After NASCAR announced that it will ban fans from waving the Confederate flag in its events, one driver said he will no longer participate in NASCAR rallies if the ban is indeed true.
In a Facebook post, Ray Ciccarelli told his fans that he will no longer participate in NASCAR races as a protest against the ban on Confederate flags, a decision that has stirred controversy due to the conservative culture and fans of the sports.
The driver said while he was extremely happy and glad that he got to participate in races as part of NASCAR, he emphasized that he will suspend his participation if NASCAR does not change its direction.
Ciccarelli explained that he personally did not care or is invested with the Confederate flag. However, he said that he knew many fans, who he deemed were not racists, who do have a special affinity for the flag. He added that he did not believe in people who kneel down during the anthem.
Ciccarelli argued that banning the confederate flag was not a movement against racism, but rather choosing and picking sides in order to cater to the wants of one group over another.
Over the last four years, Ciccarelli had participated in 18 different rallies with NASCAR. His best performance was last year, when he placed 9th for a competition that was held in Michigan.
Meanwhile, NASCAR’s decision to ban the confederate flag has been met with fervent opposition from many of its fans. However, executives seemed adamant in their support for the Black Lives Matter movement especially after the death of George Floyd while under police custody.
Meanwhile, NASCAR’s single African American driver Bubba Wallace called for the ban on Confederate flags prior to the official announcement by the executives.point 291 |
As can be seen in the picture above, he pained BLM in bright white, while also wearing a “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirt.point 112 | 1
As anti-racism protests continue in the US, other institutions have also denounced the Confederate flag. For instance, the US Navy and Marines said they will not use the controversial flag during any official event.
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Replaced!