Max Kepler and the Cost of Silence

[TFRazor]

 

If I were to make a list of people who reacted poorly to this tragedy, Max Kepler’s actions are too far down that list to be given a second thought. My first disappointment is that the MPD did not review the video and make an arrest within a few hours. That just might have defused this, at least a little. I recognize that it takes time for the proper review. However, I just can’t imagine it too long to verify this was a criminal act. The explosiveness of this situation should have been recognized. Every hour that went by without an announcement to arrest / prosecute fueled the rage.

 

In the grand scheme of things, Max Kepler’s unwillingness to take a stand is not even on the radar for me. I find it far more disconcerting that anyone could assess the actions of various people in this tragedy and conclude Max’s failure to take a stand worthy of concern. The actions of thousands of people were nothing short of criminal and barbaric. People were literally burning down the city and some of you want to defend singling out Max Kepler for not taking a stronger position. God help us!

 

I have not spoken to a single person who did not find the actions of office Chauvin reprehensible. Of course, there are still plenty of people who hate based on some form of ethnocentrism. That’s a problem. The thinking that leads to singling out Max Kepler while ignoring thousands of people performing criminal acts is also a problem. 

 

I suggest we call out those who advocated violence and those who reacted with violence. Where is the outrage for not dealing with this tragedy in a civil manner? We should be much more concerned with a society that reacts this way than Max Kepler’s unwillingness to take a stance. We should also be concerned that there are those who find moral superiority in attacking Max Kepler while somehow ignoring the thousands of people whose actions were not consistent with a civil society.

Thank you. You've put my thoughts into words much better than I could.

[theBOMisthebomb]

For all of those accusing Nick of virtue signaling, unfairly "attacking" Max (which he didn't do at all), or any other myriad of strawmen, Nick Nelson did not develop the idea of complicity and how it enables racial injustice to exist. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a few things to say about this topic and they don't shine a very pretty light on white America. 

 

I don't know the dates of any of the quotes, except the last because it was written while he sat in an Alabama jail 57 (I think) years ago. What has really changed here? In my eyes, based on this thread, very little. Even the slightest pushback about race and how we need to actively, not passively, approach the problem and people lose their minds. As a parent of black children, I fear for their future and I'm mad as hell at a lot of you from preventing change from happening because change can't happen until we acknowledge the problem exists and actively work against it.

 

[/i]

This was over the line and offensive. I have been telling myself for 24 hours not to respond to this thread. For my own reasons. I have been reading, trying to respect and understand the various perspectives expressed. I cannot do the same for these words.

[scottz]

 

For all of those accusing Nick of virtue signaling, unfairly "attacking" Max (which he didn't do at all), or any other myriad of strawmen, Nick Nelson did not develop the idea of complicity and how it enables racial injustice to exist. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a few things to say about this topic and they don't shine a very pretty light on white America. 

 

I don't know the dates of any of the quotes, except the last because it was written while he sat in an Alabama jail 57 (I think) years ago. What has really changed here? In my eyes, based on this thread, very little. Even the slightest pushback about race and how we need to actively, not passively, approach the problem and people lose their minds. As a parent of black children, I fear for their future and I'm mad as hell at a lot of you from preventing change from happening because change can't happen until we acknowledge the problem exists and actively work against it.

 

"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."

 

“Why is equality so assiduously avoided? Why does white America delude itself, and how does it rationalize the evil it retains?

 

The majority of white Americans consider themselves sincerely committed to justice for the Negro. They believe that American society is essentially hospitable to fair play and to steady growth toward a middle-class Utopia embodying racial harmony. But unfortunately this is a fantasy of self-deception and comfortable vanity.”

 

“But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear?… It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.”

 

“First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”

 

Brock, you're clearly a person of above average intelligence. You also clearly understand how logic works, not just based on the kind of thinking one needs to do in the role/job you have for TD, but also because you have frequently over the years called people out for strawman arguments, like here at the beginning of your post.

However, I don't think you're as smart as you think you are. Before you get upset, I think I have the same flaw. I think many others here do as well. So I don't mean that to be insulting, and I apologize if it does insult you.

 

My reason for saying the previous paragraph is because you appeal to authority as your argument. God help me, but Dr. King writing what he wrote - while absolutely brilliant and iconic and a sent-from-heaven leader - doesn't make what Nick did correct. Should we consider his words? Absolutely. They are powerful and rooted in the experience of a man who had multiple singular experiences. Are they above discussion and opinion? Not a chance.

 

You appeal to accomplishment. You are a parent to black children. That gives you a perspective that should be considered. I am a parent to asian children. Am I not allowed a perspective? Am I not also accomplished? Must we go back and forth, as some earlier comment declared, in a battle of Orwellian Pac-Man, where we each get to pile up points of our accomplishments as they relate to race? What about the time I stepped in and told an angry white guy to take the next bus if he couldn't shut up about the way the black driver handled his luggage? How many points do I get for that? What about the time a young black kid biking by my house stopped and asked if he could cut my lawn for money, so I agreed and then invited him in for lunch and we sat and talked about all sorts of things that he wanted to do with money he was earning. No racism involved there, but certainly it's on the scorecard, right? What about the time I confronted the racism at my son's preschool (preschool for God's sake)? Shall I continue with my race scorecard or can we agree that making those kinds of arguments is irrelevant to whether or not what Nick did was right?

