'Enough is enough': ESPYs get political

[superbeets]

[h=1]'Enough is enough': ESPYs get political as LeBron James, Steph Curry and fellow NBA stars call on America to 'see the value of black and brown bodies' and mom of slain high-school football player Zaevion Dobson, 15, pleads for gun control[/h]

• James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul opened the show
• They addressed police violence against black men Wednesday night
• Anthony said 'the system is broken' due to a 'racial divide'
• Paul gave roll-call of victims including Alton Sterling and Philando Castile
• Wade said 'shoot-to-kill mentality' and 'not valuing black bodies' must stop
• And James demanded audience 'use our influence, renounce all violence'
• Later Steph Curry gave a speech against gun violence
• And high-school football player Zaevion Dobson, 15 was remembered
• He died protecting three girls from a drive-by shooting in Knoxville, TN
• His mom collected the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage on his behalf
• She also called for tighter gun control laws across the US

By JAMES WILKINSON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 04:16, 14 July 2016 | UPDATED: 07:15, 14 July 2016

 

[superbeets]

LeBron James joined Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul to address the police shootings of black men in a joint speech at the opening of the 2016 ESPYs Wednesday night, as the stars spoke of a 'broken system' and a 'shoot-to-kill mentality.'
Dwayne Wade implored: 'The racial profiling has to stop. The shoot-to-kill mentality has to stop. Not seeing the value of black and brown bodies has to stop.'
Later, Steph Curry introduced Zenobia Dobson, mother of slain high-school footballer Zaevion Dobson, who accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award on his behalf while saying she was there to 'fight back' for the tightening of gun laws.

 

[superbeets]

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Frustrated: Basketball players (l-r) Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James spoke of their frustration at America's 'broken system' in a speech that opened the ESPYs Wednesday night

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Change: James said 'we all feel helpless and frustrated by the violence,' but said that athletes must work to change American society. His compatriots denounced the country's 'racial divide'

As the awards opened, James, Anthony, Wade and Paul took to the stage under a somber blue light. New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony spoke first.
The ESPYs are a time of joy he said, but 'this moment of celebration, we asked to start the show tonight this way: the four of us talking to our fellow athletes with the country watching.
'Because we cannot ignore the realities of the current state of America.'
'The system is broken,' he continued. 'The problems are not new, the violence is not new, and the racial divide definitely is not new. But the urgency to great change is at an all time high.'

 

[superbeets]

Chris Paul of the LA Clippers spoke next. Calling himself a father, son, husband, brother and 'nephew of a police officer,' he went on to list a roll-call of high-profile black victims of police violence including Trayvon Martin, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. 'This is also our reality,' he said.
'The racial profiling has to stop,' said Dwayne Wade. 'The shoot-to-kill mentality has to stop. Not seeing the value of black and brown bodies has to stop. But also the retaliation has to stop.
'The endless gun violence in places like Chicago, Dallas, not to mention Orlando - it has to stop. Enough! Enough is enough.
'Now, as athletes, it’s on us to challenge each other to do even more than what we already do in our own communities. And the conversation cannot - it cannot stop as our schedules get busy again.
'It won’t always be convenient. It won’t. It won’t always be comfortable. But it is necessary.'

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Peace out: James ended the group's shared speech by saying the audience members must do the legacy of Muhammad Ali justice by speaking up, using their influence and renouncing all violence



Finally, James closed out the speech: 'We all feel helpless and frustrated by the violence. We do. But that’s not acceptable. It’s time to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, "What are we doing to create change?"'
He continued: 'I know tonight we’ll honor Muhammad Ali, the GOAT.
'To do his legacy any justice, let’s use this moment as a call to action to all professional athletes to educate ourselves, explore these issues, speak up, use our influence, and renounce all violence.
'And most importantly go back to our communities. Invest our time, our resources. Help rebuild them. Help strengthen them. Help change them. We all have to do better. Thank you.'
The issues were raised again during the presentation of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, which this year was posthumously given to Zaevion Dobson, who - at 15 - is the youngest-ever recipient of the trophy.
Dobson, a beloved member of Fulton High School's Falcons football team, was just 15 when he was shot dead in December last year.
He had leaped onto three girls and covered their bodies with his own as gang members sprayed bullets indiscriminately - sacrificing himself to save the girls' lives.

