Tag: Blue Lives Matter

California HS team to stop flying controversial ‘thin blue line’ flag before games

Superintendent Mike Kuhlman sent a letter to the school community explaining the process that led to the decision.

The Saugus (Calif.) high school football team in Santa Clarita will no longer fly the controversial “thin blue line” flag before their games.

Superintendent Mike Kuhlman sent a letter to the school community explaining the process that led to the decision.

Per Christian Martinez at the LA Times, the principal held a meeting with head coach Jason Bornn, who decided to change course after considering not every player might feel comfortable being represented by the flag.

“While many embrace the symbol as simply a celebration of law enforcement, others have shared their feeling that the symbol has sometimes been co-opted by intolerant individuals with an agenda to divide and exclude… Given that some individuals have expressed concern that they interpret the Thin Blue Line flag to be divisive, it occurred to him that it’s possible that some players on the team might not be entirely enthusiastic about a symbol that is being used to represent the entire team.”

Some parents will be protesting the decision by bringing their own flags for the next home game on October 7.

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Video shows ex-MLB star bring up Donald Trump, Blue Lives Matter during arrest in Florida

Newly released police bodycam footage shows former baseball star Johnny Damon appealing to officers during his February arrest.

Newly released police bodycam footage shows former baseball star Johnny Damon appealing to officers during his February arrest.

James Harden says he didn’t know political symbolism of blue mask

“Honestly, I wasn’t trying to make a political statement,” Harden said. “I just wore it because it covered my whole face, and my beard.”

Houston Rockets star James Harden inadvertently created a social media firestorm on Thursday night, when social media posts from his team and the NBA showed him wearing a controversial blue mask.

Harden’s face covering included a thin blue line, which has become known as a symbol representing the Blue Lives Matter organization. Critics have claimed that the pro-police symbol also stands for white supremacy and opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Earlier Thursday, Harden stated his support for Houston’s recent march for George Floyd, a black man, died on May 25 after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis. As a result, it seemed farfetched that Harden would wear the blue mask with understanding of the symbolism.

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On Friday, Harden clarified before Houston’s practice at the NBA “bubble” in Florida that that was indeed the case.

“Honestly, I wasn’t trying to make a political statement,” Harden said. “I just wore it because it covered my whole face, and my beard.”

Harden was then directly asked if he knew the meaning. He replied:

No. I just felt like it was something that covered my whole face, and the beard. I thought it looked cool, that was it.

Harden explained that many conventional masks are difficult for him to wear, owing to the size of his famed beard.

The 30-year-old Harden, who has not been outspoken on political issues during his eight years in Houston, finished his comments on the mask controversy by making a clear statement regarding his personal beliefs and his support for the growing U.S. racial justice movement.

“It’s pretty simple,” Harden said Friday. “As I clearly talked about yesterday, me finding a way — whether it’s my jersey name, or another way, to show my support for Black Lives Matter.”

“Honestly, in every profession, there are people that honestly do their job at a high level,” Harden continued. “And then there’s BS people, in every profession. That was it. I wasn’t there to make a political statement.”

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