Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Addresses The Falcons, Encourages Them To Be Leaders

Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms wants the Atlanta Falcons to take a leading role in helping to heal the nation.

According to ESPN’s Vaughn Mcclure early Monday morning, Bottoms spoke with the entire Falcons squad, and “encouraged the players to be leaders, be active.” (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)

The country has been thrown into turmoil after mass civil unrest broke out following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms addressed the entire Falcons team to start the week. She encouraged the players to be leaders, be active. She applauded their awareness of issues plaguing the nation, which reached boiling point with George Floyd murder at hands of police.

— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) June 3, 2020

This is what we need more of right now. This is a perfect example of what I’ve been saying since last week.

We need people with platforms to be leading the way in a peaceful manner. What should be a time of national unity following Floyd’s death has turned into absolute carnage.

 

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“A number of events over the last couple of weeks have reminded us again that the long, worthy quest for equal justice, civility and unity in America is far from over. People are scared and in pain. Their frustration is real, and it must be acknowledged and addressed. More must be done to address systemic racism. More must be done to address the underlying issues that have led to these incidents across the country. More must be done to bring people together through meaningful change. “The public discourse on these and other issues is too divisive, too political. These are not political issues, they are human issues that need serious, earnest attention from leaders and citizens alike who understand that diversity is our strength and fair treatment is everyone’s right. Open, honest dialogue is needed on a much greater scale. It is my hope that we take this terrible moment in our history to elevate that conversation toward productive action and lasting, positive change. Peaceful protests of the past have led to new ways forward. Lawlessness, vandalism and intentionally upending the peace with any form of violence has never been productive and is not the answer. We must not accept or condone violence in any way. And to be sure, Atlanta is better than what we saw in the actions of a few last night. “Together we will rise above this on the strength of what has always made Atlanta great – its people, its leaders of past and present and its unique culture that is welcoming to all. Our Family Foundation and the rest of our businesses here in Atlanta and elsewhere remain committed to being part of the solution.” – Arthur Blank

A post shared by Atlanta Falcons (@atlantafalcons) on May 30, 2020 at 10:30am PDT

Rioters and looters have caused destruction on a level that is heartbreaking, and they’ve hijacked a moment that should have brought people together.

Now, we need people to use their huge platforms to lead the fight for unity, healing and fixing the problems we face.

 

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A post shared by Atlanta Falcons (@atlantafalcons) on May 22, 2020 at 1:45pm PDT

Whether you like it or not, athletes have a special role in our society, and they should take advantage of it, especially during moments of crisis. Props to Bottoms for encouraging them to get involved.