House and instead quote celebrate a quality diversity and inclusion. Unquote trims Tweed also drew a sharp rebuke from n.b.a. Superstar Le Bron James one of the nation's best known athletes he tweeted that trump quote you Stephan Curry already said he ain't going so therefore a no invite going to White House was a great honor until you showed up James posted this video on his Instagram account on Saturday as of Sunday evening it had been viewed over 2000000 times you look at him. Asking you know the n.f.l. Owners to to get rid of players off the field because they're you know exercising their rights and that's not right and then you know when I wake up a see that you know a colleague of mine has been uninvited of something and he said he didn't even want to go to in the 1st place you know to the White House. You know that's just something I can't stand for man. You know you know Jimmy Oh he'll win Colin Kaepernick and you know all these people are speaking up and you know it's put a great of call this for this for us all come together is not about of division is not about divide we as American people need to actually just come together even more stronger man because this is a very critical time and maybe in the in the position I am I had a voice to see you also love your basketball star Le Bron James Meanwhile Sunday even some of the anthems singers participated in the protests during the n.f.l. Games and Motown before the Lions game that Ford Field singer Rico Lavelle performed the Star-Spangled Banner pausing between home of the and brave to drop to his right knee and raise his left hand in a fist a move that recalled the Black Power salute of u.s. Olympians John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Or. When we come back from break we'll be joined by 3 guests Dr Harry Edwards professor emeritus sociology University of California Berkeley advisor to Colin Kaepernick We'll also be speaking with sports writer Dave Xyron and we'll be speaking with former n.f.l. Star Dante Stallworth This is Democracy Now back in a minute. Part Him. That Stevie Wonder performing Saturday night at the Global Citizen concert in Central Park that was after he took both need as he said it for America and for the world this is democracy now Democracy Now dot org The War and Peace Report I mean the good men in the biggest display of athletic defiance in years sports teams across the nation football baseball and basketball protested President Donald Trump after he attacked the n.f.l. The n.b.a. And some of their most popular athletes for daring to draw attention to racism and police violence we go now to get response we're joined by 3 people and Palo Alto California we're joined by Dr Harry Edwards professor emeritus of sociology at University California Berkeley author of a number of books including The Revolt of the Black Athlete reissued this year for its 50th anniversary edition he was the architect. Of the 1968 Olympic Project for Human Rights longtime staff consultant with the San Francisco 49 years where he worked with Collin Caprona and Washington d.c. We're joined by Dante Stallworth a sports commentator former n.f.l. Player who spent 10 years in the league and also with us Dave Zirin a sports editor for The Nation magazine His latest piece for the n.f.l. It was Choose your side Sunday we welcome you all to Democracy Now Harry Edwards let's begin with you have you seen anything like this in one day yesterday what happened across this country and beyond Oh absolutely not I mean in the 1960 s. You had pockets of athletes who are engaged in political activity some of the greatest sports personalities in the history of this country but there was nothing on this scale Mr Trump has managed to precipitate something that all of us. Intellectuals and media types would never have been able to achieve through his ignorance impulsiveness and then victim of this and so what he has done if anybody is leading this movement it's Mr Trump who has done more to put it on track and to move it forward than any other individual in history I mean President Trump has managed to do something that hasn't happened in quite a while like Roger Goodell the head of the n.f.l. Being united with players talk about the response of the predominantly almost all white coaches the staff and the players to describe what we saw yesterday from game to game whether the players stayed back in the locker room for the amp them or went down on a day or locked arms like Tom Brady not usually seen in solidarity in this way who talked about President Trump as being disrespectful. Mr Trump. First of all through the owners under the bus the owners who had been supporting him all of a sudden had to choose between him and all right and that. Cheap applause that he got in Alabama and their own players and they knew from the moment that he made those statements if they didn't stand up on the right side of these issues and join their players they've signed their last free agent they probably would have a great deal of difficulty signing the draft choices and they would have tremendous problems in their locker room because of the Princeps of what this what the owner stood for who took Mr Trump's advice again this demonstrates Mr Trump's utter ignorance of the dynamics of athletics in this country particularly at the elite levels what holds teams together