Drew Brees received tremendous backlash for saying this week that he still had an issue with players kneeling during the national anthem. The New Orleans Saints quarterback apologized the following day in a statement on social media.
On Friday, President Donald Trump sent two tweets defending Brees’ stance on the anthem.
Brees responded with the following note via Instagram that he directed to Trump:
To @realdonaldtrump
Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities.We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform.
We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history! If not now, then when?We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities. We must acknowledge the problems, identify the solutions, and then put this into action. The black community cannot do it alone. This will require all of us.
Brees’ tone changed quickly after the swift backlash he received, namely from some of his teammates. The chances of Trump changing his stance is much less likely.
