An Open Letter for American Athletes
- Kal Inois
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
To the Professional Athletes of the United States of America:
We the People - your fans and fellow human beings - call on each of you to use your power and influence to stand with us in our fight to save our democracy, our rights and our lives.
Most recently we have witnessed:
A number of professions (12-15 as of this writing), held predominantly by women, have been re-classified as ‘non-professional’, resulting in low student loan caps for those professions, forcing citizens to either take on even more debt through private loans or making these professions severely unattainable for millions of Americans.
Over 40 MILLION AMERICANS have had their food assistance wholly and suddenly cut off.
Over 28 MILLION AMERICANS are underinsured or completely uninsured.
AMERICAN CITIZENS terrorized, attacked, assaulted, degraded and dehumanized BY THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT.
Each day, more atrocities are added and our suffering is taken to new lows, all while the American sports industry continues to generate record profits. Profits that you, the athletes, helped generate.
You are more than competitors. You are symbols of possibility, perseverance and unity. Your names echo in homes all across this country as people cheer through your hardships and find hope in your drive.
Imagine if all of you stood up and declared:
“We will not play.
We will not play until every American can feed their family
We will not play until every American can afford their healthcare
We will not play until every American has equal federal loan opportunity across
professions.
We will not play until this administration is held accountable to the laws of this Nation
and its Constitution.
To be undoubtedly clear- We Stand with the People. We call for immediate restoration of food assistance. We call for full health-care funding. We call for equal federal loans for all professions. We call for lawful government accountability for those who have deceived and failed this nation’s citizens.
These are our demands. Until all are met, we will not play."
Combined, America’s four major professional men’s leagues and the rapidly growing women’s leagues account for well over $47 BILLION annually (and rising). The estimated DAILY impact of even a one-week, multi-league strike could exceed $1.2 BILLION in lost revenue for owners, networks and advertisers.
If you, who hold the respect and admiration of millions, unite your voices with ours in the demand for justice, the financial power alone could shake the foundations of indifference, greed, and cruelty.
Within days, your actions would compel the nation’s most power-hungry executives and politicians to start listening.
You, our favorite teams and players, have the power to do what no lobbyist, political donor or single voter can:
UNITE the people’s voice under a spotlight that is too big to ignore.
This is not about politics
This is about AMERICA
This is about the PEOPLE
The very people that cheer you on every time you compete.
The very people that you thank after your big wins, saying that “none of this would be possible without you."
The same people that buy tickets to see their favorite athletes in person.
These people are now fighting for their lives. We call on you to take the stand.
Take the stand for yourselves.
Take the stand for every child that deserves food when they are hungry; the children that see you as heroes.
Take a stand for every individual that deserves every aspect of healthcare.
Take a stand for every one of us that deserve security and dignity.
You have the power. STAND WITH US.
Together we will stop tyranny and begin working to repair and improve America’s Liberty and
Justice for ALL.
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