translated from Spanish: Megan Rapinoe, the activist captain of the U.S. national team

Photos / Internet
 
Mundo.- American footballer Megan Rapinoe has made headlines in recent days not only for the double that served to beat Spain and qualify the USA for the Quarterfinals of the World Cup, but for a gesture of protest during the American anthem.
 
During it, the team captain decided not to sing it or put her hand on her chest. A gesture that has not been made for the first time against Spain, but has been doing so since 2016, when many of the American athletes decided to kneel during the national anthem in protest of police brutality before the community Black. A move started by football player Colin Kaepernick, and which has cost him his professional career.
The thing is, Megan Rapinoe has always been a player who has been involved in the social sphere. From being a loyal rights advocate for LGBT groups to donating $100,000 to all those families affected by last summer’s devastating California fire.
Oblivious to criticism or what they will say, the player has always taken advantage of her status as a world-renowned athlete to speak without prejudice about everything she defends. Without going any further, he recently spoke out about going to visit Trump in case he won the World Cup, and his response makes his opinion of the president of the United States clear: “I’m not going to the fucking White House”” , he told the press.
 
“I’m not going to the fucking White House.” – @mPinoe pic.twitter.com/sz1ADG2WdT
— Eight by Eight,8by8mag) June 25, 2019

Twitter / Eight by Eight
 
On police brutality in the face of the black population in the United States, Rapinoe has been especially critical since the beginning of the controversy: “Athletes are idolated in our culture and we must use that platform to support what Colin Kaepernick is Doing. They’re wanting to sell it as a race problem, but it goes way beyond that,” he said in an interview at the Guardian.
“Statistics of black people in prison don’t lie about disproportionality in arresting black people about white people, they don’t lie. We can’t close our eyes and pretend it’s okay. The reality is that the unequal treatment by the police in the face of white people and black people is in the day to day, and to deny it would be foolish. So the sooner we recognize it and create what people who fight it every day say, the sooner we’ll be able to find the solution and prevent those situations from happening again,” he said of the fight started by Colin Kaepernick years ago.
 
His decision to kneel during the national anthem at a U.S. game did not please the Football Federation, which soon issued a rule for all players to stand during that time. He decided, instead of kneeling, to stop singing it from taking his hand to his chest.
 
A player that does not support the USA is not to wear the flag colors on their uniform. Black stain for @USWNT with Rapinoe as captain not singing national anthem. pic.twitter.com/7YSKL2m4LJ
— Michael Rizk (@mikerizk) June 24, 2019

Twitter / Michael Rizk
 
“I don’t know what would have happened if I had continued to do so. Probably the same as Colin Kaepernick. I soon realized that they were not going to respect my freedom of expression peacefully, making myself understand that I had to feel privileged to be able to play for my country. I personally believe that what Colin initiated was a very patriotic act,” he acknowledged.
She was, along with Alex Morgan, the first women’s football player to join the campaign started by Juan Mata, a Spanish player for Manchester United, aimed at donating 1% of the salary to help the most disadvantaged.
On the economic difference between male and female football, Rapinoe is clear: “Women are always on the front line when it comes to ducolding inequalities of wages or race, perhaps because we always have to be fighting for something and we really understand first-hand what gender discrimination is. The football players lived with it,” he argued.
 
Source: Brand

Original source in Spanish

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