by Nick Morgan, Sports Editor
Last month, Fox News talk show host, Laura Ingraham, made comments on her show, “The Ingraham Angle,” regarding an interview conducted by ESPN featuring NBA superstars Kevin Durant and LeBron James. In the interview, the two athletes discussed their families, their personal growth and the challenges that come with being a black public figure in America. Ingraham criticized James and Durant for “talking politics” in the 17-minute interview, calling their comments “barely intelligible” and “ungrammatical,” concluding with instructing James, Durant and presumably every other professional athlete with an opinion to “shut up and dribble.”
These remarks sparked outrage among athletes and society alike. Ingraham is known for asking entertainers to stick to entertaining, as she has been using similar terms since her 2006 book entitled, “Shut Up and Sing.” More recently, she made the same types of comments aimed at late-night talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel, telling him to “shut up and make us laugh every once in a while,” but that’s all beside the point. My issue with her comments is that she is seemingly disregarding the need for a two-way conversation about the pressing issues that this nation faces and is attempting to suppress the opinions of those whose views are different than hers. This is not just a Laura Ingraham problem, nor is it a Republican/Democrat problem, as much as it is an American problem. The issue is that no one is willing to have a conversation, but their voice and their voice alone must be heard and respected.
When it comes to whether or not these athletes should “shut up and dribble,” my question is simply “Why should they?” LeBron James is not the only example of this, but since he was specifically targeted in this instance, I’m going to use him as an example. James grew up in a rough neighborhood in Akron, Ohio, to a single mother. He had every opportunity to be involved in drugs, gangs and violence growing up, but he chose to stay clean and stay focused.
Not only that, but during his time in the NBA, he has started the LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF). This program targets third graders in the Cleveland/ Akron area, where they are given mentors and safe havens, such as the Boys and Girls of America Clubs, to learn, grow and most importantly, to keep them off the streets. Once these third graders become seniors in high school, and if they have maintained a 3.0 GPA, they will be given a full-ride scholarship to the University of Akron. So far more than 1,100 students are on track for this scholarship, which would cost James over $41 million. Say what you will about his comments during the actual interview, but if you take basketball out of the equation, his experiences and philanthropy alone should be enough to qualify him to be an outspoken advocate.
Those who are in favor of the mindset proposed by Ingraham would probably tell you that there are two reasons why large public figures should stay out of politics. The first is that they don’t know what they’re talking about, and they can’t think for themselves; the second is that they are so influential that people will blindly listen to and follow what they say. However, these are not fair justifications, because a person’s first amendment right is not nullified because of profession or platform. The American populous as a whole should be more responsible for their own opinions than any professional athlete, comedian or talk show host. We should not have to silence any individual simply because their influence is too strong and the American people supposedly can’t think for themselves.
These athletes have important things to say, as do you, and as do I. The number one issue in America today is that there are very few people who feel the need to discuss, rather than just be heard. If this issue were addressed, it would alleviate almost every other issue we face as a society. James and other public figures should be allowed to use their platform to speak their mind and advocate for whatever change they see fit; they are also not exempt from starting conversations with the other side of the aisle either.
