Outraged NHL superstar: “America is not okay”

Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler, who was born in Minnesota, called for a rethink in the United States via a tweet on Saturday. “I've wanted to say something for a long time, but it was really difficult to find the right words,” writes the 33-year-old. “My hometown is burning. Stores I grew up in are boarded up. America is not okay.” Wheeler speaks openly about racism “Growing up outside of Minneapolis, I always felt protected from racism. Most of the people I grew up with looked like me. I never had to be afraid when I stopped at a traffic light or saw the police in public. My children will never know this fear either,” Wheeler continues. It breaks his heart that people are still treated this way.

George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, was killed in Minneapolis on Monday after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes while Floyd was handcuffed to the ground. The incident sparked mass unrest and protests across the United States.

Mass protests are currently taking place in the USA. © APA/afp / DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS

“We must stand with the black community and fundamentally change how leadership in this country has addressed racism. I'm sorry it took so long, but I hope we can change that now. George Floyd's life mattered. Just like every other life that has been lost to this senseless violence and racism.”

San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, one of the few black players in the NHL, called on Friday for more prominent athletes to publicly speak out against racism. His teammate Logan Couture supported Kane on Saturday and said that athletes cannot continue to turn a blind eye to racism in hockey.

I needed to say something in my own words. pic.twitter.com/VpkidaMjbX

— Blake Wheeler (@BiggieFunke) May 31, 2020

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Outraged NHL superstar: “America is not okay”

After the death of the African American George Floyd as a result of a brutal police operation in Minneapolis, the storm of indignation is great in the United States and far beyond - including in the sports world.

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