what motivates them and what they consider to be important and critical in terms of their own involvement in this great American sports institution so again like in almost every other area that he has entered he's chosen a business ignorance of what is important what's going on and he doesn't have that date to throw even his closest associates and supporters under the bus and I will say something else we haven't heard the last of him in the sports arena and so we had better prepare ourselves to respond objective link collectively in unity because going forward he's going to continue this vindictive tirade that he's been on and I wanted to turn to the former. N.f.l. Head coach I can and New York Jets Rex Ryan well known Trump supporter speaking Sunday on e.s.p.n. Ryan blasted Trump for his criticism of n.f.l. Players saying he's appalled by Trump's comments on stuff I'll be honest with you you know because I said no to Donald Trump you know I sat back in when he asked me to. Introduce a matter rally you know in Buffalo I did that but I'm very nice comments and it's it's appalling that me and I'm sure it's appalling new to almost any citizen in our country it should be you know calling our players you know S.O.B.'s and all that kind of stuff that's not that's not the men that I know men and I know in the locker room I'm proud of I'm proud to be associated with those people. And it's just so you don't apologize for being stalked but guess what that's it because right away I'm associated with what Donald Trump stands for and all that because you know I introduced him I never signed up for that I never wanted. Dave Xyron you've been covering sports and protest for a long time describe everything that we show you say I mean we're not only talking about the n.f.l. N.b.a. Cheerleaders the actual anthems singers themselves w. N.b.a. As well women's basketball. And 1st and foremost I mean I just want to say what an honor it is to do this show with Dr Harry Edwards it's impossible he said it's impossible to think about this moment happening without Donald Trump I think it's impossible to see this moment happening without the work of Dr Harry Edwards over the last 5 decades I will say this Donald Trump thought he knew what he was doing in Huntsville Alabama he has a tremendous ability to speak to the worst instincts of his audience and I'm sure in his lizard brain he looked at that audience of senior citizens white Senior Citizens Council in Alabama and said to himself you know what I think that going after young black men will be a big win and that's what he does he goes after people of color he goes after women he goes after people that his base will celebrate their destruction and yet what he did not understand maybe because he never played the game of football he did not understand that in football locker rooms they have what Seattle Seahawks Michael Bennett calls Brotherhood and Brotherhood could be seen as another word for solidarity and it's kind of like a Spartacus thing like an injury to one is an injury to all kind of thing and so you think about what Donald Trump said at that rally and what n.f.l. Players and owners heard you've got to take in the whole thing of what he said 1st and foremost he called the players S.O.B.'s and he use. The b word and that's going after players mothers and you just do not do that 2nd he went after their livelihoods saying that they should be fired 3rd of all he went after their freedoms their right to dissent and it also has to be said that Donald Trump because he doesn't know the game did not understand that the players who have been dissenting and I'm talking about people like Malcolm Jenkins Michael Bennett they're not just individuals they're not just people who are sitting during the anthem they are people who are considered leaders in locker rooms the most respected people in the National Football League so he's going after people who a lot of these coaches love they love having these guys in their locker room because they're some of the most thoughtful people that they have and so what Donald Trump spurred is remarkable and I'd be remiss Amy if I did not read to your audience just so people know how deep the politics of what we saw Sunday was the statement made by the Seattle Seahawks and their refusal to come out for the national anthem it's brief and it's worth reading this is what they said they said we will not stand for the injustice that has plagued people of color in this country out of love for our country and in honor of the sacrifices made on our behalf we unite to oppose those that would deny our most basic freedoms we remain committed in continuing to work towards equality and justice for all we have reached a point where protesting the anthem is an act that actually demands more unity than whatever it is that Donald Trump is saying from his bully pulpit I want to go to Michael Bennett himself a Seattle Seahawks n.f.l. Star appeared on Democracy Now a few months ago and I asked him about n.f.l. Quarterback Collin capper next decision to protest against racial pressure and police brutality by taking the need during the pre-game national anthem. When he took that and it just it just made me realize that you know when he did in the way that he made people speak around the world of this it was like well at least really do have this platform that a lot