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'Sad': Steph Curry introduced the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage with a speech that called victims of gun violence 'the saddest statistic in America' and reminded those watching that all of them had 'a story'

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Courageous: The award was given to high-school footballer Zaevion Dobson (not pictured), 15, who was killed in December when he covered three girls with his body to protect them from gunfire during a drive-by shooting

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Powerful: Dobson's mother, Zenobia (pictured, with sons Zackelyn and Markastin), gave a powerful speech in which she implored celebrities to stand up and push for tighter gun regulations

 

[superbeets]

Introducing Zenobia Dobson, there to collect the award on behalf of her son, was Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry, who gave an impassioned speech against gun violence.
'In an average year in America, more than 33,000 people die after getting shot by a gun,' Curry said.
'Wherever you're from, whatever you think, whatever your politics are: What you can't forget is that every one of those people who dies has a story.'
'(Zaevion) had nothing to do with the bullet that took his life,' he continued. 'He and his friends didn't know the people who killed him or anything about the feud that led to their gunfire.
'But in a split second, because of his incredible courage, he became part of one of the saddest statistics in America.'
A moving video tribute to the young hero then played, featuring testimonies from his brothers and those that knew him, talking of a young man who grew up in humble surroundings, but strove for a better life, for himself and his family.
His mom, Zenobia, was one of those remembering the young hero, and she opened up the family photo album to show glimpses of her son's life.
Those pictures show a young boy goofing around with his brothers and, later, a proud football player, wearing the #24 uniform that he made his own during his time with the Falcons.
'He was so very outgoing and just full of so much love,' his brother Markastin said. 'When he walked in the room, the room just filled up, you know what I'm saying? He didn't even have to talk.'

Tragic: Dobson (pictured) was a beloved member of Fulton High School's Falcons football team when he sacrificed his life to save the girls. He is the youngest-ever recipient of the Arthur Ashe award for Courage

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Family: 'It was never a dull moment,' Dobson's mother (pictured, with her sons) recalled in a video shown at the ESPYs. 'It was the joy to me to hear him laugh and for him to bring all his friends around'

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Love: 'He was so very outgoing and just full of so much love,' Dobson's brother Markastin said. 'When he walked in the room, the room just filled up, you know what I'm saying? He didn't even have to talk'

After the video, the brave teen's mom took to the stage with her two other sons, Zackelyn and Markastin, and gave a powerful speech about her son's heroism that brought tears to the eyes of those in the audience.
She also spoke of his 12-year-old cousin, Jajuan Latham, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in April while walking home from a basketball game in Tennessee where his cousin had been honored.
'I'd loved to stand up here and tell you more about Zaevion, all the hopes and dreams he had for the future. All the things I dreamt about for him,' she said. But her real message was clear: America's gun laws must be tightened up, and soon.
'I'm here to fight back,' she vowed. 'We as a country need to take a stand against the effects of gun violence on families throughout America. We need to rewrite laws to make it harder for the people to get guns.
'Some progress has been made, but just a few months ago when Tennessee - a law was passed to allow more people to carry guns on college campuses. What sense does that make? We need to go in the opposite direction.'
She continued: 'All the athletes in this room you have a lot of power. People look up to you. I know Zaevion did. I urge you to think tonight about why he died or what you can do tomorrow to prevent the next innocent young man or woman from being lost as well.'
Her voice charged with emotion, she concluded by eulogizing her son: 'Your act of bravery and boldness revealed to the world the real you,' she said. 'Fly high, our Falcon 24.'

