Jack Del Rio wants to have a discussion.
His words.
Let’s.
The former Dallas Cowboys linebacker and current defensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders leaned into his conservative beliefs on Wednesday when he doubled down on a recent tweet:
“Would love to understand ‘the whole story’ about why the summer of riots, looting, burning and the destruction of personal property is never discussed but this is ???#CommonSense,” Jack tweeted.
He is referring to coverage, and condemnation, of the riots and criminal activity that sprouted from the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020 compared to the House committee hearings on the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“Let’s get right down to it. What did I ask? A simple question,” he told the media after a team practice. “Why are we not looking into those things? If we are going to talk about it. Why are we not looking into those things?
“It’s hard for me to say I can realistically look at it; I see the images on TV, people’s livelihoods are being destroyed, businesses are being burned down, no problem. And then we have a dustup at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we’re going to make that a major deal.
“I just think, kinda two standards. And if we apply the same standard, and we’re going to be reasonable with each other, let’s have a discussion.”
This is a 59-year-old white male who has watched a lot of conservative-leaning television. It’s called a stereotype for a reason.
If you can see through the ignorance of his statement, he has a point.
So, Jack, let’s have that discussion. You won’t like it.
He’s right; a lot of American’s livelihoods were destroyed as a result of businesses being “burned down” during many of the Black Lives Matter protests all over America in 2020.
Even if they received an insurance check to cover their losses, it is terrible.
And, only the deeply stupid condone rioting, looting or criminal activity.
Once you suggest throwing a rock through a window is OK, you’ve lost your audience.
Because all of this was discussed. He just didn’t like why it was discussed.
All the rioting, looting and criminal activity that resulted during those protests effectively derailed what the protests were about in the first place.
No matter how much you don’t want to listen to the group’s gripes, a peaceful protest is a right of an American.
A lot of the guilty were punished. A lot them got away with it.
The sad part is the protests were about an issue that is important to a lot of the people Del Rio called teammates and friends over his 11-year NFL playing career.
An issue that is important to a lot of the players who have called him Coach in his 25-year NFL coaching career.
On that, he doesn’t want to have a discussion.
He just reinforces the stereotype of the white, macho ball coach who wants the Black players to play sports, and to shut up.
Rioting, looting and criminal activity are against the law for every American; the types of laws that a conservative like Jack Del Rio says he respects.
Because, according to the laws that Del Rio values and respects, what happened on Jan. 6 at the nation’s Capitol was not a “dustup.”
To call what happened on Jan. 6 a “dustup” is insulting to the five people who died as a result of the rioting, and attack on the nation’s Capitol building.
It’s insulting, tone deaf, stupid, and un-American.
The idiots, zealots and fools who tried to contest the 2020 national election results with violence are just as guilty as the idiots, zealots and fools who used the BLM protest marches to throw a violent fit, and steal TVs.
They all are guilty of not just embarrassing themselves but also our nation.
A few hours after Jack’s comments went viral, he returned to Twitter to offer an apology, and a clarification.
He knows he screwed up.
Jack says he wants to have a discussion, but he doesn’t mean it.
A discussion will reveal he’s just as dumb as the opposing view he despises. Because what he wants is a double standard that condones his biases.
What he wants to hear is that he’s right.
Jack, you don’t really want to have this discussion.
Do yourself a favor and just stick to sports.
