EDITOR’S NOTE: The follo
wing are comments by 2015 Hopkins High School graduate Jalen Kisner, who is perhaps best known in this area as an all-star offensive and defensive lineman for the Vikings’ football team. Kisner posted on Facebook commentary after the spate of shootings this week of young black males and police officers. He is shown in this photo with his mother at a spring football scrimmage at Northwood University, where he is a red-shirted freshman.
Jalen was responding to a Facebook comment by Josh Bell, that read:
“I see white friends posting political commentary, vacation photos, parenting advice. Things I see black and brown friends posting are horror and grief, love for another family mourning, fear for their own lives. We live in two Americas. This has to stop.”
The former Viking’s comments:
This is so true. I have grown up in a white household, white community and I see both sides daily. I am torn because one side of me is grieving and seeing these things happen to the men of the same color as me and yet many of those I am surrounded by do not even know what is going on or are more concerned about Hillary Clinton being acquitted or the law not being passed about illegal aliens, which is all Fox News is talking about.
Meanwhile, you have a black man being killed for doing what a police officer told him to. And the black and minority communities are grieving, scared and outraged.
I don’t blame white people and those I am surrounded by for doing what they do because that is how this country has raised them. But I do challenge many of my white friends, family, and those who see this post to look at this from a different point of view and not just the one Fox News shows you.
America is divided and If this post doesn’t prove that to you then you can remove me as a friend because I am proud to be an African American male, because that is the most powerful thing in this world is to be proud of who and what you are! If you want to have a conversation about this and talk and maybe hear what it is like from my point of view, then message me.
Mr. Kisner,
Until ALL the facts are known about all the police shooting in MN and the police killings in Dallas, then form your viewpoint and opinions, please don’t be like President Obama and comment before you know all the facts. As for mourning the killings, I certainly agree, terrible loss of life no matter the race of who were killed.
You and other young people need to understand history – this is beginning to look like the turbulent 1960’s for race relations, and the president and Mrs. Clinton have exacerbated the situation by voicing opinions before facts were known and helping fan the flames of discontent. America is better than that, the American people are better than that. We can and must all practice viewing people by the content of their character and not the color of their skin and what religion they are or aren’t.
I hope your years in college are productive both in the classroom and on the field. You’re a fine player and deserve everything you’ve earned. I’m sure the community is proud!