Charleston Shooting: NFL Reacts

In the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, Dylan Roof entered on June 17th and shot ten people, killing nine of them. His victims were African-Americans. He, a white supremacist with videos spitting on and burning the American flag, added himself to the long list of racist criminals and Charleston joined the painfully long list of places where peace and fraternity among races are mourned, and candles, roses, and tributes are left behind. And we wait for the next one, which we sadly know will come.

The NFL, being an essential part of American society, has not been indifferent to this tragedy.

Sanders Commings, a safety trying to make the Kansas City Chiefs roster, lost a cousin in the multiple killings. Specifically, Reverend Clementa Pinckney, who not only was a pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church but also a state senator, and one of the most beloved and respected figures in the African-American community in South Carolina.

Jerry Richardson, the owner of the Carolina Panthers, has donated $100,000. Of that amount, $10,000 will go to each victim's family, to assist with funeral expenses. The remaining $10,000 will go directly to the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Calvin Johnson took to Twitter, creating a new account, to express his feelings about the attack. His first words were to say that "we are all born in love, hate is something we learn. Let's love our neighbors." He was not the only NFL player to use the social media platform to condemn the events, but it is noteworthy that he decided to create an account specifically because of the Charleston shooting. There are certain things that deeply impact you, and the murderous hatred of a racist criminal is one of them. Kudos to Calvin Johnson and anyone with a minimum sense of humanity.