Amber Ruffin Responds to Mike Ditka’s Claim That There Has Been “No Oppression in the Last 100 Years”
Writer Amber Ruffin addressed comments made by Mike Ditka on Late Night with Seth Meyers yesterday, after the former Chicago Bears coach shared his thoughts on the growing movement of players sitting or kneeling during the national anthem.
In response to this movement begun by Colin Kaepernick for the purpose of speaking out against racial injustice and police brutality, Ditka was quoted saying:
“All of a sudden, it’s become a big deal now, about oppression…There has been no oppression in the last 100 years that I know of. Now maybe I’m not watching it as carefully as other people. I think the opportunity is there for everybody.” He then proceeded to point to Muhammad Ali and Jesse Owens as examples and claimed “You have to be color blind in this country.”
He also added, “I don’t care who you are, how much money you make. If you don’t respect our country, then you shouldn’t be in this country playing football” and suggested that those who kneeled should “go to another country and play football.” He has since backtracked saying he has “absolutely seen oppression” and the classic “sorry if anyone was offended.”
Ruffin, in her excellent and hilarious response, calls Ditka “DAAAAAA worst” on “DAAAAA wrong side of history.” She points out the should-be-obvious fact that Ditka is by no means an authority to speak on oppression in America or the black experience. But mostly, this:
“Look, Jerry Jones threatened to bench players who protest the national anthem. That is a white man threatening his black players with punishment if they exercise their right to free speech. Which can be found in DAAAAA Constitution….Mike Ditka believes all players should stand for the national anthem. And I’m sure they will, as soon as the anthem stands for all players.”
“DAAAAAA end.”
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