Spady: Megan Rapinoe should visit White House and lobby Trump

Before even winning the World Cup tournament, U.S. Women’s National Team superstar Megan Rapinoe said she was “not going to the [expletive] White House.” Due to her dislike of President Donald Trump and some of his policies, Rapinoe, like so many athletes before her, declared that she wouldn’t attend a traditional champion’s ceremony.

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While I believe that it is ultimately her decision, and that she has the right to protest in whatever manner she may choose, I think this is a missed opportunity for her and for her cause.

Rapinoe has been an outspoken advocate for a number of social issues, especially related to racial inequality, LGBTQ rights, and gender discrimination. She’s also supported Colin Kaepernick’s protests regarding racial injustice and police brutality; for that matter, she was the first white athlete of any gender to kneel.

She’s been at the forefront of lobbying for equal pay for the women’s soccer team, and for all women in the workplace. Why would a superstar as powerful as her shy away from an opportunity to be face-to-face with the person she feels is responsible for much of this inequality?

This is the problem with the divisive culture we have been creating in America these last few years. It is our inability to have real conversations, and to drive real change that is limiting our country in these turbulent times.

When our solutions to disagreements we may have with others is to silence them, or to disregard them, how are we going to make any progress? How are we going to share with them why we think they are wrong? Or why they should think that we are right?

No matter what your cause or whether we agree with it or not here on The Saul Spady Show, we support your right to be able to share it. We will listen. We think the only way to find solutions to any problems, local or national, is to talk about them. It is to generate ideas and fine tune them alongside your opposition.

When Kanye West and Kim Kardashian visited the White House, they were able to spearhead bi-partisan prison reform. I doubt this Hollywood power couple agrees with everything the President stands for. But they were able to put aside whatever differences they may have had, they were able to ignore what other people may think of them, and they were able to make a difference.

They did that by starting a conversation.

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It is an extremely rare opportunity to meet the president. Megan Rapinoe could have this opportunity, but she is choosing not to. By doing so she is doing a disservice to her cause, not helping it. She is missing a once in a lifetime chance just so she can virtue signal against President Trump. This way of thinking is not going to bring any progress or change to America.

To close, I’ll talk directly to American champion and superstar Megan Rapinoe.

Megan, I’ll always defend your right to protest and will cheer your incredible athletic skill that you so resplendently display for our country. But please, consider the role model you can become by proving to America the hardest lesson yet.

Never discount the ability of two rational minds acting together from opposing sides or diverse backgrounds to craft great change! How can it happen if you won’t even give the conversation a chance?

Listen to the Saul Spady Show weekdays from 6-9am on AM 770 KTTH.