Thousands of Americans would like to see eminent basketball player LeBron James move from the court to politics.
As of Thursday, more than 9,800 people have fallen ill. signed the petition strip Besty DeVos of her title and make LeBron the next Secretary of Education. Once the page reaches 10,000 signatures, it will be sent to President Trump.
“Let’s pretend there are two candidates for U.S. Secretary of Education,” the petition reads.[A]and YOU hire them.”
Next, we present a list of our two candidates:
The first candidate is a eminent sportsman LeBron James, a highly respected and influential social activist who recently opened a state-of-the-art public school for at-risk children in Akron, Ohio — with on-site community services like job placement for parents, guaranteed tuition for every student who graduates, and a host of other student benefits like a FREE bike and helmet.
The second candidate is Betsy DeVos, a scandal-plagued Republican donor who has an inexplicable aversion to public education, wants to dismantle protections for women and minorities, and has advocated for arming teachers in schools.
This would be an effortless choice, right?
The petition was created just days after the I Promise School was unveiled in LeBron’s hometown of Akron, Ohio. The school, a joint project of the LeBron James Family Foundation and Akron Public Schools, is open to underachieving students and focuses on “STEM, hands-on, problem-based learning,” according to foundation website.
Students will also receive a range of benefits, such as free breakfasts, lunches and snacks, a free bike and helmet, and, upon graduation, a four-year scholarship to the University of Akron.
Currently, the school is open only to 240 at-risk third- and fourth-graders who were randomly selected from a larger pool. However, in the next few years, the school will expand to include grades one through eight.
In keeping with the foundation’s “We Are Family” philosophy, families of students will also enjoy additional benefits, such as access to the food pantry and GED preparation classes for parents and guardians.
As you might expect, the school brought LeBron a lot of praise, especially from the left side.
.@BarackObama and I’m so proud of it @KingJames AND @IPROMISES School. Kids in Akron and across the United States are lucky to have you as a role model on and off the field. Use your platform for good and give our kids a chance to reach for the stars. ???? #ReachHigher #BetterDoPeace photo:twitter.com/hyS6UM2A7b
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) July 31, 2018
But that doesn’t mean he’ll consider a career change.
Fortunately, the petitioners’ expectations are justified.
“I know it’s unlikely that Lebron James would walk away from his incredibly successful career — especially since he was generous enough to use his influence to become an inspiring community and youth advocate for millions,” the site reads. “It’s even less likely that Lebron would ever work for Donald Trump and his hateful rhetoric… but it’s worth a try!”
It’s unlikely. The basketball star said he doesn’t even want to sit down with our president. That would certainly make cooperation tough.
“I would never sit across from him,” he told CNN’s Don Lemon during an interview. “What I’ve noticed over the last few months, [is] “He’s kind of used sports to divide us, and I can’t relate to that.”
This contempt is mutual.
Lebron James just got interviewed by the dumbest man on TV, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which is not easy. I like Mike!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2018
It looks like the left will have to live with DeVos for a while longer.
