Taya Kyle, the widow of “American Sniper” Chris Kyle, condemned the NFL for its “desire to focus on division and anger” in an open letter posted on her official Facebook page Tuesday.
In the post, she describes her frustration with an organization she once saw as a unifying force, urging players to “get off [their] knees” and “work on building bridges.”
Though she says football used to be a way for people to come together, Kyle argues the league and players’ have instead further divided the country.
“Your desire to focus on division and anger has shattered what many people loved most about the sport. Football was really a metaphor for our ideal world –different backgrounds, talents, political beliefs and histories as one big team with one big goal – to do well, to win, TOGETHER,” Kyle wrote.
Players, coaches and owners from across the NFL have been kneeling during the national anthem after President Trump criticized athletes who participate in such protests.
Kyle’s late husband, Chris Kyle, was a decorated veteran and the subject of the 2014 movie “American Sniper,” based on his autobiography.
Kyle was killed in 2013 at a shooting range by Eddie Ray Routh, a fellow veteran suffering from PTSD.
Read the full text of Kyle’s letter below:
Dear NFL,
You were doing your part to bring people together and heal the world. That’s really how healing works. We heal by loving each other and leading by example; showing people what is possible when we love each other just as we are and not only recognize our differences but celebrate them and look at how we can use them together to make us jointly better than our separate parts. You were doing your part celebrating each other based on skills, talent and a joint vision without regard to color and religion.
You were doing your part and we were doing ours. We showed up cheering and groaning together to as one. We talked in the concession lines and commiserated and celebrated our team together. Did it ever occur to you that you and we were already a mix of backgrounds, races and religions? We were already living the dream you want, right in front of you.
Your desire to focus on division and anger has shattered what many people loved most about the sport. Football was really a metaphor for our ideal world –different backgrounds, talents, political beliefs and histories as one big team with one big goal – to do well, to win, TOGETHER.
You are asking us to abandon what we loved about togetherness and make choices of division. Will we stand with you? Will we stand with our flag? What does it mean? What does it mean if we buy a ticket or NFL gear? What does it mean if we don’t? It is the polar opposite of the easy togetherness we once loved in football.
It was simple – we loved you and you loved us – with all of our races, religions, different backgrounds and politics. Simplicity in a crazy world was pretty awesome.
You dear NFL, have taken that. You have lost me here.
If you ever want to get off your knees and get to work on building bridges, let me know. I have found screaming about the problems in service marriages or even standing in silence in front of them, hasn’t healed even one of them. On the other hand, funding the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, building a team and rolling up my sleeves to get in the trenches during my “off time” -volunteering there outside of my paying jobs – has proven to make real change.
You have a lot of strong guys, I am sure in the off season a lot of them could build some pretty big bridges if they care enough to do the hard work. That would involve getting off their knees and getting to work though. I can do it while I raise two kids as their only parent and work through the greatest pain of my life, let’s see if they can do it for the issues they say they care so much about.
Kennesaw State cuts 4 of the 5 cheerleaders who knelt for anthem
GOD BLESS you Mrs. Kyle-
Your intentions are admirable & solid!
I agree 100%! 👍🏼
I will keep you in my Prayers, if that’s ok.
In Christ-All my Love to you & yours! ✝️☝🏼🙏🏼💘
👊🏼🇺🇸👊🏼
Thank you so much for such a beautiful letter from Chris Kyle’s wife. I am a survivor of the Vegas Route 91 shooting. I have SEVERE PTSD, on a scale of 1-10 mine is 11.5. I have found that on any given day my emotions are all over the place. But, the one and the ONLY thing I have found comfort and healing in is when I volunteer. So when I read this it really hits home. If others only knew how much you receive when you giving to others.
Again, I want to say thank you for the reminder.
Shanna Caputo
Thank you.
Taya Kyle, thank you for your desire and dedication to Chris and your foundation. I also am extremely sorry as well as furious that our NFL players, the men some of our kids actually looked up to and wanted to be like are that disrespectful of the Nation that HEROES like Chris fought and gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect. To me I no longer see the need to watch the NFL football games, in my own way for myself and to show my kids that I am in protest of the players that disrespect our flag, our nation and most of all……OUR HEROES !!! When and if the owners, coaches and players begin to realize that if it wasn’t for our militaries and HEROES like Chris they wouldn’t be playing the game at all. Thank you young lady. Jr.
GOD BLESS YOU you just told the truth and we are PRAYING for them also to stop the hate
I wish people would get it through their thick stupid heads that kneeling during the pledge of alliegance is not and never will be disrespectful. Last time I checked people kneeled for kings and queens, was that disrespectful? I would think not. And let’s not forget the reason that these men are kneeling. Do you know how many African American men are terrorized and killed by police on a daily basis? Of course anyone with their white privilege would just see it as people to lazy to stand for the flag. But I see this as people on their knees to the flag begging the symbol of freedom to extend its arms to all. Yes it’s true that people of color have just as much rights and opportunities as white Americans, and yet their still treated as inferior and criminal when our own society makes it almost impossible to get by any other way. So if your offended by some people kneeling at the flag why don’t you just do what you do best in any other situation regarding anything that makes you in your perfect white American world uncomfortable. Look away and shut up.
Maybe you should check your facts before spewing all the misinformation that you just did. ( https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/bvvc.pdf ) Black on black crimes and account for the majority of crimes committed on a daily basis. NOT white on black. White men are TWICE as likely to be shot and killed by police when being confronted for a crime. Check out the numbers in the following link.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2020/05/28/police-shootings-black-americans-disproportionately-affected-infographic/#6e5f44af59f7
And White privilege?? Please! Minorities have a better chance of being accepted into colleges on scholarships vs a white man and therefore they have a better chance of “moving up in the world.” White people find themselves in massive school debt if they want to attend college and endure years of loan payments. That doesn’t sound like privilege to me but if you want to believe that at least back up your arguments with facts.
It was lovely what she wrote. But it is the NFL players choice to have their own beliefs.
If it WASEN’T for us military men and women they wouldn’t be playing these sports. They wouldn’t be sterling all this money. GOD bless you and your family!!
You are awesome. Thank you for all your losses. God bless you and your family
❤
https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/donald-trump-anthem-super-bowl-013642229.html
Wasn’t it Don saying if the son of a bitch disrespects the flag fire that SOB
Thank you! It is time to unite. I, for one, have given up watching NFL. I love watching football but for the past two years, I have been sadden by their actions. These are not the role models we want for our country.
Mrs. Kyle,
Your sentiments are heartfelt, but like most white folks who aren’t racist, you miss the point. Of course maybe you are like the racists who are cool with innocent black men murdered by racist, rogue white officers. This issue was never about our service people. If you fail to see that, you are racist as well.