*Lebron James’ stance on the Tami Rice case and the police officers responsible for the 12-year-old’s death not being indicted has prompted some people to encourage the NBA all-star to sit out all games until a thorough investigation into matter is conducted.
But the question is, according to a headline for a Clutch magazine story: What Would Lebron James Sitting Out Do For Tamir Rice?
The call for James to sit out came after Rice’s parents released a statement on the Cleveland grand jury’s decision to not prosecute the two officers, saying, “We renew our request that the Department of Justice step in to conduct a real investigation into this tragic shooting of a 12-year-old child.”
At the heart of the sit out request is for James to not play until the DOJ wraps up its investigation and the officers are locked up for Rice’s death. The movement looks to have gained traction in recent days with the hashtag #NoJusticeNoLeBron picking up steam on Twitter.
For his part, James did speak on the Rice case and the non-indictment as he cited his lack of knowledge about the situation as the basis for him not fully expressing his view on the case.
“For me, I’ve always been a guy who’s took pride in knowledge of every situation that I’ve ever spoke on. And to be honest, I haven’t really been on top of this issue,” James said after a recent game. “So it’s hard for me to comment. I understand that any lives that [are] lost, what we want more than anything is prayer and the best for the family, for anyone. But for me to comment on the situation, I don’t have enough knowledge about it.”
Examining the impact of James sitting on the bench and not playing, Clutch expressed that the action won’t ultimately lead to the outcome everyone wants regarding the officers.
“While that action from one of the greatest players on the court — an Ohio native no less who plays for the team of the city in which Tamir was killed — would no doubt be a powerful display of solidarity but that won’t put men behind bars and, quite frankly, it shouldn’t,” the site stated. “The DOJ should open an investigation into Tamir’s death because a child was shot for playing with a toy gun, not because the Cleveland Cavaliers start losing games because their star player isn’t on the court and it’s a bad look for the NBA. Further, it’s a waste of time to petition Lebron to sit on the sidelines in the name of justice when he can’t even speak on the case — or won’t.”
Clutch goes on to point out that James would’ve had a better response had he cared enough about the Rice case to stay on top of it’s latest developments.
“The bottom line is no one should have to be persuaded into activism,” the site said.
“…There’s no sense chiding him for not sitting out games and putting the weight of justice solely on his back when that was actually the job of the grand jury which failed us all December 28, 2015.”
For a discussion on #NoJusticeNoLeBron, check out the video below:
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