Pop Politics: The St. Louis Rams Put Their Hands Up

The grand jury's decision not to indict the white policer officer, Darren Wilson, who shot and killed African American teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri has sparked protests across the country. The gesture of "Hands up, don't shoot!" has become an iconic symbol of the movement, a representation of Michael Brown's position when he was shot.
Last week, five football players walked out onto the field with their hands raised. St. Louis Rams players Jared Cook, Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Kenny Britt, and Chris Givens used the gesture to show solidarity with protestors.

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Jared Cook stated "Hands Up, Don't Shoot' is not just a Ferguson thing, it's a worldwide thing. People are doing it in New York, people are doing it in Florida, people are doing it on the West Coast... It's a message worldwide that you can do things peacefully without getting out of line." The Saint Louis Police Officers Association, however, seemed to think that the gesure was out of line and made a statement criticizing the players:

The St. Louis Police Officers Association is profoundly disappointed with the members of the St. Louis Rams football team who chose to ignore the mountains of evidence released from the St. Louis County Grand Jury this week and engage in a display that police officers around the nation found tasteless, offensive and inflammatory... It is unthinkable that hometown athletes would so publicly perpetuate a narrative that has been disproven over and over again... The SLPOA is calling for the players involved to be disciplined and for the Rams and the NFL to deliver a very public apology.

The Ethical Society of Police in St. Louis, however, stepped forward to offer a very different statement.

The Ethical Society of Police, is the primary voice of African American Police Officers in St, Louis City, and as such it completely supports the actions of the St. Louis Rams football players in which they showed support for the family of Michael Brown by entering the stadium with their hands up. We think that their actions were commendable and that they should not be ridiculed, disciplined or punishded for taking a stand on this very important issue which is of great concern around the world and especially in the community where these players work. The statements of the St. Louis Police Officers Association do not reflect the opinions of the majority of African American police officers in the department because there are no African American officers on their governing board and thy have a minimal amount of African American members.

Rams coach, Jeff Fisher, said that he will not discipline the players and did not give in for the SLPOA demand for an apology. Jared Cook also did not apologize and says that he would be willing to repeat the gesture although he felt that he and his teammates made their point.

This is not that first time that sports have played a major role in racial politics and, until we have equal treatment for members of all races, it is unlikely to be the last.