First round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall #34 of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Proverbs 24:17-18 | “Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble, or else the LORD will see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from them.”
On May 1st, 2011, the announcement was made of the “official” death of Osama bin Laden. This provoked many responses, one being the lawn of the White House covered with 100’s of students chanting U.S.A., and waving flags.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Menendhall tweeted: “What kind of person celebrates death?” It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We’ve only heard one side…”
After being heaped by scorn he tweeted: “This controversial statement was something I said in response to the amount of joy I saw in the event of a murder. I don’t believe that this is an issue of politics or American pride; but one of religion, morality, and human ethics. During 9/11 we watched in horror as parts of the world celebrated death on our soil. Earlier this week, parts of the world watched us in horror celebrating a man’s death.”
“I want people to understand that I am not in support of Bin Laden, or against the USA…my heart goes out to the troops who fight for our freedoms everyday, not being certain if they will have the opportunity to return home, and the families who watch their loved ones bravely go off to war.”
In a day or two he lost a major endorsement contract with the sports apparel company Champion.
Stand up for FREE SPEECH
Champion ends endorsement deal with Pittsburgh Steelers Rashard Mendenhall after bin Laden tweets
The company announced that it had dropped their deal with Mendenhall after he posted tweets that questioned the official account about what happened on September 11, 2001 and uncertainty about the death of Al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden.
Matt Hall, spokesman for Champion athletic apparel, said that the company was “ending our relationship” with the running back and that the company felt that Mendenhall couldn’t “appropriately represent Champion.”
Mendenhall signed a four year deal with the company earlier this year but had been endorsing Champion since 2008.
BOYCOTT CHAMPION!
The Corporate State’s Public Image Execution of Rashard Mendenhall –http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Corporate-State-s-publ-by-Andrew-Steele-110509-451.html?show=votes
Here’s what Bucks swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts had to say on Twitter: “Is this a celebration?? … Always read the fine print. … It took 919,967 deaths to kill that one guy. It took 10 years & 2 Wars to kill that…guy. It cost us (USA) roughly $1,188,263,000,000 to kill that guy. But we #winning though. Haaaa. (Sarcasm) … People are telling me to get out of America now b/c I’m against MORE INNOCENT people dying everyday? B/c I’m against a 10 year WAR? … What I’m sayin has nothing to do with 9/11 or that guy. I still feel bad for the 9/11 families but I feel EQUALLY bad for the war families. … What I’ve learned tonight, athletes shouldn’t have perspectives. But I don’t care. We feel certain ways about things TOO.”
“We might ask ourselves how we would be reacting if Iraqi commandos landed at George W. Bush’s compound, assassinated him, and dumped his body in the Atlantic,“ Noam Chomsky
Danny Glover on the death penalty – November 16, 2001 www.zwire.com : “When I say the death penalty is inhumane. I mean [it’s inhumane] whether that person is in a bird cage [jail] or it’s bin Laden.”
“I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that,” Martin Luther King, Jr.
BOYCOTT CHAMPION! “That’s Champion gym clothing, Champion gym shoes, apparel, underwear – in case you didn’t remember,” Terry Howcott.
The New Liberator 