Letter: Give help, not empty gestures

Have you seen the obscenely rich professional athletes kneeling or raising their fists during the national anthem? What hypocrites.

But, give one of them, Colin Kaepernick, credit. At least he backed up his stand by donating his own money to an organization supposedly helping to rectify the situation. I wonder how many other kneeling or raised-fist athletes have made a positive contribution of their money or time. After all, actions speak louder than words (or empty gestures).

Looking for a positive model? I read that the LeBron James Family Foundation is helping inner city youth in Akron get ahead in school by holding them accountable for their grades. He has even worked a deal with the University of Akron to guarantee graduates of his program free tuition when their time comes. Additionally, his Cleveland Hustles initiative is bringing start-up companies and jobs back to Cleveland. All positive actions with very little attention-seeking.

Now, I disagree with his support for Hillary Clinton for president, but if he ever runs for office, he’ll get my vote. He has accomplished more in a few years than politicians have promised since President Lyndon Baines Johnson. And he has certainly done more than the empty gestures of kneeling or raising a fist during the National Anthem.

This story was originally published November 1, 2016 at 2:28 PM with the headline "Letter: Give help, not empty gestures."