The Black and Blue Lives Matter movements should exist in harmony, as they are not at odds with each other. No one should be brutalized for the way they look and no public servant's life should be threatened for the conduct of other officers.
Of course, if you watched the RNC from Cleveland last week, Black Lives do not matter at all and there is no negative criticism of law enforcement permitted, period. However, this is not the reality and his Airness understands both matters needs attention to prevent any lives needlessly lost to insane gun violence.
His own father was tragically killed by gun violence on July 23, 1993, almost exactly 22 years ago, so he has been very personally impacted by a gun. He also urges the violence against police officers to stop while demanding that Black Americans aren't targeted unfairly, as they obviously have been of late.
His statement on why he's giving $1 million each to both organizations.
“As a proud American, a father who lost his own dad in a senseless act of violence, and a black man, I have been deeply troubled by the deaths of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement and angered by the cowardly and hateful targeting and killing of police officers. I grieve with the families who have lost loved ones, as I know their pain all too well.
“I was raised by parents who taught me to love and respect people regardless of their race or background, so I am saddened and frustrated by the divisive rhetoric and racial tensions that seem to be getting worse as of late. I know this country is better than that, and I can no longer stay silent. We need to find solutions that ensure people of color receive fair and equal treatment AND that police officers – who put their lives on the line every day to protect us all – are respected and supported.
Jordan speaks out on shootings of African-Americans, police:
“Over the past three decades I have seen up close the dedication of the law enforcement officers who protect me and my family. I have the greatest respect for their sacrifice and service. I also recognize that for many people of color their experiences with law enforcement have been different than mine. I have decided to speak out in the hope that we can come together as Americans, and through peaceful dialogue and education, achieve constructive change.
“To support that effort, I am making contributions of $1 million each to two organizations, the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s newly established Institute for Community-Police Relations and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The Institute for Community-Police Relations’ policy and oversight work is focused on building trust and promoting best practices in community policing. My donation to the NAACP legal defense fund, the nation’s oldest civil rights law organization, will support its ongoing work in support of reforms that will build trust and respect between communities and law enforcement. Although I know these contributions alone are not enough to solve the problem, I hope the resources will help both organizations make a positive difference.
“We are privileged to live in the world’s greatest country – a country that has provided my family and me the greatest of opportunities. The problems we face didn’t happen overnight and they won’t be solved tomorrow, but if we all work together, we can foster greater understanding, positive change and create a more peaceful world for ourselves, our children, our families and our communities.”
Recently, Jordan was panned for not doing enough to oppose the moronic transgender-bathroom law signed by Governor McCrory. The controversial and unpopular (at least with people who aren't transphobic/homophobic) law, HB2, was met with controversy, and some folks demanded Michael Jordan abandon his home state and the location of his team, the Charlotte Hornets. Rumors flew that he said the law must be changed or he was moving the team, but those were proven false.
Truth be told:
The NBA legend did not threaten to move the Charlotte Hornets out of North Carolina, he has spoken out about the controversial law. On 27 April 2016, Jordan released a statement to CBS:
“As my organization has stated previously, the Charlotte Hornets and Hornets Sports & Entertainment are opposed to discrimination in any form, and we have always sought to provide an inclusive environment,” Jordan said in a statement to the Observer in response to an interview request regarding HB2, the North Carolina law called by some as discriminatory toward the LGBT community.