of people just just just want to hear and when he made a decision to do it changed a lot of it brought us some good and some people but it also brought some brought some beauty in some people and I think. For us for me personally it just needs to be so even though you know join him in trying to make it try to make it to get his message more make it make you more people understand him they want to be a part of it where young kids are speaking about it so that's Seattle Seahawks Michael Bennett speaking to us in February now Dave siren I want to ask you about the history of the playing of the national anthem it wasn't always like this was it weren't the teams usually in their locker rooms did this have to do with payment that the Pentagon made to the n.f.l. To start recruiting more people because young people watch football Oh Amy playing the national anthem and having the teams lined up before games it has a long and hallowed history that goes back to the days of Jersey Shore and Justin Bieber I mean we're talking 2009 is fast and furious 4 came out in 2009 that's how long players have lined up for the anthem and yes it comes out of a partnership between the Department of Defense and the National Football League everything you see it games for years until it was uncovered by Senator Jeff Flake from Arizona everything you said and John McCain and I and John McCain Yes and showing it in like showing like the salute to the true moments and and all of these spectacles they really were about recruitment for the armed forces and they paid tens of millions of dollars to the National Football League to do these kinds of events which speaks to. I think that this partnership that exists and how patriotism exists in these events this is not some long tradition I mean this is something that's very very short tradition and one that was absolutely geared with post 911 war on terror concern about the recruitment levels for the armed forces and seeing the n.f.l. As a way to shore up those numbers and paying billionaires money to make this a reality and yes this was only this was something also that was hidden it was discovered by the investigation of those Arizona senators and I think that sort of gives the game away as far as what all this is about I mean Shrum speaks about it as if it is this kind of long hallowed tradition of players standing at attention for the anthem when it's actually something very recent and very I think just monetary in terms of the n.f.l. Perspective. Was that Harry Edwards but you know the. But you know the it's not about the anthem is this you have a point and we don't want to get hung up on what Colum did was not an attack on Anthem it was not an attack on the military it was not even an attack on police it was an attack on and justice and he was no more against the anthem than he was against the soldiers who are in Afghanistan and in Iraq and so we don't want to get to tie it up on the film at its place and sports and so forth we want to look at the issues anything else is a red herring that is one column was about this not even about a column getting the quarterback job again that's like saying that we should mow the Montgomery the Montgomery bus boycott movement should have been about Rosa Parks getting her seat back it has to be about things much broader than that and so we want to understand the history and them mix of the politics of the national anthem and how they're being played by people such as Trump but we don't want to lose sight about what this struggle is about it's about injustice in American society Dr Harry Edwards you are certainly speaking from personal experience you're an advisor to Collin copper neck and for people who haven't been following the whole controversy around him after he 1st took the name. 49 or star now not being able to get a job I mean I'm talking to you from New York where 1000 people came out protesting outside of n.f.l. Headquarters talk about Collins' response right now to what we're seeing mass protests across the country. Collin County that is getting ready to play football I think that that has been his his commitment all of this discussion about whether he wants to play Jesus is he willing to offer an apology an apology for what he plays football he is an activist in the struggle for human rights and justice in American society those 2 things are not contradictory and so this notion that perhaps he doesn't want to play anymore perhaps he wants to be. A civil rights leader and say I mean those 2 things are not contradictory so a lot of that is simply a rationalization for a reactionary culture where owners far whatever reason are reluctant to call him company the opportunity to play the very idea that there are $96.00 quarterbacks in this league including $32.00 clipboard hold those who are so much better than Collin cap and who took his team to 3 conference championships on a Super Bowl that there's so much better than column company that he does not even deserve a chance far tryout is ludicrous this is something that the league alone with siding with their players within the very near future is going to have to correct Collin Kaplan Nick belongs at least. Feel holding a clipboard you can't make any other argument especially given some of the performances that have shown up in the 1st 3 weeks about quarterbacks in this league so that's a challenge that the league is still confronted with but what Collin cap'n is doing is preparing to play football because that's one of the things. That he does and I wanted to bring in our current gas to spend waiting patiently Dante style where former n.f.l. Star Oh you've played with the Philadelphia. Hearing on Patriots Cleveland Brown. Baltimore Ravens and beyond a lot of those teams took action yesterday your thoughts and feelings as you saw them on. On the field and also those that just stayed back in the locker room for the playing of the national anthem. 