New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman penned an open letter to Meyers Leonard, after the Miami Heat center used an anti-Semitic slur in a Twitch video.
In the video, Leonard can be heard saying, “F—–g cowards, don’t f—–g snipe at me, you f—–g k— b—-” while playing Call of Duty: Warzone.
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In a Twitter post, Edelman, who is Jewish, said he didn’t want to add to the criticism Leonard was receiving over his comments but wanted to offer perspective.
“I get the sense that you didn’t use that word out of hate, more out of ignorance,” Edelman said. “Most likely, you weren’t trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment. That’s what makes it so destructive.”
WHITE SUPREMACIST SENTENCED TO 19 YEARS TO PLOT TO BOMB COLORADO SYNAGOGUE
An open letter to @MeyersLeonard pic.twitter.com/bJcoupfbur
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) March 10, 2021
Edelman said that “casual ignorance” has a greater reach, making it harder to combat in society.
“Hate is like a virus. Even accidentally, it can rapidly spread,” the football player said.
Edelman has previously condemned anti-Semitic rhetoric used by athletes, even publicly inviting then-Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson to the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., after he made offensive social media posts.
The two later connected, saying they’ve kept in touch, according to a report by ESPN.
Leonard was suspended for his comments in the video and apologized for using the word, adding that he didn’t understand its context.
“I am deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday,” Leonard said on Tuesday. “While I didn’t know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong.”
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The Miami Heat condemned the video, along with “any form of hate speech.”
