Former Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain said Tennessee Titans starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill doesn’t need anyone to debate him about America’s supposed racism — instead, as far as this topic goes, he needs to get educated.
Swain told The Tennessee Star Saturday that Tannehill “is ill-informed” about history and topics of race.
As reported Saturday, Tannehill said America “was founded on racist ideas.” He promptly demanded social change.
“If America was the country being described then people wouldn’t risk their lives to come here. America is not the country that Tannehill and some of the activists are describing,” Swain said.
“If America ever became that country then it would cease to be America. I don’t think it will become that kind of country unless the political left gains control and destroys what we have worked so hard to build.”
Swain said the Left’s current focus on “systemic racism” does not accurately portray America and the opportunities that Blacks have had by virtue of Blacks and Whites working together.
“I would say that Black people of his generation have never had it better in America, and it is false to say police officers shoot Black men and women to the point that they fear they won’t come home alive,” Swain said.
“That is a false portrayal of the data, and it is something that the media is advancing. I think it is very destructive to our nation.”
Swain recommended that Tannehill and his teammates visit the 1776 Unites website, which contains scholarly articles, many of which Black individuals wrote. She said the website details a more accurate history of race in America.
But the Left’s current narratives, Swain said, “are very destructive because they create anger and hatred.”
“If we don’t pull back from what is taking place right now then I think that we will have racial conflict that we’ve never anticipated between Blacks and Whites,” Swain said.
“I would argue the racism cuts in more than one direction. We see racism taking place, but it’s not just Whites’ racism against Blacks. There’s racism coming from racial and ethnic minorities and Whites themselves against each other. That too is not acceptable.”
Tannehill and his teammates announced on Twitter that the best way to take a stand against systemic racism was to not have practice that day.
The Titans’ virtue signaling didn’t impress some of their fans, some of whom mocked the team and said they weren’t giving them any more of their money.
According to Forbes, Tannehill signed a four-year $118 million contract with the Titans after the 2019 NFL season.
Swain said Tannehill and his teammates must recognize that they may talk politics, if they so desire — but they also need to understand that consequences might await.
“People choose as consumers where they want to spend their money,” Swain said.
“If everything is politicized, and White people are demonized then why would White people or patriots who love our nation want to spend money to be insulted?”
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Tennessee Titans Message” by Tennessee Titans.
All I needed to push me away from the Titans forever. What colossal ignorance in Tannehill’s statement. R.I.P. NFL.
I grew up in Nashville, TN. When I was a child, roughly one in 5 or 6 residents of the city could be described as “black”. Today, that portion is 1 in 4. Because of my regular exposure to folks that look like that, I have had the opportunity to get to know, personally, many people that are not like Tannehill. That is, just like me, they get up and go to work on a regular basis, have an education, and are working for the “American Dream.” In fact, there are more of those folks than belonging to this fabled “Black Community”.
I am getting tired of the narrative of the mistreatment of “black people”. I am sick of self-appointed “spokespersons” for the 40 Million plus individuals that self-identify as “black”. I am weary of the cameras and microphones being aimed at those that would slant the story to create discord. Yeah, I’m calling out the media that chooses the stories that make the situation worse.
All in all, though, I am glad to live in a city where a man can commit “suicide by cop” without inspiring a riot.
Tannehill succumbed to the leftist reich obviously reading from a script. When will you guys realize you’re merely puppets to the socialist/communist puppet masters who could care less for black people yet use you as tools to destroy this great nation? Enjoy that sword you just fell upon, as if professional sports wasnt hemorrhaging enough already from liberal political activism.
Ryan Tannehill has more guts and decency than Swain does. His willingness to catch hell and to jeopardize his career for a higher cause than himself proves this!
Ms Swain is overly generous in her assessment of Mr. Tannehill.
The whole of the NFL is an American embarrassment from league administration, to club ownership, to team staff, to players who support this lie and finally for anyone included in those groups who disagrees with how this is being handled but do not have the backbone to stand up for what is right.
I like this lady! Clear, critical thinker that we need more of…
Professor Swain seems like a decent, highly educated and good person, but let’s be true and call this one. Tannehill is low rent garbage and not unrepresentative of the Titans as a whole. If you have a PSL or season tickets your name is known and you are anti-American trash if you continue to support these monsters. Don’t continue to support this godawful semi-human debris.
Seriously? Tanneyhill has a set and comes out to say what he (and thousands of other Titans fans think and feel) and you slur him and call him names? Well, that’s really the way to get things done, isn’t it? If you didn’t like his opinion, fine, that’s your right. But; the hate speech you and others use in this blind platform speaks loudly to the racist stance of both sides. Do I think his stance and opinion are 100% valid and iron clad? No. But, the dialogue has been created and it CAN be constructive, but not if fully denounced and criticized so harshly. I’m not a Titans fan per se but I support them in every game except when they’re playing my team I’ve feel LOWES since my childhood. Ryan Tanneyhill appears to be a great guy and plays his heart out (consummate overachiever last year) and he has a passion for this team, so why throw him under the bus so quickly? If you disagree with what he said, that’s okay. But your angry narrative doesn’t help solve the issue or create a path for change.