 

What Nick did, was to call out Max Kepler and declare from horse on high that Kepler did not meet Nick's fair and true and above reproach standards for action, and declared all who were similar to Kepler to be complicit and guilty as well. Why stop with Max? Has Joe Mauer said and done the things that meet your approval? What about Dick Bremer? Certainly Jim Pohlad is lacking, is he not? Don't stop now, Nick! You're on a roll, which is easy to do when you claim the moral high ground.

I am certain I sound angry and indignant. I certainly feel a bit fiery. I would rather the world were a glorious place and we didn't have to discuss any of this, but the world is ugly and so we should. I wish it wasn't on a baseball site, but given that we can agree that this group of people all loves the same thing (the Twins and/or baseball), I think it is probably good to see that there are so many wide and nuanced views on this. Because I think that's the point. It's a very broad topic. It is MOST DEFINITELY nuanced. We each have our own perspectives and our opinions and that is good.

I think we live in a shameful time. We all deserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and those who have barriers set up to the first two of those based on the color of their skin clearly have a harder time of being successful in the third. And I believe we all should work towards that with every action we take, and I mean every action.

 

But Max Kepler did not deserve Nick's treatment, and the crowd of people who disagree with the position taken by you (Brock) or Nick or others do not either. Their view does not mean they don't believe anything needs to be done, and it doesn't mean they don't take action as they see fit in their lives and in their perspective. It means that they disagree with you or Nick or others. And they are not "wrong" because they disagree, any more than you or Nick or others are "right" because you assert it to be true.

As I said in my first post yesterday. It's your site. Do your thing. You certainly have the courage of your convictions, and good on you for that. We all need that. But Nick may lose dozens of Twitter followers and TD may lose readers. Fortunately, I don't have Twitter followers, so all I risk is my Twins Daily reputation as being a smart alec jokester.

 

Let me know if you'd like to grab a beer sometime to discuss.

 

Scott Zilka

 

PS - Did we win yet? No. Not yet. And I'm not sure we ever will again.

[Brock Beauchamp]

This was over the line and offensive. I have been telling myself for 24 hours not to respond to this thread. For my own reasons. I have been reading, trying to respect and understand the various perspectives expressed. I cannot do the same for these words.

Please tell me exactly what is so offensive about my post. The fact I’m mad that we’ve made so little progress in the past 55 years?

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Brock, you're clearly a person of above average intelligence. You also clearly understand how logic works, not just based on the kind of thinking one needs to do in the role/job you have for TD, but also because you have frequently over the years called people out for strawman arguments, like here at the beginning of your post.

However, I don't think you're as smart as you think you are. Before you get upset, I think I have the same flaw. I think many others here do as well. So I don't mean that to be insulting, and I apologize if it does insult you.

 

My reason for saying the previous paragraph is because you appeal to authority as your argument. God help me, but Dr. King writing what he wrote - while absolutely brilliant and iconic and a sent-from-heaven leader - doesn't make what Nick did correct. Should we consider his words? Absolutely. They are powerful and rooted in the experience of a man who had multiple singular experiences. Are they above discussion and opinion? Not a chance.

 

You appeal to accomplishment. You are a parent to black children. That gives you a perspective that should be considered. I am a parent to asian children. Am I not allowed a perspective? Am I not also accomplished? Must we go back and forth, as some earlier comment declared, in a battle of Orwellian Pac-Man, where we each get to pile up points of our accomplishments as they relate to race? What about the time I stepped in and told an angry white guy to take the next bus if he couldn't shut up about the way the black driver handled his luggage? How many points do I get for that? What about the time a young black kid biking by my house stopped and asked if he could cut my lawn for money, so I agreed and then invited him in for lunch and we sat and talked about all sorts of things that he wanted to do with money he was earning. No racism involved there, but certainly it's on the scorecard, right? What about the time I confronted the racism at my son's preschool (preschool for God's sake)? Shall I continue with my race scorecard or can we agree that making those kinds of arguments is irrelevant to whether or not what Nick did was right?

 

What Nick did, was to call out Max Kepler and declare from horse on high that Kepler did not meet Nick's fair and true and above reproach standards for action, and declared all who were similar to Kepler to be complicit and guilty as well. Why stop with Max? Has Joe Mauer said and done the things that meet your approval? What about Dick Bremer? Certainly Jim Pohlad is lacking, is he not? Don't stop now, Nick! You're on a roll, which is easy to do when you claim the moral high ground.

I am certain I sound angry and indignant. I certainly feel a bit fiery. I would rather the world were a glorious place and we didn't have to discuss any of this, but the world is ugly and so we should. I wish it wasn't on a baseball site, but given that we can agree that this group of people all loves the same thing (the Twins and/or baseball), I think it is probably good to see that there are so many wide and nuanced views on this. Because I think that's the point. It's a very broad topic. It is MOST DEFINITELY nuanced. We each have our own perspectives and our opinions and that is good.

I think we live in a shameful time. We all deserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and those who have barriers set up to the first two of those based on the color of their skin clearly have a harder time of being successful in the third. And I believe we all should work towards that with every action we take, and I mean every action.

