ANTHONY GETTINO
Sports Editor
You see them in the comments of any professional athlete’s posts or tweets.
“Stick to sports!”
But why should these athletes have to?
They’re people the same as the rest of us, and like all of us they have opinions.
Many pro players have opinions on politics. With the election coming soon, you see advertisements on tv, signs in people’s yards, bumper stickers, all that good stuff.
So why as soon as it comes from a platform of an athlete is it considered taboo?
I see tweets all the time from random people on why you have to vote, the importance of voting and politics right now, but those are just random people on Twitter. Imagine someone you’ve idolized your entire life says to go out and vote and that voting is so important. You’re far more likely to go out to the polls and cast a vote then. So why are pro athletes told not to spread these messages?
It isn’t like they’re telling people who to vote for. Just spreading the message on how important voting really is.
Sports are just their jobs. Telling an athlete to stick to sports and stay out of politics is like telling an accountant to stick to numbers. It doesn’t make any sense. Why would their occupation determine whether or not they can talk about other things?
These players have a large following. If voting is so important, then why are you telling Lebron James to take off his “Vote or Die” t-shirt? Why are you trying to block the message that these players are trying to send their fans on how important voting is and why they should vote?
Trying to confine athletes into a box that they aren’t allowed out of isn’t right. They shouldn’t have to stick to sports.
Let these athletes use their voices, use their platforms, and educate the public on matters that are important to them.