 

[superbeets]

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Fighting back: Zenobia Dobson said she was 'here to fight back' against America's gun laws. 'We need to rewrite laws to make it harder for the people to get guns,' she said

[h=3]THE 'BLACK LIVES MATTER' SPEECH IN FULL [/h]Carmelo Anthony
Good evening. Tonight is a celebration of sports, celebrating our accomplishments and our victories. But in this moment of celebration, we asked to start the show tonight this way: the four of us talking to our fellow athletes with the country watching. Because we cannot ignore the realities of the current state of America. The events of the past week have put a spotlight on the injustice, distrust and anger that plague so many of us. The system is broken. The problems are not new, the violence is not new, and the racial divide definitely is not new. But the urgency to great change is at an all time high.
Chris Paul
We stand here tonight accepting our role in uniting communities to be the change we need to see. We stand before you as fathers, sons, husbands, brothers, uncles, and in my case, as an African-American man and the nephew of a police officer, who is one of the hundreds of thousands of great officers serving this country. But Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Laquan McDonald, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile: this is also our reality. Generations ago, legends like Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, John Carlos, Tommie Smith, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brown, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe and countless others - they set a model for what athletes should stand for. So we choose to follow in their footsteps.
Dwyane Wade
The racial profiling has to stop. The shoot-to-kill mentality has to stop. Not seeing the value of black and brown bodies has to stop. But also the retaliation has to stop. The endless gun violence in places like Chicago, Dallas, not to mention Orlando - it has to stop. Enough! Enough is enough. Now, as athletes, it’s on us to challenge each other to do even more than what we already do in our own communities. And the conversation cannot - it cannot stop as our schedules get busy again. It won’t always be convenient. It won’t. It won’t always be comfortable. But it is necessary.
LeBron James
We all feel helpless and frustrated by the violence. We do. But that’s not acceptable. It’s time to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, 'What are we doing to create change?' It’s not about being a role model. It’s not about our responsibility to a condition of activism. I know tonight we’ll honor Muhammad Ali, the GOAT. To do his legacy any justice, let’s use this moment as a call to action to all professional athletes to educate ourselves, explore these issues, speak up, use our influence, and renounce all violence. And most importantly go back to our communities. Invest our time, our resources. Help rebuild them. Help strengthen them. Help change them. We all have to do better. Thank you.



Read more:

• Zaevion Dobson commits the ultimate act of courage, heroism - ESPN Video

 

[The Guesser]

Bravo to all 4, especially D Wade. Powerful Truths.

 

[hehateme82]

 

[hehateme82]

Can't embed on phone but Mello is a fucking hypocrite

 

[NFLTrends]

To fix a problem, you have to get to the root of a problem... not the outcome, or you will never get anywhere. Why dont these people realize this?!?!

Stay in school and get an education!!
DO NOT sell drugs, pimp, steal, rob, etc....
DO NOT have have sex and have kids when you cant support them, or raise them!
DO NOT make gangster rappers, gang members and criminals role models
DO NOT trash your own neighborhoods, and take pride in where you live
Take responsibility for yourself and family, and dont blame others for your bad decisions!
Have goals and a positive figure in your life to help push you to reach those goals

I guarantee that if people followed what I wrote a vast majority of those would end up with successful lives and contributing members of society!

Blaming others and police for what happened are the AFTERMATH of bad parenting when it boils down to it, and what they are protesting!

 

[GasMan]

Everyone else's fault....the gun, the cops, the skin color...

Dumb fuck kid around here who had a full ride to Louisville just got arrested again for armed robbery. First it was a pizza man for $60 or so...now four felony charges. Promising future at 18 now gonna be a lifetime inmate. No fucking parenting.

 

[ScottL]

DO NOT make gangster rappers, gang members and criminals role models

C'mon, when Ty Dolla $ign sings, "I've got two of my bitches in the club, and I know they know about each other," do you really believe he presents a bad role model?