 

But Max Kepler did not deserve Nick's treatment, and the crowd of people who disagree with the position taken by you (Brock) or Nick or others do not either. Their view does not mean they don't believe anything needs to be done, and it doesn't mean they don't take action as they see fit in their lives and in their perspective. It means that they disagree with you or Nick or others. And they are not "wrong" because they disagree, any more than you or Nick or others are "right" because you assert it to be true.

As I said in my first post yesterday. It's your site. Do your thing. You certainly have the courage of your convictions, and good on you for that. We all need that. But Nick may lose dozens of Twitter followers and TD may lose readers. Fortunately, I don't have Twitter followers, so all I risk is my Twins Daily reputation as being a smart alec jokester.

 

Let me know if you'd like to grab a beer sometime to discuss.

 

Scott Zilka

 

PS - Did we win yet? No. Not yet. And I'm not sure we ever will again.

First, I don't even think I've mentioned Kepler in this thread. Frankly, I don't have a big problem with what Kepler did, and I'm not sure Nick does, either. It's an example of how being able to just walk away from this problem whenever we don't want to talk about it is a form of privilege. That's what I took away from Nick's post. I certainly can't read Nelson's mind but I think he was trying to show not that Max did anything particularly awful, but that many of us are given the luxury of ignoring a problem, something many Americans cannot do in their daily lives. We should all acknowledge that difference and try to be better about it. Nick calls himself out in the article, for crying out loud.

 

We should all be calling ourselves out on this. I do ALL THE TIME. I'm beyond frustrated that the neighborhood I called home just two months ago has burned out buildings and I can't do a damned thing about it right now. I'm frustrated that I'm scared to take my black kids back there and do the work that badly needs to be done. When the dust settles a bit, I will be contributing monetarily, which helps and is one form of assistance, but I'd much rather be lending both my back and money to the cause, as I was able to do with Castile.

 

And that was my takeaway from this article. Not that we all need to believe the same thing or that we all need to make the exact same choices in our lives, but we need to be better. We need to acknowledge the problems we face. We need to actively speak out against injustice we see. We need to contribute in whatever form we can.

 

We need to help. 15% of the population cannot strongarm democracy and institutions to their will without assistance. It's literally the entire point of democracy. Therefore, we need to be allies, lend both our ears and voices to their cause, and fix this problem that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote about over half a century ago.

 

Half a century ago. It's so embarrassing to sit here right now and quote a man who had a holiday named after him and see just how little we've paid attention to his actual words, thoughts, and actions.

[TFRazor]

 

Please tell me exactly what is so offensive about my post. The fact I’m mad that we’ve made so little progress in the past 55 years?

55 years ago black and white people had separate schools, water fountains, places to sit on the bus and the list goes on and on....

 

We had a man of African descent elected by the majority of the American people as President for two terms. He left office just 3 years ago. Did we forget that already? Is that "little" progress? 

 

Suggesting that people have racist intent, even if it's subconscious, is insulting. It's insulting because the person being accused of subconscious racism has no way of proving they aren't. You can deny until you're blue in the face but the other person will just go, "Well that's what you say, but deep down you are." No wonder these types of convos usually hit a wall.

 

Assuming that the people you're working on a problem with have bad motives because they disagree with your starting premise does nothing to help find a solution. It's soft bigotry. It's ugly. And it should stop.

 

 

 

[the_brute_squad]

My thoughts on this column.

 

http://twinsdaily.com/blog/1288/entry-11925-whats-wrong-with-nicks-column/

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

55 years ago black and white people had separate schools, water fountains, places to sit on the bus and the list goes on and on....

 

We had a man of African descent elected by the majority of the American people as President for two terms. He left office just 3 years ago. Did we forget that already? Is that "little" progress? 

 

Suggesting that people have racist intent, even if it's subconscious, is insulting. It's insulting because the person being accused of subconscious racism has no way of proving they aren't. You can deny until you're blue in the face but the other person will just go, "Well that's what you say, but deep down you are." No wonder these types of convos usually hit a wall.

 

Assuming that the people you're working on a problem with have bad motives because they disagree with your starting premise does nothing to help find a solution. It's soft bigotry. It's ugly. And it should stop.

You're reading a lot into my post, stuff I didn't say.

 

First, the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. Pretty much everything you listed in the first sentence was illegal 55 years ago and some of it was disappearing 65+ years ago.

 

Nowhere did I mention intent; in fact, I very intentionally avoided that word because I don't believe most people are intentionally racist. I'm not assuming people are working from any bad motive other than "comfort". It's awful to feel like individual inaction has led to larger consequence and that discomfort leads to... well, what we see in this thread.

 

And it should feel awful to realize we're all part of a system that perpetuates this violence.

 

That doesn't mean everyone here is a white supremacist in the making, which is why I specifically used the King quotes I selected.

 

The point of the article, and my King quotes, are that a person doesn't have to run around screaming the N word to help prop up a system that literally puts its knee on the neck of a black man whenever it feels like it and almost never faces repercussions for doing so.

