Benjamin Watson: Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson ‘Can Incite People,’ But ‘Mean Well’


Benjamin Watson, the New Orleans Saints player who recently made a name for himself through a viral Facebook post on the Ferguson riots, sat down with Fox News on Friday and shared his reaction to the unexpected popularity of his thoughts.

Watson’s post thoughtfully didn’t take sides on the matter.

At once, it empathized with the feelings of injustice that many were feeling, but it also strongly decried the violence and illegal behaviors that arose as a result of Officer Darren Wilson being cleared in the shooting death of teen robbery suspect Michael Brown last August.

Here’s an excerpt.

“I’M INTROSPECTIVE, because sometimes I want to take ‘our’ side without looking at the facts in situations like these. Sometimes I feel like it’s us against them. Sometimes I’m just as prejudiced as people I point fingers at. And that’s not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but not want assumptions made about me? That’s not right.

“I’M HOPELESS, because I’ve lived long enough to expect things like this to continue to happen. I’m not surprised and at some point my little children are going to inherit the weight of being a minority and all that it entails.

“I’M HOPEFUL, because I know that while we still have race issues in America, we enjoy a much different normal than those of our parents and grandparents. I see it in my personal relationships with teammates, friends and mentors. And it’s a beautiful thing.”

On Friday, Benjamin Watson was asked about what he thought of the reaction and claimed he was “surprised” by the reaction while noting that he often writes when trying to express his thoughts.

Watson also lashed out at a culture that “glorifies violence” and pointed the finger of blame at Hollywood.

“We need to teach kids that while this may be cool on TV, it’s not cool in real life,” he said.

Last but not least, host Andrea Tantaros took an opportunity to ask about Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, and whether they “help or hurt.”

“That’s a great question,” Watson said. “I can’t say whether they help or they hurt… I know they mean well…. I do trust that they have everyone’s best interests at heart.”

Still, Watson noted, some of the ways that they present themselves on radio and television “can incite people.” Here’s the full video.

http://youtu.be/bQzz1V1VQSs

What do you think about the initial Facebook post of Benjamin Watson and his feelings regarding Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton?

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