Brad Keselowski released a string of tweets overnight that lay out his stance on the national anthem protests. In short, he said he plans to stand, while acknowledging there are racial issues that continue to plague the country.
His tweets are attached to a screen shot of a Huffington Post column, which carried the headline White athletes standings for the anthem are standing for white supremacy. Kes responded this way:
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"My reps want me to stay out of this, I can't. 2 all my friends & supporters, I support your civil rights 100%. Please don't believe this. I #Choose2honor our country and hope other(s) do too out of respect and love for a country that has provided us so many blessing. Sure our country isn't perfect (far from it), the list of misgivings is tremendous, but I hope you can see the positives & honor it as well.
"Please don't believe that when we stand it's out of disrespect to civil rights; it is and always will be out of respect and love for our (American flag). I plan to stand and sing the national anthem with my family as long as we are able, every chance possible. I hope you will too. So please don't fall for the false narrative of choice between patriotism and racism. It's simply not the case."
My reps want me to stay out of this, I CAN?T
2 all my friends & supporters, I support your civil rights ?%
PLEASE DON?T believe this ?> pic.twitter.com/bG6r2gHcz6
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) September 27, 2017
I #Choose2honor our country and hope other do too out of my respect and love for a country that has provided us so many blessing.
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) September 27, 2017
Sure our country isn?t perfect (far from it), the list of misgivings is tremendous, but I hope you can see the positives & honor it as well.
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) September 27, 2017
Please don?t believe that when we stand it?s out of disrespect to civil rights; it is and always will be out of respect and love for our ??
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) September 27, 2017
I plan to stand and sing the national anthem with my family as long as we are able, every chance possible. I hope you will too
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) September 27, 2017
So please don?t fall for the false narrative of choice between patriotism and racism. It?s simply not the case.
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) September 27, 2017
To think that is to misunderstand the protest, but to think kneeling is anti-patriotism or anti-veteran is as well.
— Fred Smith (@FredSmith914) September 27, 2017
NASCAR has been desperately trying to move on from this issue, to no avail. While NASCAR said it supports the peaceful right to protest, owners Richard Petty and Richard Childress said they'd fire any employee who kneeled during the anthem.