 

So, instead of ignoring the problem, let's find our own individual ways to be better. Consider prioritizing politicians who try to enact real change instead of lip service, donate time and money when you can, speak out both publicly and privately to friends and family about how things need to change, be whatever change you can be. There is no right (or perfect) way to do this but if we all help in our own ways and stay pointed in the same general direction on this issue, change can finally come to America.

[Buddy Holly]

I learned a long time ago that if you want respect you have to earn it. The government or no one can give it to you. If it’s given to you won’t respect it. What happened to Mr. Floyd was terrible. What is happening to cities and people’s lives is bad. Please Don’t lecture me or others on this site that we should bow to the owners view. I support the police. Blue lives do matter. If that offends you, to bad. Won’t be first or last time I offended someone.

[Craig Arko]

Brock, I would estimate that the potential flaw in your reasoning is an assumption that people want change. I don't know that this assumption is true. It doesn't look like it, at first (and maybe second and third) glance.

[Riverbrian]

In Grand Forks North Dakota today. A funeral is being held for 29 year old police officer Cody Holte.

 

Cody was shot and killed last Thursday while coming to the aid of other officers who were serving civil papers and unexpectedly fired upon with an AK-47. The suspect also accidentally shot and killed his mother while spraying bullets in the small apartment they shared and wounded a county sheriff.

 

Cody leaves behind a wife and young child.

 

This entire issue is complicated and beyond my skills as a human being.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I learned a long time ago that if you want respect you have to earn it. The government or no one can give it to you. If it’s given to you won’t respect it. What happened to Mr. Floyd was terrible. What is happening to cities and people’s lives is bad. Please Don’t lecture me or others on this site that we should bow to the owners view. I support the police. Blue lives do matter. If that offends you, to bad. Won’t be first or last time I offended someone.

So, in order:

 

1. If you want respect you have to earn it.

 

2. Four cops wantonly killing a black man in broad daylight is terrible.

 

3. Blue lives matter.

 

Surely you see the gaping hole in this argument.

[cooldude]

I don't think I've ever commented at TD, but I've been reading this thread with growing sadness and feel compelled to add my two cents. That's a natural feeling, isn't it? When you see something that riles your sensibilities, you want to speak up. I don't have a platform like Nick does, and in fact nobody cares what I think on this matter. And yet it's not stopping me, just like it hasn't stopped anybody else here from commenting. The point is: It's not about "virtue signaling" or trying to feel superior. It's about hoping to make a difference by adding your voice. 

 

If you think "our country is broken" is a hollow left-wing bromide, then I don't think you're really paying attention. Look at the anger of the protestors. Look at how fed up they are. People are not going out to make their voices heard at the risk of being arrested, shot at, or even killed, just because of the awful murder of George Floyd, or just for a lefty talking point. They are genuinely outraged and scared for their futures because they live with that violence from the cops every day. They see it all the time. It's more than Chauvin and it's more than a few bad apples. It's systemic. So of course people want to speak up.

 

By the way, it is a well-known fact that Minneapolis has one of the most racist police departments in the country. Please note: I am not saying every Minneapolis cop is a racist. From what I've read from people who know, who have studied this, it is a minority. But they have created the dominant culture, an us-vs.-them culture, that prevents good cops from speaking up. This culture is spearheaded and protected by the police union, which is led by noted racist Bob Kroll. Commenters here have asked why Democratic mayors, city councils, and governors have not been able to make a difference, and the answer is that the police union is extremely powerful. More powerful than the MLBPA, I'd wager. To many, the thin blue line is a symbol of that insulated, racist, dangerous culture. 

 

Maybe Kepler knew that. Maybe he didn't. I don't know. But after he found out, he had a choice to make, and he chose to blow it off as NBD. That is his prerogative! As someone said above, it's a free country. I don't blame him for not wanting to get involved--it's messy. You might piss some people off. I know people tend to get triggered (sorry) when you remind them of their privilege, but not getting involved IS a privilege. Going to a sports site to avoid news about this broken nation is a privilege. And if you can see the suffering and anger and injustice all around you, and like Max Kepler or Nick Nelson you have a platform, you can use your privilege to avoid it or you can use your platform to add to the chorus of voices trying to make change. Using your voice isn't virtue signaling, and if you think it is, that says more about you than it does about anyone else. It says you can't imagine speaking up for change with a genuine desire to see change. And that bums me out. We need more empathy right now.

 

Thanks, Nick, for your post. People are angry, and not everyone is being civil, but much of this discussion has been for the good. 

[theBOMisthebomb]

Please tell me exactly what is so offensive about my post. The fact I’m mad that we’ve made so little progress in the past 55 years?

No. That is not it at all. You have the right to that opinion. I don't agree as I can remember the 1970s and how society still treated people then. The offensive language still used and accepted, and the unfair treatment. Things have gotten better for minorities, disabled, special needs, LGTBQ, etc. in the last 55 years. I disagree with your attack on white people. I firmly believe you would consider my family and me part of "White America" that you feel is preventing change when nothing could be further from the truth. I want to thank TFRazor for the post which does a great job of making points I agree with on what has really changed in 55 years and "subconscious racism".

