It has been over a week since the horrific incident at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The school dubbed “The safest in Florida” fell victim to a brutal mass shooting on its campus. The shooter arrived on a Wednesday afternoon and pulled out his semiautomatic AR-15 rifle and began his destruction on whatever got in his path. This has caused numerous reactions with the American people. One person who took notice was Miami Dolphins offensive lineman: Jonathan Martin.
As some of us may remember Martin was in the headlines during his tenure in the NFL because of bullying by teammates. He has recently posted a photo on his Instagram account that depicted a semiautomatic weapon and the phrase, “When you’re a bully victim and a coward, your options are suicide or revenge.” It was also accompanied by #Harvard-Westlake. This is the high school that Martin attended. This is unacceptable behavior by a professional athlete of his nature.
Athletes have been using their platform to speak on certain issues. These have been to help fight against social injustices of the American people. Martin’s comments are a slap in the face to all of the victims and their families that were affected by that tragic day. I am sure the Miami Dolphins will examine Martin’s words very carefully, as this will surely be a public relations nightmare. He should be ashamed of himself for promoting this type of behavior in any type of situation. Gun Violence will never be the answer to solving problems within a school setting.
