Former NFL star Marcellus Wiley criticized the NBA’s plan to paint “Black Lives Matter” on courts in Orlando, Florida, at the Walt Disney World Resort when the league resumes games in late July.
He explained why it’s “not a good idea” in a recent episode of his Fox Sports 1 show, Speak for Yourself.
“There’s a problem with when you start to go down this road of freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and how much social space is allowed for those who don’t support in that same space,” he said when the topic was brought up.
“And that’s where I wonder where this is going to go in terms of identity politics,” Wiley added. “We know what identity politics does — it divides, and it polarizes. No matter how you want to look at it, that’s just the effect of it — no matter how great the intentions are. And we all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
Wiley, a graduate of Columbia University, said he believes most people haven’t read Black Lives Matter’s stated positions. He said that although he believes the movement may have “good intentions,” a few things “jumped out” at him when he read the group’s mission statement.
“I respect your space, I respect what you’re protesting for.
But will you respect others who don’t support that same protest?”@marcelluswiley rails against the “Black Lives Matter” mission statement & promotes 2-parent family structures.pic.twitter.com/iZMblAlNEn
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 30, 2020
“Two things: My family structure is so vital[ly] important to me,” Wiley said. “Not only the one I grew up in but the one I am trying to create right now. Being a father and a husband — that’s my mission in life right now. How do I reconcile that with this mission statement that says, ‘We dismantle the patriarchal practice. We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement.’”
Wiley said there were statistics showing that children from two-parent homes are more likely to succeed and less likely to commit crimes.
“Children from single-parent homes versus two-parent homes: The children from the single-parent homes — this was in 1995 I was reading this. Five times more likely to commit suicide. Six times more likely to be in poverty. Nine times more likely to drop out of high school. Ten times more likely to abuse chemical substances. Fourteen times more likely to commit rape. Twenty times more likely to end up in prison, and 32 times more likely to run away from home,” he said.
The former Pro Bowl defensive end also scoffed at Black Lives Matter’s stated goal of eradicating “white supremacy.”
“In 2020, white supremacy is the mission,” Wiley said. “That’s a lot of digging through minutiae right there. I’m on a show that I’m hosting along with another black guy who is hosting with me, who replaced another black guy — and that’s just one example of it. So, I understand. I respect your space. I respect what you’re protesting for. But will you respect others who don’t support that same protest?”
