Kim Pegula, the Asian American co-owner of National Football League (NFL) team Buffalo Bills along with her husband Terry Pegula, has released a statement following President Donald Trump’s latest tirade about the “take a knee” protests.
According to AsAm News, Pegula released the following statement focusing on Trump’s comment during his political rally in Alabama in late September:
“Several of us met tonight – players, coaches, staff, and ownership. Our goal was to provide open dialogue and communication. We listened to one another. We believe it’s the best way to work through any issue we are facing – on and off the field. President Trump’s remarks were divisive and disrespectful to the entire NFL community, but we tried to use them as an opportunity to further unify our team and our organization. Our players have the freedom to express themselves in a respectful and thoughtful manner and we all agreed that our sole message is to provide and to promote an environment that is focused on love and equality.”
Kim, who was an orphan of Korean descent, grew up in a suburb of Rochester, New York to her adoptive parents Ralph and Marilyn Kerr. Kim and Terry Pegula outbid Trump in 2014 for $1.4 billion when the latter attempted to buy the Buffalo Bills.
Trump continued to bash the NFL on why it lets its players continue to kneel during the national anthem, which, in his eyes, is a sign of disrespect to the U.S. flag and the whole country. He even went as far as saying in his tweet on Monday: “No leadership in NFL!”
The “take a knee” protests were started by the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback player Colin Kaepernick. The gesture was never intended to disrespect the flag, country or even the military. But rather, it was a sign of protest over racial injustice and police violence against African-Americans — or any minority groups in the country for that matter.
Featured Image via Instagram / Buffalo Bills, buffalobills13thman
