North Carolina has declared a state-of-emergency after civil unrest, urban rebellion and protests in uptown Charlotte have continued Wednesday after the death of another black man at the hands of police.
The protest began after the shooting of Keith Scott by officer Brentley Vinson, an African-American himself.
Police said they had been searching for someone who had an outstanding warrant at The Village at College Downs complex on Old Concord Road when they saw Keith Lamont Scott leave his car holding a gun. After reportedly disobeying orders, he was fatally shot, just 15 minutes from where the Panthers play.
The shooting came just a day after the shooting of Terence Crutcher in Tulsa Oklahoma that quickly swept the nation.
Though of course more important matters, there is a football game to be played this Sunday in Charlotte. After the league decided not the cancel or move the game, the Panthers will indeed take on the Vikings at Bank of America Stadium as scheduled in an anticipated matchup. The game itself will likely be overshadowed by the climate of the city and the National Anthem protest saga that’s sure to be even more prevalent this football weekend.
Football fans who were offended by first Colin Kaepeenrick’s decision to sit during the anthem took to burning players jerseys. That may be spun on it’s head Sunday though, as ESPN noted that a man with a megaphone during Wednesday night’s protest that they will in fact burn Panther QB Cam Newton’s jerseys if he DOES stand during the playing of the anthem.
Via a Facebook Live stream, a protestor on a megaphone just made threats about Cam Newton if he stands for national anthem on Sunday.
— Black & Blue Review (@BlackBlueReview) September 22, 2016
Newton has taken heavy criticism for being a member of the black community and not actively speaking out or taking a stand on political issues like others have. Seahawks’ DE even called Newton out directly earlier this year for it. In July, Bennet was quote on saying,””In the NBA, everybody is standing up for it, so the greatest players are in the forefront of the movement. Here in the NFL, the greatest players aren’t in the forefront of the movement. Whether it’s the CBA, whether it’s things going on with trying to change the way — concussions. The greatest players aren’t involved like LeBron James, Chris Paul and all these guys [in the NBA]. Our great players are sitting back just taking the dollars, whether it’s Cam Newton, all these guys. They’re not really on the forefront of trying to change what’s going on.”
If Newton stands as he always had, it appears to many that he’s not in support of those “dying in the streets” and not aware of the current social climate; yet if he sits, the out-lash from fans will likely mimic that of Kaepernicks’s with Newton being an even bigger star.
We will see if Cam Newton choses to sit or stand during the National Anthem come Sunday, but as of now, it seems as it’s a lose/lose situation, a predicament which he himself said word-for-word he will find himself in.
@camnewton black people should burn your jersey #chump
— Che Butter Jones (@OccupyTheHood) September 2, 2016