1st I want to say that I totally agree with and share Dave's sentiments on Dr Edwards and appreciate everything that he has done and everything that he is continuing to do and staying engaged in the political debate in this in this environment. I prefer I just want to say definitely definitely appreciate your doctor was. I believe that when you when you look at the players and we all we all of kind of you know use the word solidarity and that's exactly what is brotherhood amongst people that are in the locker room we see each other every day we are we are essentially like family and we treat each other's like we treat each other like brothers and so when I see guys that have that have long before today or long before the last couple weeks guys have been engaged in in this political discourse not just by talking about it but they have been engaged where the president himself has been absent or has been in opposition to to the roots of these reforms in helping to make this country. A more a more perfect union and by that I'll say this you get a guy like Chris Long from the Philadelphia Eagles he has donated or he is donating his 1st 6 games picks his 1st 6 out of that of 16 total game checks he is donating to his hometown in Charlottesville where obviously they had the white supremacists and the Nazis Marcion openly and freely he's donating money to as he called to promote equality through education Donald Trump and his administration has worked to defund groups that counter. White supremacist extremists the h.s. And the f.b.i. Came out with a joint intelligence briefing back in May and they warned heavily about the about the war in heavily about the dangers of these white supremacists using violence and you see that the players have worked. Much more than the president has on these reform issues you go to Doug Baldwin of the Seattle Seahawks who met with the Seattle police chief and met with police officers from the from the police department he also spoke and had a meeting with the with the Washington state's attorney general Malcolm mount Malcolm. Excuse me Malcolm Jenkins and Kwan Bolden have been to the Capitol to speak to members of Congress I was able to they invited me out on on one trip where we 3 straight days we spoke to members of Congress on both sides of the Out to move the needle forward about these issues in criminal justice reform and beyond the players have taken the initiative where the president has been absent and where he has been in opposition towards these reforms so the players themselves now have even seen and nor now so now so more than ever that the president is in complete in total opposition to allowing players number one their 1st amendment rights that's the 1st thing and I think the other thing too that we have to be conscious of is to not allow Mr Trump to to hijack this conversation to hijack the narrative. You know obviously it's going to be in the media we're going to talk about it for a day or so but after that let's make sure that we're we're keeping our eye on the prize and I think Dr Edwards and both Dave alluded to that earlier that's the main focus where we need to keep is we can't allow the president to hijack this conversation and make it all about him because as we all know he does love attention on Daystar worth. You mention Charlottesville and president trying to spend more time now attacking black black athletes and calling for them to be fired then he has spent in any way criticizing the torch carrying protesters the white supremacists Charlottesville Can you talk about what we saw this weekend in and of course it wasn't. Lost on people in Alabama I mean in the mainstream media you often hear a question did he didn't realize the blowback that he would have isn't it exactly why he did it of course he understands what kind of response and whether it's due he's doing it to divert attention from perhaps losing the health care bill this week not clear but he has a very clear. Pattern of. Taking on these issues of white supremacist through his campaign talk about Charlottesville and who eats at tacking today and who he didn't attack and criticize. You always look at the president and when he speaks and you listen to him his initial reaction his natural reaction not a scripted tweet or not a scripted speech you listen to him off the cuff you listen to listen to him at his rallies you listen to him at 6 in the morning when he's God knows as well as he what he's doing at 6 in the morning but you listen to him when he's tweeting at 6 in the morning you look at what he is naturally inclined to say about these issues again not from a script or a scripted speech and time and time again what he has shown is an adversarial tone to professional athletes to people who are in opposition to his ideology to his