Never Mind Kneeling, Herschel Walker Prefers Taking a Strong Stand
Herschel Walker is not the sort who waits to see which way the wind is blowing before voicing his opinion. The retired college and professional football star prefers to enter a discussion early — and he hits hard.
His latest takedown is aimed at the movement to defund police, which has been at the forefront of debate since the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer since been fired and charged in the killing.
Herschel Walker had already been speaking out
Herschel Walker recently expressed outrage at the behavior of some protesters connected to marches and rallies reacting to the killing of George Floyd. He’s referred to people who’ve looted and damaged property during recent incidents as “criminals.”
“I’m upset,” he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Things are getting worse. We’re not coming together as a people.”
‘“Peaceful protest must be from 9-to-5,” Walker said, adding that he would stand with those who did so.
Walker also lashed out at the media for stoking divide in the reporting of incidents with racial implications, but he saved his strongest criticism in the aftermath of waves of unrest for politicians. Walker accused them of “sitting on the sidelines doing absolutely nothing” following days of protests in major cities, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C.
“It’s enough. It’s time for us to come together,” he said.
Herschel Walker doesn’t support defunding police
Emotions have been running high since the killing of George Floyd, which was one of several high-profile deaths of black citizens around the country that have caused outrage and escalated racial tensions.
Defunding police, a concept scarcely mentioned before Floyd’s death, has quickly become a topic in cities across the country. Many elected officials have voiced support, with some calling for drastic cuts to police budgets. Some cities have already announced cuts to upcoming budgets.
Herschel Walker has seen enough, questioning the motives of elected officials, some of whom have been in office for decades – and with actual responsibilities for police oversight — without making inroads into addressing issues of disparity and racial divide.
“Why can’t true congressmen/women and senators get together with leaders from all ethnic groups, both left and right, to find solutions … unless certain people in Washington don’t want to see a change,” Walker said, according to Fox News. “I’m volunteering myself as one of the black leaders.”
Walker, whose NFL career began with the Dallas Cowboys in 1986, is also volunteering to help deal with supporters of defunding police – by helping them leave the country altogether.
“For all these people who don’t want any police, I’d love to meet with American Airlines, Delta, and Southwest and make a deal to fly them to countries that don’t have police. I want them to be happy!” wrote on social media on Wednesday.
The running back’s beef with Joe Biden
Herschel Walker, who retired from the NFL after the 1997 season, has been a long-time supporter of Republican political candidates. That includes Donald Trump, who owned the New Jersey Generals when Walker left the University of Georgia as a junior and began his pro career by playing for the USFL team. In 2019, Trump appointed Walker as the co-chairman of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
Walker, who studied criminal justice at the University of Georgia, took offense last week when retired senator and former vice president Joe Biden made a controversial remark following the killing of George Floyd. Biden, who recently clinched the Democrat nomination to run against Trump this fall, drew a comparison to the murder of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
“Even Dr. King’s assassination did not have the worldwide impact that George Floyd’s death did,” Biden said.
Walker tweeted an angry response: “Someone inform @JoeBiden not to compare the death of Dr. King and George Floyd. He has been in office a very long time and not once has he tried to change anything for black lives. Look at his voting records!”
