Michael Bennett: NFL gets it right with response to police union
The NFL was quick to respond to the Las Vegas police union as they called for Michael Bennett to be punished.
There comes a time when a strong response is needed and welcome. The Las Vegas Police Union thought they were doing just that when Detective Steve Grammas sent a scathing letter to the NFL calling for them to investigate Michael Bennett after his public statement for his treatment in Las Vegas. Their response speaks to a darker and larger problem, but the NFL’s answer to the police union is a moment in which the league deserves praise for standing up for a player.
Last week, Bennett took to his social media outlets to describe a situation in which he was detained by gun point by Las Vegas police officers. Bennett said this (via Twitter):
"“Las Vegas police officers singled me out and pointed their guns at me for doing nothing more than simply being a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time.”"
That statement led to the furious response by Grammas, via CBS Sports:
"“Michael Bennett’s claim that our officers are racist is false and offensive to the men and women of law enforcement. We hope you will take appropriate action against Michael Bennett.”"
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The question that should come up is what constitutes as “appropriate action.” Did the individuals that this letter represents want the NFL to suspend him for his statement? Did they want to NFL to dock some of his salary? Or find another way to publically embarrass him? What exactly did Bennett do wrong by making a statement about a situation that he experienced?
To call for some form of punishment because Bennett used his voice to talk about the incident is exactly why so many stand behind the protests that occur on a weekly basis.
Thankfully, the NFL responded quickly and correctly.
“There is no allegation of a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy and therefore there is no basis for an NFL investigation,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote in response to the LVPD’s request, via ESPN.com. The NFLPA also issued a statement on the matter, saying that there was no basis to investigate.
The idea that a police union would call for a player to be publically punished in a situation where he did nothing wrong speaks directly to the larger problem. The escalating issues between police officers and minority communities throughout the country can be attributed to a number of different and complex factors.
Regardless of where one stands on the conversation, the idea to silence someone that holds a different opinion isn’t a step towards a solution. In fact, it gives more credence to the marginalized group in the minority community.
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The NFL often gets negative publicity for the way it acts or its lack of action when dealing with off the field issues. This is a situation in which the league and its officials responded quickly and responded correctly. The backlash of making a statement against Bennett’s actions would have been massive. Thankfully, we are not faced with such a situation.