Touré was once a familiar face on CNN and MSNBC and currently writes for The New York Times, Washington Post, Ebony, Time, Playboy and other left-wing publications. He made waves and insulted a sporting icon this week by claiming in an NYT article that the notorious Colin Kaepernick is comparable to the late tennis player Arthur Ashe, a huge disservice to the former Wimbledon champion.
After 11 paragraphs of praising the highly dignified and respected Ashe, who died of AIDS in 1993 after a blood transfusion gone bad, Touré concludes his post with this bizarre and insulting link between the late tennis star and Kaepernick:
"It’s inspiring to read about Ashe growing up to become a political figure on his own terms, every bit as political as Ali, even as he employed the measured tones of a diplomat rather than the bombastic tones of a revolutionary. In many ways, Ashe, more than Ali, is the spiritual father of Colin Kaepernick, the seminal athlete-activist of today. Kaepernick’s protest — both his kneeling and his public persona over these last two years — has been calm and dignified in a way Ashe would have respected. Ashe is the kind of man we can hope our children grow up to be like — worldly, smart, cool, thoughtful, politically engaged — which is why my parents made sure I got to meet him all those years ago."
For a writer who actually met Ashe, Touré badly miscalculates him and shames his good name. It is apparent that he doesn't know the meaning of the words "calm" and "dignified."
Low-hanging fruit first: Kaepernick is no longer an "athlete" and hasn't been one for the last two years. Going to the gym does not make one a professional athlete. What's so dignified about an anti-American renegade who talked, kneeled and tweeted his way right out of the National Football League?
In 2016, during his final season with the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick disrespected the American flag and the veterans who sacrificed life and limb defending liberty by sitting and kneeling during the national anthem and wore practice socks depicting police officers as "pigs". When pressed to explain himself he said:
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Kaepernick is suing the NFL for allegedly colluding to keep him out of pro football. (An arbitrator just ruled today that his case can go forward).
On June 16, 2017, Kaepernick posted this despicable tweet:
On July 4, 2017, Kaepernick tweeted this disturbing message from Ghana:
Comparing Kaepernick to Ashe defies reason. But it's what one would expect from Touré and The New York Times. The well-respected Ashe may be a "spiritual father" to many, but the media could better describe Kaepernick as a renegade son.
