Politician tries to silence NFL linebacker on marriage equality

One would think there wouldn't be many NFL football players who support marriage equality for gays in the U.S. One might be wrong though. The vast majority of NFL players are under 30 and the vast majority of those under 30 support marriage equality. Well, a Baltimore Ravens linebacker named Brendon Ayanbadejo came out for marriage equality. He even filmed spots for Equality Maryland in support of marriage rights for gay couples in that state.

Mr. Ayanbadejo wrote in a column: "However, looking at the former restrictions on human rights in our country starting with slavery, women not being able to vote, blacks being counted as two thirds of a human, segregation, no gays in the military (to list a few) all have gone by the wayside. But now here in 2009 same sex marriages are prohibited. I think we will look back in 10, 20, 30 years and be amazed that gays and lesbians did not have the same rights as every one else. How did this ever happen in the land of the free and the home of the brave? Are we really free?"

Well, you would think that a football player who is so devoted for equal rights for all, would be applauded by politicans. No, indeed, one literally tried to shut him up. Emmett Burns, a member of the Maryland legislature, tried to silence him by writing a letter to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti that "he take the necessary action, as a National Football Franchise Owner, to inhibit such expressions from your employee and that he be ordered to cease and desist such injurious actions.”

Burns is a minister and deeply religious. But that is no excuse as an elected official in trying to get someone silenced. It's one thing for anti-gay politicans to oppose marriage equality. It is quite another for them to try to tattle on someone's employer and get them silenced. Someone had written, what if certain baseball players hadn't spoken out against segreation in baseball and football 60-70 years ago? Should they have kept silent also? Or, does one only keep silent if one disagrees with one Maryland Delegate Emmett Burns?

Oh by the way, check out this response to Del. Burns by Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe. Now, there is strong language in this piece written by Mr. Kluwe, so you should be forewarned.