[Brock Beauchamp]

No. That is not it at all. You have the right to that opinion. I don't agree as I can remember the 1970s and how society still treated people then. The offensive language still used and accepted, and the unfair treatment. Things have gotten better for minorities, disabled, special needs, LGTBQ, etc. in the last 55 years. I disagree with your attack on white people. I firmly believe you would consider my family and me part of "White America" that you feel is preventing change when nothing could be further from the truth. I want to thank TFRazor for the post which does a great job of making points I agree with on what has really changed in 55 years and "subconscious racism".

I implore that you read black authors and talk to black friends around you. Don’t inject your opinion, just listen to what they have to say. They may not even say much at first because I’ve found black people have built up walls around white people because this conversation is so hard for white people to hear, myself included.

 

But you’ll start to hear and see the same themes over and over again. Have things changed? Sure. Have they changed enough? Not even close.

 

My opinions come from a place where I closed my mouth and opened my ears for a very long time. It’s not even really my opinion because I don’t live the daily life that exposes me to this kind of injustice. But I try really, really hard to listen to those who actually live this life, day in, day out.

 

I think we should all be trying to do this as often as possible. I still get stuff wrong all the time and as I’ve learned more, it’s easier to deal with my own issues and overcome them.

 

I have more progress to make. We all have more progress to make. So instead of just saying “well, we fixed racism” let’s try to listen to those who have a much greater understanding of it and believe them when we hear what they say.

[TFRazor]

 

You're reading a lot into my post, stuff I didn't say.

 

First, the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. Pretty much everything you listed in the first sentence was illegal 55 years ago and some of it was disappearing 65+ years ago.

 

Nowhere did I mention intent; in fact, I very intentionally avoided that word because I don't believe most people are intentionally racist. I'm not assuming people are working from any bad motive other than "comfort". It's awful to feel like individual inaction has led to larger consequence and that discomfort leads to... well, what we see in this thread.

 

And it should feel awful to realize we're all part of a system that perpetuates this violence.

 

That doesn't mean everyone here is a white supremacist in the making, which is why I specifically used the King quotes I selected.

 

The point of the article, and my King quotes, are that a person doesn't have to run around screaming the N word to help prop up a system that literally puts its knee on the neck of a black man whenever it feels like it and almost never faces repercussions for doing so.

 

So, instead of ignoring the problem, let's find our own individual ways to be better. Consider prioritizing politicians who try to enact real change instead of lip service, donate time and money when you can, speak out both publicly and privately to friends and family about how things need to change, be whatever change you can be. There is no right (or perfect) way to do this but if we all help in our own ways and stay pointed in the same general direction on this issue, change can finally come to America.

 

Ok so just running down the list:

 

"First, the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. Pretty much everything you listed in the first sentence was illegal 55 years ago and some of it was disappearing 65+ years ago."

 

Yes. We are making progress. After all, if what I listed was disappearing 65 years ago, then by definition we are making progress from where we were before. Also the Civil Rights Act. Again. Progress.

 

"Nowhere did I mention intent; in fact, I very intentionally avoided that word because I don't believe most people are intentionally racist. I'm not assuming people are working from any bad motive other than "comfort". It's awful to feel like individual inaction has led to larger consequence and that discomfort leads to... well, what we see in this thread.

 

And it should feel awful to realize we're all part of a system that perpetuates this violence.

 

That doesn't mean everyone here is a white supremacist in the making, which is why I specifically used the King quotes I selected."

 

If we are a part of a system that perpetuates violence, then logically, the only way for that system to continue is for it to create more people willing to do said violence. Now by context, I assume that you are saying that you believe race is the determining factor on why that violence is being done. If I'm wrong then you have my apology. Now, if the system of violence based on race is perpetuating itself by creating new members who are willing to partake in the system, then yes, You are saying that everyone who joins the organization in question (ie. Cops) is a white supremacist in the making. You believe that the system is creating racists. Hence it could happen to anyone who joins. Why else would they be doing what they are doing? The only logical assumption left is that people are joining said system (ie. Cops) because they either already are racist or because they want to join a system of perpetual violence. That equals intent. You can't have a system without intent. 

 

"The point of the article, and my King quotes, are that a person doesn't have to run around screaming the N word to help prop up a system that literally puts its knee on the neck of a black man whenever it feels like it and almost never faces repercussions for doing so."

 

As far as I'm aware, the man responsible for this act is in jail. Where he belongs. He's going to go to trial and I'd be willing to put money on the fact that he'll be found guilty and go to prison for quite some time. As are the men involved in the shooting in Georgia several weeks ago. As is the cop who shot the unarmed black man in South Carolina a couple of years ago. That's how the system is supposed to work. Your premise that there's a system of police targeting people with the intent to do them harm just isn't true.

 

"So, instead of ignoring the problem, let's find our own individual ways to be better. Consider prioritizing politicians who try to enact real change instead of lip service, donate time and money when you can, speak out both publicly and privately to friends and family about how things need to change, be whatever change you can be. There is no right (or perfect) way to do this but if we all help in our own ways and stay pointed in the same general direction on this issue, change can finally come to America."

 

I agree wholeheartedly with the spirit of this. The issue we come across is that not all agree with your premise that there is a system that is causing these ills. Some believe that what this shows is that there was an ******* who got a power trip from having a gun and a badge. He did something evil and he's going to pay for it. Some find the act of apportioning one man's blame onto a population at large just isn't right.

