Two Ears — One Mouth
Let’s do a little more listening.
By: Greg Winkler
I am watching as the Milwaukee Bucks responded to the shooting of another black man, Jacob Blake, in Kenosha, WI. The team stayed in the locker room to bring attention to the incident and facilitate change. The NBA responded by postponing games for the next two days. Teams in the National Football League, including the Green Bay Packers, canceled practices. The Milwaukee Brewers and several other Major League Baseball teams canceled games that day as well.
Until recently, I spent my childhood and adult life, up until six years ago, in Wisconsin. I embraced the values and the work ethic of the Midwest. I still have many friends on social media, and I am grateful to share in their celebrations through that medium. As I scrolled through their posts the past few days, I was saddened. Many of the people I used to know were bashing the professional teams they cheered their entire lives. They threatened to abandon those teams because of a stance the players and the organization took on a social issue.
I try to avoid commenting on negative social media posts, as they tend to become argumentative, angry, and divisive. I read what they have to say, and I listened to their anger. I listen to national radio programs, and I read the articles from athletes and people of influence. As I process what I was hearing, I feel it is time to respond. As a people, we are headed down a very destructive path, and immediate change is needed.
Some of the chatter on their posts were against the Black Lives Matter movement. BLM has faced many malicious attacks and an overwhelming amount of misinformation. I wonder if the people I know who speak negatively about BLM understand what it is? Or what it stands for? Have they taken the time to check out the BLM platform and what the movement is all about?
The definition for Black Lives Matter on Wikipedia is, “Black Lives Matter is a decentralized movement advocating for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against Black people.”
The Black Lives Matter website states, “We acknowledge, respect, and celebrate differences and commonalities. We work vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension, all people. We embody and practice justice, liberation, and peace in our engagements with one another.”
Like any movement for change throughout our history, there is often violence and unrest. The protesting group, in this case, BLM, is not advocating the violence. Other individuals and groups that thrive on destruction get involved for reasons of their own. The deeper you look into an adverse event, the greater chance you recognize the truth. That, however, requires a little more effort on our part. Shouldn’t we be responsible for uncovering the truth, before we react?
Systemic racism id hard for a lot of us to understand. I don’t believe people have researched enough to know the depths that systemic racism entails. I thought I had a good understanding of what it meant. I am educated, aware, and have been through countless diversity training sessions throughout my career. It wasn’t until I read two books this summer when my eyes were opened to the depths of what black men and women have suffered over the past centuries.
It is heavy reading, and if you allow yourself to listen to what you read, it may anger you. “White Rage” by Carol Anderson, and “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander, made me cringe. Reading those books made me angry and ashamed. The depths that we went to as a country throughout the centuries is alarming. I challenge everyone, white, black, or brown, to pick up either one of these books and read it before discussing the BLM movement or offer opinions on how our celebrities should respond. It is time for a change! It is time to get off our couches and support every American regardless of race, sex, or belief.
If we turn on the local or national news, or we check in on our favorite social media sites, it appears that our country is fractured. We have so much potential to make the world around us better, and yet we struggle to treat each other with respect and compassion. Many believe their opinion is right, and we have forgotten how to have a conversation with our neighbor. We have forgotten that we have two ears and one mouth. We were born with two ears, so we listen more than we speak.
We have not been diligent in fact checking the material we absorb. We cannot afford to take things at face value anymore. We have to ask questions, and we have to dig for the truth. I am not pushing a political agenda here, and I am not telling which way to vote in the upcoming election. I am asking that we try and find the kindness and decency that I know is in all of us.
As a coach, my greatest success has been bringing young men and women together for a common goal. My teams have included a diverse set of beliefs and backgrounds. When we embrace our differences and learn about the faiths and cultures we all bring to the table, we have had great success. If the team stayed fragmented and unwilling to work together, we suffered.
I ask that we all take a moment before we retweet, repost, or share something we think we believe. Fact checks, dig a little deeper, think about who may be offended by what you share. Don’t abandon the leagues, the teams, and the athletes that are trying to facilitate change. Try and take a walk in their shoes, examine the trials they overcame to reach the place they are today and the burdens they carry with them.
We cannot change what has happened in the past, but we can all be part of the solution. We can do better. We can be supportive. We can be kind. We can volunteer. We can lift each other. The next time you want to share or post that hate-filled controversial article, take a breath. Is there something positive you could put out instead?
Winkler has a new book coming this fall, “The Transformational Coach” Meyer & Meyer Sport Publishing. Author of “Coaching A Season of Significance”, and co-authored with his wife Vikki, “Welcome to Florida (WTF).” @gregwinkler10