politics and here shown somewhat of an affinity for 4 people that are dictatorial figures and I say that he is obviously has said things about Russian President Vladimir Putin he said favoring thing favor a favorable things about the Philippines president rather you go door to day and we all know about him in his mass killings with his quote unquote war on drugs and he's even said it would be an honor to meet Kim Jong he he aspires to be a dictator he's like the little dictator that could he aspires to be a full blown dictator and he's fighting against people that are in opposition of white supremacists and nasties he doesn't if in n.f.l. Players or American citizens 1st right or 1st the 1st member right. But he will defend and even embolden white supremacists as he does not again call them out within the 1st 48 hours and we have to you get the media that has to come down on him and condemn or get him to condemn these white supremacists and that's you that are marching in the street when it should be a natural reaction that to me that's very telling don't don't give us a scripted speech or a tweet we need to hear what you think. You know. It happens naturally in the heat of the moment and he's shown time and time again where his ideologies lie we have to break but when we come back we're going to continue this discussion we also bring want to bring in another issue and that is c.t.e. That is the tragic brain injury that n.f.l. Players suffer and talk about you know people are saying Collin Caprona began this all I mean I think the link is we've got Dr Harry Edwards here going from Collin capper Nick back to John Carlos right and Tommy Smith back in 1968 at the Mexico Olympics we're going to talk about all of us stay with us. This is Democracy Now Democracy Now dot org The War and Peace Report I'm Amy Goodman That was why it's so hard by the late great soul singer Charles Bradley who died at the age of 68 yes we are continuing to talk about the dig biggest display in. Athletic defiance in years sports teams across the nation protesting President Donald Trump after he attacked the n.f.l. The n.b.a. Some of their most popular athletes I want to go to what happened on Saturday night and then it's going way beyond sports now to entertainment to politics I want to go to Stevie Wonder he was singing before tens of thousands of people in New York and Central Park when he took both news at the Global Citizen festival tonight. I'm thinking in the for America it was just one of the. I'm taking. The If. The if knees in prayer harness. Future Our leader of the world. And our clone. That was Stevie Wonder there on both knees next to his son one of the people in the audience who is rocking out to Stevie Wonder with the New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and I got a chance to ask him. Thank you see when you're taking the. Fight No one doubts that you. Never. Respect. So we're talking about some of the biggest sports and entertainment protests that we have seen entertainers also around the country took the knee this weekend but I want to go back to 2011 when we got a chance to speak to the 1968 Olympic medalist and international civil rights icon John Carlos who talked about the shocked response of the audience in the Mexico City Stadium when he raised his fist in the now iconic black power salute I asked him what it was like after return to the United States from the Mexico City Olympics I think the main focus when I came back to realize that I was in this. The main focus within Islam was to do whatever was necessary to do to support your family you know I had individuals come to me with drugs in my house and tell me it is going to be rough to go that way I lived there must have preceded things from the days I can move on with dad taking jobs as security guards in nightclubs and so forth he couldn't get a job Dr Harry Edwards you are often referred to as the architect of the 1968 protest with Tommie Smith and John Carlos who we just heard Can you talk about the trajectory from 68 to a man you now advise to Collin Caprona. Well 1st of all we have to understand a John Carlos and Thomas Smith couldn't get a job before they went to the Olympics so as they're coming back nobody's surprise that's traditional that was traditional at the time what you went over and ran and represented the country when you came back you went back to the neighborhood and you joined the rest of the people who were pushed to the level of 2nd class citizens let me say one other thing I don't want to get off into too deep a discussion about whether Trump is deliberately looking to become a dictator or whether he's a white supremacist or any of that I think that we can all agree that even if he's not a white supremacist even if he doesn't want to become a dictator he most certainly will do until the real thing comes along that's what we have to deal with in terms of the trajectory of of developments and issues of 1908 and the protests that Mexico City and to Collin Kaplan in this is an ongoing struggle 1908 was the 3rd wave of athlete activism which was framed up about a black power movement this is the 4th wave of athlete activism which has been framed up substantially by the black lives matter movement and idiology and the thing about these athletes is that they have been consistent they have demonstrated they have