[Nick Nelson]

 

I certainly can't read Nelson's mind but I think he was trying to show not that Max did anything particularly awful, but that many of us are given the luxury of ignoring a problem, something many Americans cannot do in their daily lives. 

You don't need to read my mind, you only need to read the post. 

 

On that note, I feel compelled based on responses to reiterate this for the ~1,000th time: My issue is not with the Blue Lives Matter mask. Here is all I said about that: "On Thursday, Kepler shared a picture on Instagram of himself wearing a "Blue Lives Matter" face mask he'd received from some company. Evidently, he got a rush of negative feedback because he quickly deleted the post." That's it. This post isn't about that image. If the controversy was around Kepler posting that picture I wouldn't have written about it.

 

It's about what came after. It's about the indifference and apathy he expressed. (Prior to posting a canned PR apology.) 

 

The fact that so many commenters can't grasp that tells me either they have poor reading comprehension or they simply don't care about the actual issue being addressed and want to grind their own axes. 

[scottz]

 

You don't need to read my mind, you only need to read the post. 

 

On that note, I feel compelled based on responses to reiterate this for the ~1,000th time: My issue is not with the Blue Lives Matter mask. Here is all I said about that: "On Thursday, Kepler shared a picture on Instagram of himself wearing a "Blue Lives Matter" face mask he'd received from some company. Evidently, he got a rush of negative feedback because he quickly deleted the post." That's it. This post isn't about that image. If the controversy was around Kepler posting that picture I wouldn't have written about it.

 

It's about what came after. It's about the indifference and apathy he expressed. (Prior to posting a canned PR apology.) 

 

The fact that so many commenters can't grasp that tells me either they have poor reading comprehension or they simply don't care about the actual issue being addressed and want to grind their own axes. 

I object to the part that came after. It assumes Kepler is indifferent and apathetic because he didn't respond the way you thought he should. I object to that as unreasonable and wholly egotistical and declares your way as the arbiter of appropriate action.

 

And then goes on to say that all who do that are complicit. I object to that as overly broad and requires that all act in the way you suggest or else they are guilty of not acting in the way you suggest and therefore you are right and they are wrong.

 

And then it goes on to say what he should have done. I object to that as people are free to act in a manner they see fit.

And then you attempt to rescue yourself by saying that because people can't grasp that (those dummies), they can't read (those dummies) or they don't care (those selfish dummies).

 

If you want to say "I am frustrated, and what I want is not what is. And I am frustrated, because others don't agree with me about what needs to be done," then say that. But you simply cannot assume that because the actions or inactions of others don't fit with what you want, it means they are guilty of anything you are accusing them of. And further, you cannot assume that those actions or inactions mean that they simply do not think there is reason or desire for any change.

 

You are telling a group of people - a group who I believe based on my reading of this site over years are largely ALLIES on the topic of race and equality in a broader sense - that if they do not agree with what you are saying is needed in a specific sense, then they are ENEMIES. Even from just a strategic sense, it is an approach that is lacking.

 

You are a talented writer Nick - in my opinion the best on this board - and no doubt your heart and argument comes from a good place on this topic. But your argument here is flawed. Not your hopes or desires. Your argument.

[Nick Nelson]

 

I object to the part that came after. It assumes Kepler is indifferent and apathetic because he didn't respond the way you thought he should. I object to that as unreasonable and wholly egotistical and declares your way as the arbiter of appropriate action.

Kepler wrote "Not into politics" with a peace sign as the city of Minneapolis was literally on fire and in crisis. That is a bad move from any angle. Given the timing, it was one of the most tone-deaf things I've ever seen from a Twins player on social media. I'm not assuming Kepler's indifference -- a message of indifference was CLEARLY broadcasted to his fans. By him.

 

Max Kepler is a prominent Major League Baseball player with a platform. These optics matter. How he feels inside isn't the point. He has a platform and he's entrusted to be a representative leader in this city where he is known and admired. It comes with the territory. 

 

I'm not trying to say what he should've done except that it's not that. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to act, I'm simply urging them to ACT. Think deeply about the role you can play personally in helping us get to a better place. There's no one way to go about it. But sitting on the sidelines silently and wishing people well does nothing other than fortify the status quo. Almost every person I've spoken to who is impacted by these issues continually tells me this is the single biggest problem holding us back. 

 

(Having said all that scottz, your comment was super thoughtful and I appreciate the perspective.)

[Mill1634]

 

Kepler wrote "Not into politics" with a peace sign as the city of Minneapolis was literally on fire and in crisis. That is a bad move from any angle. Given the timing, it was one of the most tone-deaf things I've ever seen from a Twins player on social media. I'm not assuming Kepler's indifference -- a message of indifference was CLEARLY broadcasted to his fans. By him.

 

Max Kepler is a prominent Major League Baseball player with a platform. These optics matter. How he feels inside isn't the point. He has a platform and he's entrusted to be a representative leader in this city where he is known and admired. It comes with the territory. 

