WWE News: Booker T responds to Randy Orton's comments on Colin Kaepernick
WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T recently hosted fellow WWE star Randy Orton on his Houston Sports Radio 610 show Heated Conversations to discuss San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s protest to kneel during the National Anthem before NFL games kickoff. Booker was recently interviewed by Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard’s Justin Barrasso to discuss Orton’s comments and the topic of racial equality in the United States today:
“If we truly want to make America great, we need to fix this racial inequality,” said Huffman. “We’ll have a never-ending war if we continue to go down this road. One thing that black people need to understand is the same thing that white people need to understand – neither one of us, black or white, are going anywhere. We have to live with each other, and we need to fix this.”
While Kaepernick’s protest might be a silent and peaceful one, some have not been so keen as to follow in his footsteps. Innocent police officers have been killed across the country, towns such as Ferguson have been destroyed, buildings set on fire, shops broken into and looted from, just violence in general, has spread throughout the United States in attempt to ‘make a difference’ when all it is doing is feeding the stereotypes people such as Booker are trying to escape.
“Starting a discussion is a lot better than burning down buildings, trashing police cars, or tearing up your own neighborhood,” said Huffman. “Sitting down at a table, talking about it, and trying to find a solution is the proper way to go about it. We need all sides—blacks, whites, Hispanics, everyone—if we want to eradicate that problem.”
Orton, who served in the United States Marines before being given a dishonourable discharge, was upset with the NFL quarterback for disrespecting the men and women who put their lives on the line so the men and women of the US can preserve our their right to speak so freely in the first place. Booker, on the other hand, respects Kaepernick’s decision and peaceful protest, as he has also vowed to donate $1 million to the organisation that will help put a stop to this.
“Everybody has the right of freedom of speech in the First Amendment, and we need to respect that,” said Huffman. “Protesters need to speak up at the loudest time where it’s going to get the most ears and attention. Kaepernick is protesting from a peaceful standpoint, and I’ve got to commend him for that, and he’s putting his money where his mouth is [by promising to donate $1 million to organizations that address social issues and racial inequality]. If we had more guys – the guys who call themselves stars – who were willing to do more than talk, but instead walk the walk like Kaepernick, then the world would be a better place.”
You can check out Booker’s full interview with Sports Illustrated at this link.