An Open Letter to LeBron James – Opinion

Dear Mr. James

Here at the sports desk located somewhere below decks of the Good Pirate Ship RedState, we can’t help but notice how often your name crosses our desk. It’s with excellent reason. You’re unquestionably the best basketball player of all time. You’ve taken three different teams to an NBA championship. You are an example of hard work and skill. Your passion for winning, even at age 37 when most athletes have either already called it a day or are more than content to coast on a wash of the fan base’s fond nostalgia for what was, is inspiring. With a handful of chips, you’re all that.

You’re also flat-out wrong.

As evidence of this, we present the latest fawning puff piece from your PR department … excuse us, ESPN, bearing the title “LeBron James reflects on decade since Trayvon Martin’s death, giving ‘voices to people that don’t have voices.’” Let’s dig in, shall we?

Starting with Trayvon Mart himself. Not the fresh-faced, 13-year-old routinely portrayed by the same media that came up with the term “white Hispanic” to describe George Zimmerman, but the snot-nosed 17-year-old punk who got stupid and confrontational with a self-appointed neighborhood defender, and suffered the result of two morons colliding when one is armed. Did Martin deserve to die? No. Could he have attacked Zimmerman instead? No. Two stupids don’t make a smart. Add three more stupids to the mix, and you have a media that is desperate for something to stir up racial tensions.

LeBron!

“You’re not a criminal because you put a hood over the top of your head. It’s a uniform for us. That’s what we do. That’s what we wear. We don’t have the luxury of wearing suits or having button-downs. We don’t have the means to get sweaters and things of that nature. We wear shorts, hoodies and T-shirts as our uniform. That’s our uniform growing up as Black kids in the inner city.

“That was our moment to be able to let Trayvon Martin and his family know, but the whole entire Black community and also white America know, that we ain’t for that bulls—.”

LeBron, in this regard, you’re right. You’re not a criminal because you wear a hoodie. You’re a criminal if you get stupid, regardless of attire. The choice of clothing and/or skin color is not a factor in idiocy. Martin was an idiot. Zimmerman was an idiot. Martin was killed by two stupid people, one of whom refused to leave.

Let’s see what other pearls of wisdom you have to offer, LeBron.

“It’s never going to stop,” he said. “It’s never going to stop, but that don’t mean we stop.”

Honky cats! It is impossible to stop being racist. Apparently, LeBron is the only person on the planet who owns a copy of “White Fragility” who has actually read and believes its bilge water.

Ah, but there’s more.

James said racism is “learned in the household,” not something people are born with. He said that there’s hope even in the face of all odds.

“That’s how America has been for a long time and the s– ain’t going to change, but what will change is how guys in power [respond],” James said. “And what will change for me, and what has already changed, is I will continue to speak up for my people no matter if [society] likes it or not.”

LeBron I bring you news. Your opinions are not important to society.

Your false gospel is blaming humanity for being unredeemable and incapable to grow. The truth is hidden from you, and your eyes only see a small part of it.

Racism exists and is a real problem. It can be overcome. Not by the soft bigotry of low expectations or the excusal of uncivilized behavior based on ancestors’ oppression utterly unknown by the present generations. It perpetuates the problem. Our own Jeff Charles, Kira Davis, and Jennifer Oliver O’Connell have written often, with passion and authority, about matters of race. Instead of listening to your chatty echo chamber compatriots, try reading some of their words. You can also subscribe to VIP. I’m quite confident you can afford it.)

LeBron believes that the only way to end racism is to transform hearts and minds with faith in Jesus Christ. He allows His love to flood us and gives us the Holy Spirit so that we see the truth. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, I but Christ is all, and is in all.” The Bible condemns racism. Bible declares Christ’s unity and liberty.

LeBron, this is your call to action. This alone is what will make a difference. It’s not popular. It’s not trendy. You will be considered persona non grata by ESPN and other networks. But compared to eternal life with Jesus and the ability during your time here on earth to effect real growth in people, we at the sports desk believe it’d be worth it.