 

I'm not trying to say what he should've done except that it's not that. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to act, I'm simply urging them to ACT. Think deeply about the role you can play personally in helping us get to a better place. There's no one way to go about it. But sitting on the sidelines silently and wishing people well does nothing other than fortify the status quo. Almost every person I've spoken to who is impacted by these issues continually tells me this is the single biggest problem holding us back. 

 

(Having said all that scottz, your comment was super thoughtful and I appreciate the perspective.)

Being a prominent baseball player does NOT mean that he has to be into politics or have a social stance on issues, no matter how big or small they are. He is a German American baseball player, and not even 30 years old. I know plenty of men less than 30 that don't care about politics. Just because Kepler is a baseball player doesn't mean he is forced to unite the city. That is why we have a vote, to vote for the people who we want to have a say. Kepler is here because of his talents on the field, not because he is the answer to deep rooted issues. 

[Chachi]

Baseball has nearly always been an indelible reflection of our society, long before recent events and far before advanced stats dominated much of the attention.

 

I don't consider baseball in a bubble to be considered only its own lane regardless of the rest of what we are dealing with as a society.  Pick an era, pick a contention, pick an attitude, baseball has been affected and created effect, in context.  There's beauty in that if you squint and look at it.

 

I'm also in the camp that really finds tremendous value coming to this site for the escape from the day-to-day grid it has earned and provides.  However, baseball is, (and hopefully always will be) part of the ongoing story of our imperfect advance as a nation and a valuable part of each of our lives.  To tell a story about baseball, while pretending a national context doesn't exist misses many significant points of the journey.

 

Sounds preachy, I admit. 

 

But for me and my family, in so many ways, baseball has been important on and off the field.  We can listen to how others incorporate or interpret baseball lessons outside the white lines - and maybe we'll be better off for it?

 

That said, I hope all of you, your families, teams, and those you support are well during this time.  

[gunnarthor]

Just now seeing this thread. I think Nick should be thanked for his well thought out post. 

[Doctor Gast]

Martin Luther King is a hero to me, in a time of social injustice much greater than today he preach for racial equality w/ love & unity. Back then there was an avenue of violence which pointed to civil war (which wouldn`t succeed anything but blood & misery), he chose to alienate himself from that & was able to succeed on precious civil rights. Today we have the same choice, do we want to condone violence (which enemy of our democracy wants) or do we totally stand against it? Do we continue w/ King & choose the high ground & unite or do we choose to hate which divides & cause civil war w/ death & lose? We must not be apathetic about it!

[scottz]

 

Kepler wrote "Not into politics" with a peace sign as the city of Minneapolis was literally on fire and in crisis. That is a bad move from any angle. Given the timing, it was one of the most tone-deaf things I've ever seen from a Twins player on social media. I'm not assuming Kepler's indifference -- a message of indifference was CLEARLY broadcasted to his fans. By him.

 

Max Kepler is a prominent Major League Baseball player with a platform. These optics matter. How he feels inside isn't the point. He has a platform and he's entrusted to be a representative leader in this city where he is known and admired. It comes with the territory. 

 

I'm not trying to say what he should've done except that it's not that. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to act, I'm simply urging them to ACT. Think deeply about the role you can play personally in helping us get to a better place. There's no one way to go about it. But sitting on the sidelines silently and wishing people well does nothing other than fortify the status quo. Almost every person I've spoken to who is impacted by these issues continually tells me this is the single biggest problem holding us back. 

 

(Having said all that scottz, your comment was super thoughtful and I appreciate the perspective.)

You want people to act. In my opinion, that is good. You want people to think deeply about what they do. In my opinion, that is very good. But think deeply about what you would have done if you, Nick Nelson - writer, were instead Nick Nelson - baseball player. You post a selfie about something loosely connected to COVID (remember when that was important?), you find out instead of a mask you were actually wearing a beehive, so you quickly take it down. What do you do next? Remember now, you're a 27 year old baseball player. Do you call PR right then? Or do you say "whoa. sorry everyone with strong opinions. i'd rather not fight." Because that's what he did.

 

THEN, the firestorm continues (because that's what firestorms do) and he called PR, because he knows he's walking on a thin sheet of ice and there is fire everywhere. And PR writes a well thought out, yet obviously PR written statement. Then he posts it. Isn't that what you would have done? Or are you telling me that you, Nick Nelson - 27 year old baseball player, would have silently reflected and penned a beautiful heartfelt essay on the tragedy of life, the state of racial inequality, and the unjust violence associated with interactions between black men and the police, and the whole time, you would have found the right balance in your essay to make sure that you didn't say anything that would further ruffle the feathers of the thousands and thousands of people that follow you because they like the way you can hit and run and throw. Think of how unlikely that is. You, Nick Nelson - writer, are an excellent writer, and you were unable to write an essay that didn't ruffle feathers of at least some of your audience, and you had time to think about it. I have no idea if Max Kepler is a good writer or not, if he's brilliant or dumb as a bag of hammers, but if you couldn't do it, then what chance did he have?

