PLAY SPORTS NOT POLITICS

 Have you ever experienced hate from people who disdain you for just breathing the same air as you? In the south, where I grew up, I watched and sometimes fought against that treatment towards my black friends.  A while back, I got a small taste of what that kind of hatred feels like.

 

I had just started playing pickleball at my local park. I walked onto the court, and every player walked off and refused to play with me. I moved to another court, and it was the same thing. The players left too. Men and women were glaring at me from every direction, mocking me under their breath, and one player was chasing me around, screaming at me. I was very confused and even a bit fearful. Was I that bad of a pickleball player? Even worse. My political opinion was the opposite of almost everyone in town. Where I live, that is considered a crime, and if you vocalize it, the death penalty. I never talk about my politics on the court or wear my beliefs. Still, they did not even want to serve a ball against me. Some of the other players wore shirts, hats, and raged about their views. They can say and express whatever they like about their politics, but not me, I have different rules. I must keep duct tape on my mouth.. Just having different views makes me a justifiable target. This blatant hatred towards me continued for months. I tried to blow it off and just play with the few people who tolerated my presence, but it wore on me mentally. It got so bad that I eventually quit going to play, even though the courts were walking distance from my house. I don't like to admit this, but for my mental health, I now drive 30 minutes out of town just to get a game. Not one person came to my defense publicly for this cruel treatment. Nor has anyone offered me an apology. Discrimination and prejudice of any kind is wrong. It's been a year or so since that happened, and  I just tried to move on, but the moment stuck in the back of my head. Then the recent upswing in political violence gave me an idea. So I created this t-shirt. If you support keeping politics off the court, the field, track, or anywhere else, buy this shirt, and most importantly, wear it.