Julian Edelman Offers Some Perspective To Meyers Leonard After Heat Forward Uses Anti-Semitic Slur
BOSTON (CBS) -- After DeSean Jackson made some anti-Semitic posts to his social media accounts, Julian Edelman offered to help educate the wide receiver instead of bash him. He's taking the same approach with Miami Heat forward Meyers Leonard, who used an anti-Semitic slur during a video game livestream on Tuesday.
Leonard issued an apology for using the slur Tuesday evening, saying he did not know what the word meant when he shouted it while playing Call of Duty. Edelman, who is Jewish, tweeted out an "open letter" to Leonard on Wednesday morning, offering the 29-year-old some perspective while also inviting him to a Shabbat dinner the next time he's in Miami.
"So we've never met, I hope we can one day soon," Edelman wrote. "I'm sure you've been getting lots of criticism for what you said. Not trying to add to that, I just want to offer some perspective.
"I get the sense that you didn't use that word out of hate, more out of ignorance. Most likely, you weren't trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment," Edelman continued. "That's what makes it so destructive. When someone intends to be hateful, it's usually met with great resistance. Casual ignorance is harder to combat and has greater reach, especially when you command great influence. Hate is like a virus. Even accidentally, it can rapidly spread.
"I'm down in Miami fairly often. Let's do a Shabbat dinner with some friends," he added. "I'll show you a fun time."
The NBA and Miami Heat are reviewing the clip of Leonard using the slur, and he is away from the team indefinitely during the investigation.
Edelman spoke with Jackson last year following his incident, and suggested that the two visit The Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington D.C. That trip has not happened due to COVID-19 restrictions.