 

[Willie99]

I stopped watching when jimmer fredette won basketball player of the year the same year kemba walker led a bunch of puppies to a tournament title in Maui, the BET Championship with 5 wins in 5 nights AND the National Championship

bunch of fucking idiots





PS: although I can't wish them harm, they employ far too many people in my community

 

[ScottL]

I've been watching ESPN since Sal Marchiano used to say "Good Night Sweet Prince" when a fighter got knocked out. Amazing they've HQd in Bristol all these years. My brother won over 50K on the Two Minute Drill show. He's an upper level sports trivia buff.

 

[SheriffJoe]

Steven Crowder debunks "Black Lives Matter" bullshit, case by case:

 

[Willie99]

I've been watching ESPN since Sal Marchiano used to say "Good Night Sweet Prince" when a fighter got knocked out. Amazing they've HQd in Bristol all these years. My brother won over 50K on the Two Minute Drill show. He's an upper level sports trivia buff.

Chris Berman

Boomer was their most influential on air personality, no close 2nd, he remained loyal and never jumped ship. When it was time to either commit to Bristol or move (HI was the most talked about other option), he played a significant roll in keeping them here.

Bristol is one town north, Berman resides in one town South and often frequents the same liquor store as me

Anyhow, ESPN's campus is incredibly large now, I can't believe how much land they've purchesed and how many buildings they've built, they're here to stay

 

[ScottL]

We have a ton of great pics including one with me and my brother in the NFL Primetime studio with Berman and Jackson. It was a blast!

Chris Berman

Boomer was their most influential on air personality, no close 2nd, he remained loyal and never jumped ship. When it was time to either commit to Bristol or move (HI was the most talked about other option), he played a significant roll in keeping them here.

Bristol is one town north, Berman resides in one town South and often frequents the same liquor store as me

Anyhow, ESPN's campus is incredibly large now, I can't believe how much land they've purchesed and how many buildings they've built, they're here to stay

 

[JDeuce]

LeBron James joined Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul to address the police shootings of black men in a joint speech at the opening of the 2016 ESPYs Wednesday night, as the stars spoke of a 'broken system' and a 'shoot-to-kill mentality.'
Dwayne Wade implored: 'The racial profiling has to stop. The shoot-to-kill mentality has to stop. Not seeing the value of black and brown bodies has to stop.'
Later, Steph Curry introduced Zenobia Dobson, mother of slain high-school footballer Zaevion Dobson, who accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award on his behalf while saying she was there to 'fight back' for the tightening of gun laws.

Sometimes, I genuinely wonder how such a large part of our society got this stupid.

There is no racial profiling (except when warranted), "broken system" or "shoot to kill" mentality. Their entire premise of their pleas is based on fucking lies that don't happen in reality.

Way back when I first moved to LA, I lived in a meh part of town. Wouldn't call it dangerous, but it wasn't Beverly Hills either. About a month into my journey, I was walking home from a market up the street. When I turned into my apartment complex, I heard someone behind me suddenly shout "FREEZE!" so loud that I almost jumped onto the roof. I turn my head, and a cop has his gun drawn on me. Someone who matched my profile had been committing B+E's in the area. I waited until a backup cop came on the scene, showed them my ID, and they apologized and let me go on my way. And guess what? Not only did I live to tell about it, not only did I not need therapy to get over the incident...but I actually understand why they were doing what they did. It's called doing their fucking jobs. Ask a dimocrap though, and profiling is evil and racist. So I guess the cops should not have been looking at guys like me, but also randomly stopping old ladies driving to their bingo games so as to avoid "profiling." Right?

 

[SheriffJoe]

Police release video showing shooting of unarmed WHITE man...

Noble was fatally shot by officers on June 25 during traffic stop

Video shows Noble repeatedly ignoring officers’ commands to show his hands

Department has said officers believed Noble was about to shoot them

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article89431417.html#storylink=cpy

==============================================================================

Yo! Let's all resist arrest, stage protests and kill innocent cops...so this DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN!

Enough is enough!

face)(*^%

 

[SheriffJoe]

Sometimes, I genuinely wonder how such a large part of our society got this stupid.

I dunno, public education maybe?