Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and former presidential candidate Ben Carson’s Sunday Facebook post addressing the raging controversy surrounding NFL players kneeling during the national anthem lit up social media.
In a speech Friday during a rally in Alabama, President Donald Trump drew fresh attention to the controversy by deriding NFL players who he said disrespect the American flag by kneeling during the national anthem.
“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say ‘Get that son of a b—- off the field right now. Out. He’s fired! He’s fired'” Trump said.
Following Trump’s remarks, teams, players and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell responded with statements defending players’ right to kneel.
Goodell contended that Trump’s comments were “divisive” and demonstrated an “unfortunate lack of respect” for the NFL and its players.
But Carson added another perspective in his Facebook post on Sunday, lamenting that NFL Sundays used to “represent a time of fun, games and unity” that has now been compromised by protests during the national
“Here we are at another NFL Sunday,” Carson wrote. “That used to represent a time of fun, games and unity. I hope we can return to that situation soon.”
Carson noted that one of the reasons he believes the national anthem is played prior to sports contests is to “remind us that even though we’re rooting for different sports teams, we are united as a country.”