 

As long as we're playing the empathy game, let's all think about all the main characters in our little stage and put yourself in all of their shoes. Some of you probably have already done this. Put your self in George Floyd's shoes, Derek Chauvin's shoes, the shoes of each of their families, the shoes of young black men everywhere, the shoes of cops everywhere, the shoes of the commenter who had a relative recently killed, even the shoes of the rioters, and on and on. Put yourself in Nick's shoes. It is plainly obvious that many people have already done this for George Floyd, as is evidenced by the protests, and that is good. I'm not suggesting that anyone needs to come up with some certain outcome of whether, if in another's shoes you absolutely would have done the same thing. But I think it's a good exercise, and it challenges our own thinking. It also helps us delineate in our minds what truly is right and what truly is wrong, without deceiving ourselves that the position we hold is the right one simply because we hold it.

 

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That's what we all get and we are guaranteed nothing more. If you see somebody getting screwed out of one of those, I think you should speak up. If you don't, hey. Do you. 

[ashbury]

To not speak up is to be complicit.

...follow-up: "wasn't aware of what the mask supported. still not into politics," along with a peace sign emoji.

The reactions to your article were so instantaneous that I didn't have time until now to come back and discuss an aspect that I think hasn't been brought up yet.

 

Buxton and Baldelli and Trevor May have posted on Twitter (that's the only platform I'm checking for this comment, sorry), regarding the protests, Tyler Duffey is posting some thoughts, and Jake Cave seems to have reposted some others' views.

 

But, what about other Twins players? I'm going to focus on the veterans I think to be white and American born (lots of in-between area, that possibly could be mistaken or debated). GarvSauce? I hear crickets instead of tweets. Jake Odorizzi? Similar. C.J. Cron (no longer on the team but I'm running down the stats list for 2019) posted recently about the SpaceX launch and nothing else that was timely, suggesting something about his priorities. Homer Bailey? Not sure if he even has an official Twitter account, which is one way of finessing the whole matter but still runs afoul of "complicity" by not speaking up. Kyle Gibson (likewise no longer on the roster) is voluble on many topics but I see nothing about the current matter involving the protests. Taylor Rogers? Nada.

 

I'm sure the team advises players to be very careful about public statements. So "inertia" more than anything may lead players to not make this be an exception. Also, as I stop to think about it ... I don't use Twitter very much. I'm not expert at it, at all! Maybe I'm missing some players contributions to the public discourse.

 

Kepler stumbled into this topic, if we're charitable about his motivations for that photo. It's fair to critique how he followed up.

 

But why are we holding the silent players to a different standard than Kep?

 

[Linus]

I agree that we have to do more- this is a crisis. Like a lot of people I’m not sure how. My own little thing is I try to acknowledge and speak to every black person I come across. My very little way of trying to build a bridge

 

I don’t think it was proper to focus on Kepler. We have no idea what his feelings are and I don’t think it’s right to call him out unless we know.

 

There is a lot of condescension in these comments including the owners. That is never a good way to persuade people.

[h2oface]

 

Kepler wrote "Not into politics" with a peace sign as the city of Minneapolis was literally on fire and in crisis. That is a bad move from any angle. Given the timing, it was one of the most tone-deaf things I've ever seen from a Twins player on social media. I'm not assuming Kepler's indifference -- a message of indifference was CLEARLY broadcasted to his fans. By him.

 

Max Kepler is a prominent Major League Baseball player with a platform. These optics matter. How he feels inside isn't the point. He has a platform and he's entrusted to be a representative leader in this city where he is known and admired. It comes with the territory. 

 

I'm not trying to say what he should've done except that it's not that. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to act, I'm simply urging them to ACT. Think deeply about the role you can play personally in helping us get to a better place. There's no one way to go about it. But sitting on the sidelines silently and wishing people well does nothing other than fortify the status quo. Almost every person I've spoken to who is impacted by these issues continually tells me this is the single biggest problem holding us back. 

 

(Having said all that scottz, your comment was super thoughtful and I appreciate the perspective.)

 

This whole leader thing is something created by others that want heroes. Just because someone is a professional athlete, does not make them a leader. It makes them lucky. Lucky that their natural talent and hard work has gotten them something others aspire to. It doesn't automatically give them a platform that they have to aspire to or engage in. That does not automatically come with the territory. That expectation is not a fair one to have, in my opinion. But then, baseball players are not heroes to me. They don't have to have a command of the language, politacal aspirations, be a poet, be an activist, or include me into their private life at all. They can, but to me, it is not what he is required to do. At all. Entrusted to be a representative leader in this city where he is known and admired? Not by me. I expect him to get a bunch of hits and not not drop the ball and throw some runners out. No hero. No leader. Just a lucky 20-something that gets to play baseball for a lot of money. He is in his 20's! Not a leader in my book, at all. Time for Billy Bob's acceptance speech at the 2015 Golden Globes again.......

 

[h2oface]

 

.... Martin Luther King, Jr. had a few things to say about this topic and they don't shine a very pretty light on white America. 

 

I don't know the dates of any of the quotes, except the last because it was written while he sat in an Alabama jail 57 (I think) years ago. .....

 

“First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”

 

Thanks for this......

[thuuuuney]

I imagine this has been an interesting comment section for you to comb through but I just wanted to commend you on this piece. Takes guts to write this article.

[howeda7]

It always seems like people have extra vitriol when sports stars/analysts/bloggers comment on anything other than sports. The anger in these comments reflects that. I certainly respect those who don't want to read this article. But scroll past it if that's the case.