I myself am a big fan of sports from across the proverbial pond, particularly basketball and hockey, although recently, I made the mistake of perusing the comments section under a facebook post by the NHL concerning two hockey players celebrating Pride... I was disgusted. The sheer quantity of blatant homophobia and disproportionate anger and hatred was absolutely staggering. I honestly had no idea that opinions such as these still existed in the civilised world.
So, back to the World Cup. USA co-captain Megan Rapinoe is well known to be a fierce figure in football; an outspoken force to be reckoned with both on the pitch and off, having already helped her country land a world cup win in 2015 and second place in 2011. The California-born striker began the competition by exhibiting a controversial move in continuing support for 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick during the 2016 NFL season when she knelt during the Star Spangled Banner. Rapinoe began kneeling for the anthem in solidarity with the Football (the oval ball one, in case anyone is mixed up) quarterback back in 2016 as a protest against police brutality and racial profiling.
This is, in my opinion, a much more respectful form of protest than, let's say for example, just off the top of my head... err... Nigel Farage and his bunch of anti-EU loons protesting Brexit by turning their backs during Ode To Joy in the European Parliament earlier this week though and... actually, you know what, that's a whole other thing for another day. The USA striker stepped it up a notch shortly before the semi-final game against England. When asked in an interview about the possibility of celebrating a world cup win by visiting President Trump at the White House, she expressed her displeasure of the idea in no uncertain terms by stating "I'm not going to the f***ing White House."...
Cue magical exploding Twitter machine!
The wise and all knowing president commander-in-chief, of course, had to throw his car into the path of the tornado and make his contribution, claiming that he would invite the Women's team to the White House whether they win or lose (creating a shift in the power dynamic and trying to be the bigger man; the mark of the insecure male) as well as accusing the player of disrespecting the USA and its flag. He even managed to fit in a few irrelevant statistics and his stinking-of-desperation Twitter signature "Our country is doing GREAT!" which, and I think I speak for most of us here in the liberal community, is getting right on our tits.
I will never give a damn about women’s soccer ever again - no support - will never watch - and I hope you lose now that your girlfriend insults Americans with her drivel and self-centered hatred for the sacred American values. She’s nothing but a lesbian mess. Strong? NO.— ❌Sweet Southern Girl (@SwSouthernGirl) July 2, 2019
And good riddance to that traitor being benched today! She ignores everything that America is supposed to be about. A horrible example for little girls!— Peter Za (@DrPeteZa) July 3, 2019
All of you women’s soccer fans need to thank Lord President Trump for making yalls game even remotely relevant for 15 minutes. Don’t worry, nobody will care about you again very soon. 🇺🇸#Trump2020🇺🇸— CryptoHulk (#ETH) (#LTC) (@cryptoboss54) July 2, 2019
Weak American Traitors. Now you use Trump’s media might to gain some for yourselves. He IS that powerful, that leeches like you, grab on to his fame for personal gain. Without Trump no one even reads you. Period. #fake #notreal #traitors #weak— Matt Carter (@mattcarter40) July 3, 2019
Your "girlfriend" is almost as pathetic as you. I will say however she is an attention seeking whore. You can both walk away now...your 5 minutes are up.— Jackie Paulson (@JackiePaulson12) July 3, 2019
I tried very hard to steer clear of Twitter today... but it's not easy when there's so much evil out there. It's a bit like falling into a dark hole in the ground. The further you go, the darker it gets. You know it's going to hurt when you hit the bottom but you can't stop. The level of ignorance, arrogance and puritanical hatred displayed by many of those who replied was absolutely despicable. Pure vitriolic rage crashed through the gates of Twitter like a tsunami as an alarming number of furious bigots voiced their opinion.Rapinoe has since stated in a press conference that she stands by the comments she made (aside from the subtle F-bomb) and that she would encourage her teammates to think about the implications of appearing to support an institution that doesn't fight for the same values... a very fair stance if you ask me!
The Californian striker and her girlfriend, a WNBA champion, are still under fire from the patriotic right in the States crying out for Rapinoe to be suspended from the team... to which, personally, I say... FUCK YOU! Both of these women are world class athletes, icons in several sports communities, excellent role models, lionhearts for women and LGBTQ+ people all over the world and most certainly... (The Republicans are going to hate me for this)... American heroes. There are plenty of Americans in the public eye who vocally oppose Donald Trump's presidency. They are not traitors. It doesn't mean they hate America. It doesn't mean they are disrespecting the flag. It doesn't mean they are disrespecting veterans or the sacrifices they have made. Back in 2015, the team were happy to meet with Barack Obama, a legitimate president worthy of their respect.She's an icon.
She's an inspiration.
She's a hero.
This is the truth. Deal with it.
Best of luck in the WWC final, and to England in the third place playoff.
#IStandWithMegan
Written by
Phil Graham
