Can you imagine what President Donald Trump and NBA star LeBron James could accomplish together for adolescent black Americans if they put aside their egos and political differences to work together? So what’s stopping this from happening? I doubt it’s what you think.
While some of Trump’s tweets may be distasteful, they are not to blame for the wedge that has formed between black professional athletes and the Trump administration. Let’s be candid, James couldn’t make peace with Trump if he wanted to—the left simply wouldn’t let him, even if it meant helping more at-risk kids in Akron, Ohio.
Moreover, Trump is not to blame for using sports to divide Americans, as LeBron claimed in an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon last week. The blame lies with ESPN, which has transformed the network into a divisive social justice channel, and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality. Trump did nothing more than react to the controversy like most football fans. The fan outrage was never about Kaepernick not having the right to protest; most fans believe he simply chose the wrong place to do so. As usual, Democrats seized on Kaepernick’s protest to advance their own political agenda.
The truth is the same today as it was then: If Democrats are to win the midterms, they must perpetuate the narrative that Trump and his Republican, conservative, and religious supporters are racist, homophobic, and xenophobic bigots. As long as Democratic voters are distracted by their anger at Trump (the mainstream media plays a immense role in cultivating that anger), Democratic Party leaders know that Trump will not be judged by the positive impact his policies have had on black and Latino communities. Voting Republican this year should be a no-brainer for most registered voters, given the economy. But it won’t be. As LeBron James argues, far too many millennials get their news from sources that are biased against Trump, no matter what he does.
The truth is that both James and Trump are working tough to make America a better place for less privileged Americans. As a capitalist, I believe that Trump’s vision for America, which includes allowing more Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money by cutting taxes and promoting alternative education methods like trade schools and homeschooling, will yield greater long-term benefits for all Americans than James’s #IPromise school.
James’ School Takes Big Government Approach. Promises Lots of Free Gifts for 3rd and 4t graders, with local taxpayers potentially footing up to 75 percent of the bill, according to a Cleveland.com article titled “Who’s Paying for Lebron James’ New I Promise School? Lebron or Akron Public Schools?“According to CNN, the 240 children who are set to attend the school, a project run by the LeBron James Family Foundation, will receive free tuition, free uniforms, free breakfast, lunch and snacks, free transportation within a 2-mile radius, a free bike and helmet, access to a food pantry for their family and guaranteed tuition for all University of Akron graduates. “In addition, parents of students will receive access to job placement services and assistance with obtaining a GED.” With support from Akron County educators, the school will focus on STEM education and developing problem-solving skills.
Personally, I would prefer every NBA team to take over a school in their community and pay for it without taxpayers. That way, they could fully commit to the success of the children and hire qualified teachers who will teach the children to think, not to conform to leftist ideology.
Regardless of my feelings on LeBron’s approach to education, both Trump and LeBron James deserve credit for their tough work in creating a better America for all. I just wonder how much more they could accomplish together if they used their platforms to inspire local governments to develop their own programs that would better serve our adolescent men and women across the country. It’s clear that what we’ve had for the past few decades isn’t working.
Certainly the president is responsible for the lowest black unemployment rate in history, and an athlete as admired and inspiring in American cities as LeBron James might want to sit down and think about it.
