Shannon Sharpe Tells White People "Don't Tell Us What to Grieve For"

RadioOnFire.com - The discourse developing around the Colin Kaepernick controversy continued to be a hot topic on sports television heading into the season opener in Denver on Thursday, September 8, with show co-host Shannon Sharpe bringing his feelings on the National Anthem protest to the floor, before Skip Bayless on Fox Sports 1's Undisputed. Sharpe was candid about what it is like to come at the issue from a perspective that he suggests is generally the view through the eyes of a Black man, while coaching Skip on how he as a white man could assist in moving the dialogue forward.

"Don't tell me it's a figment of my imagination. And when we grieve, don't tell us what to grieve for, and don't tell us how long we should grieve," Sharpe responded, upon Bayless vowing that he is open to being guided on how to best serve the struggle. Earlier, Sharpe declared that while the onus was ultimately on Black people to exploit what opportunities are available to them, it is on white people to ensure that they on their part are not contributing to the denial of such opportunities to Blacks. He said in order for the nation to begin on that road, the Black plight as it has evolved from the times of slavery must be acknowledged, and by-in-large, white people must come to the table with open ears. "Because this is what will happen: the peaceful protesters will try a peaceful route, like Colin Kaepernick sitting down or taking a knee. And then, when you won't listen, we'll make you hear us," said Sharpe. "You'll have a Ferguson. You'll have a Baltimore. Or, you'll have a Watts in the 60's. You don't want that."

Sharpe spoke on relating to the rationale behind Kaepernick's protest in a manner which transcends his own personal variations from the collective Black-American experience. Shannon pointed out that despite the upward mobility he's enjoyed as a successful athlete, such systemic barriers as failed education, minimal opportunities for employment, inadequate healthcare, and access to affordable housing, are ones that are real in the consciousness of all Black-Americans. But before expounding on the macrocosms behind Kaepernick's position that Black-Americans are oppressed, he brought it back to the tipping point that has a great portion of Black society taking a position of moral solidarity with Colin. "I see a guy selling CD's, and he's killed. I see a guy selling loosie cigarettes, and he's killed. You see, that's what gets us up in arms. Because you say non-compliance is a death sentence. If a man is gnawing a man's face after he's killed two people? We see what happened in Colorado; the guy killed 12, and they take him alive. We see what happened in Charleston; 9 parishioners and not only do they take him alive, they take him to buy Burger King because he's hungry," he said. "So you think we're supposed to be ok with this?"

Source: youtube.com