Friday, June 11, 2004

This guy is wrong (soldiers as slaves?)

[Time for a Sister Souljah moment]

I know he's a former Denver Bronco. But being a star athlete doesn't get you off the hook for writing stupid columns for the Denver Post.

Sorry, Reggie Rivers, you're wrong. U.S. soldiers may be under-paid, disproportionately from minority backgrounds, and under-armored. They may be currently involved in a poorly planned, immoral mission, sent by draft-dodging leaders who need to go back to west Texas and stay there...

They may be all those things, but they are not slaves. They volunteered for this; they're getting paid. Just a reminder: the 10 million + Africans who were brought here came at the end of muskets and bayonets, and they were forced to work through whips, chains, and rifles. They did not volunteer and they were not paid diddly squat. Hence, not a valid metaphor.

He's subsequently partially apologized, and explained his position a little better. Ok, I forgive you now, Reggie Rivers.

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