Soccer Federation Ends No-Kneel Policy, Removes Member Who Supports Standing For National Anthem

Paralympian and military veteran Seth Jahn who is also a retired soccer player and now a former member of the athlete’s council for the United States Soccer Federation was removed from the council for his ‘racist speech in support of the infamous anti-kneeling rule’ repealed on Saturday according to Yahoo sports. Jahn delivered a seven-minute opposition to repealing the policy.

The council released a statement regarding Seth Jahn.

“At least two-thirds of the council voted to remove Jahn, determining that his comments had violated the “Prohibited Conduct Policy’s section on harassment.”

President Cindy Parlow Cone of the federation said, “Let me be clear, this is not about disrespecting the flag or about disrespecting the military. This is about the athletes’ and our staff right to peacefully protest racial inequalities and police brutality. So I urge our membership to please support our staff and our athletes on this policy.”

“I’m sure I’m going to ruffle some feathers with what I’m about to say, especially given the athletes council that I’m on, but given the evolution of our quote-unquote progressive culture, where everything offends everybody, those willing to take a knee for our anthem don’t care about offending half of our country when they do so, then I don’t have too much concern in also exercising my First Amendment right,” Jahn said in his remarks.

The veteran continued, “every race in the history of mankind has been enslaved by another demographic at some point time. Blacks have been enslaved. Hispanics have been enslaved. Asians most recently in our country in the freaking 20th century, have been enslaved.” He added, “Shoot, I lived in Africa for two and a half years, where I could purchase people, slaves, between the price of $300 and $800 per person, per head, depending on their age, health, and physicality.”

Jahn asked, “Where were the social justice warriors and the news journalists there to bring their ruminations to these real atrocities?”

For those comments he was met with condemnation and removed from the council and Sunday he doubled down on his comments.
“Nothing I said was racist. The overwhelmingly (sic) support I received from a number of people within the federation compared to the 30+ death threats I received from the insignificant rabid key board warriors was appreciated, but I implore you to speak publicly in your support in the future for those bold enough to challenge the status quo and not just privately,” he wrote.
Seth Jahn also wanted to clarify his comments.

“I stated that a small percentage of people in our country are responsible for the terrors of slavery hundreds of years ago, of which 400,000+ men died to abolish under our nation’s flag, I was in no way minimizing the horrors of slavery, I was simply illuminating the misplaced rage and squandered opportunities to bring to light the tens of millions of people who are enslaved TODAY … more so than any point in history. Persecuted people who I readily put my life on the line to recover from the predacious dregs who prey on them. I welcome any and all respectful debates void of emotion, and will gladly have an open dialogue publicly within (sic) anyone who was brace enough to place unwarranted labels on me from the safety of their mobile device,” he wrote.

Jahn made a statement to Twitter Sunday morning of ‘My apology letter:’

Below is the U.S. Soccer Federation’s vote to allow players to kneel for the National Anthem