organized in a way that project the dignity that projected nonviolence that projected commitment and that projected in many instances programs and so while you have people in the streets of Ferguson you have people in the streets of Baltimore you have people in the streets of St Louis as we speak these athletes are saying that look we're we can come together in unity and have an impact and make a difference it's not accidental that column cap'n it moved from protest to programs in pursuit of progress in terms of the issues that he's concerned about he's one of the. This most articulate and committed people that I have ever come across I knew Mohamed Ali most certainly work with Carlos and Smith Bill Russell Jim Brown some of these people from the 19th 6 this and I put him in that class and I'm pushing him I hope that he'll become a person of the year all of the athletes collectively and I personally am pushing him for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination even if he doesn't get it because I think he's going to have that impact as we look back 20 years from now 30 years from now and I think it should be recognized Dr Harry Edwards is there any possibility that that Cullen cap or neck of this athlete of the year will not have played a single game this year. That might happen I don't think would be an interest of the game or the n.f.l. For that to happen out of the coach's ownership and n.f.l. Have come as the black people characterize it I think that somebody is going to look around and look at some of the performances of the quarterbacks on the field and make up their mind that hey we're about winning football games the bottom line is that's what we do and if we can have people bring people back. Who have served prison time for murder and if we can bring people back who've been associated with double murders that we can bring people back with associated with domestic violence that we can drive people who hit so hard that he could have killed then we most certainly can bring somebody back who took a knee and stated to America and the world that we are better than 147 black men women and children being shot down in the streets of this country each year since 1968 we can bring that person back and at least give him a trial and see if you can help us win some football games so I would be surprised if every owner in the n.f.l. Is so blind and so cowardly by Trump and whatever the fraternity of ownership might be avoiding that they would not look around and say hey there's a water back out there who can help us win some football games and we're going to go and get him I want to ask before we get to the end about. About brain injury about the super athletes and what they are experiencing Dr Harry Edwards and I want to get Dante in on this this well 100. Men and 110 of them suffering from. After these players have died. Every athlete that I know and n.f.l. Have talked to about this is concerned about it athletes that I know going back to the 1985 Super Bowl with the Sam says go for it and I'm if they're concerned about it the one thing that is going to happen here as a consequence of this that nobody is looking at is the fact that it's going to become a predominantly black league because that's who's going to be playing football it already looks like when you talk about not who's on the roster but who's on the fill it already looks like gonna play Nigeria is going to become even blacker because that is who is going to be playing football there are few opportunities for these black athletes to move into other areas often times they don't trust the medical profession in any event and as one mother told me you were telling me about c.t.e. That might in fact impact them 25 years from now when my child could get his head blown off of going to football practice right here in this community we've got to get up and out of here so he's going to play football so at the end of the day we're looking at early there's going to be overwhelmingly black which brings additional emphasis and importance to the stand that owners and coaches and others have taken now that's a side effect of the c.t.e. Thing that nobody is talking about as far as the impact of hitting in football there's only so much hitting that you can take out of football before you have dodgeball already we have protected positions long snappers centers quarterbacks kickers punters and so forth how much further down that road can they go that becomes a contradiction that football has not figured a way out of down to the Pop Warner level there is still much about 10 seconds Dante just to get your response. I think the thing is is going to be there for a while it's not going to go away players are now becoming concerned more and more about not only their careers but about their children and they're in the people that they care about they they want to know what the research is on this and it's only becoming more and more prevalent that we're finding out more and more about this does it diminish if we have to leave it there former n.f.l. Player Dante Stallworth Dave Zirin of the nation and Dr Harry Edwards author of the revolt of the Black Athlete. And this is democracy now thanks for joining. Us this is going to Washington from Snap Judgment You're listening to. $96.00 f.m. Oakland community radio streaming at. 969. Open . Since else now this.