NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr.: My ancestors were refugees

[wildeyed]

Source: Charlotte Observer

As expected, President Donald Trump’s executive order barring citizens of seven Muslim nations from entering the United States has generated a hailstorm of social media posts.

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined in late Saturday night with a post expressing empathy for refugees facing hardships.

Earnhardt tweeted this his own ancestors left Europe centuries ago to escape religious persecution.

In a tweet to Twitter user @GelarBudidarma, who identifies himself as a Muslim “mostly from” Bandung, Indonesia, Earnhardt wrote: “my fam immigrated from Germany in 1700s escaping religious persecution. America is created by immigrants.”


Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nascar-auto-racing/thatsracin/article129529084.html

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So impressed by Earnhardt's support on this issue. It is not easy for a guy like him to take a stand. I salute his courage and leadership. GOP 'leaders' should take some notes.

[Aristus]

1. There goes his NASCAR fan base.

Quite a courageous stand he's making.

[exboyfil]

2. If Trump loses NASCAR

Last edited Mon Jan 30, 2017, 11:19 AM - Edit history (1)

he loses America (or at least the delusional portion that voted for him).

RETRACTED

Thank you Dale for standing up for what is right.

[Lochloosa]

6. Dale will not clarify anything. He says what he means.

[exboyfil]

10. Good for him

I retract my comment.

[MountCleaners]

33. Love it

So much for dissenters being out of touch with "real" Amurika....

[Fla Dem]

3. Commenters to the article clearly not happy with DE Jr. Good on him for speaking out.

He also took a stand on the confederate flag issue.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Confederate flag: 'It's offensive to an entire race

Jeff Gluck , USA TODAY Sports Published 3:45 p.m. ET June 26, 2015 | Updated 3:52 p.m. ET June 28, 2015

SONOMA, Calif. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't think much of the Confederate flag.

NASCAR's most popular driver reiterated his longtime stance on the flag Friday when asked by reporters at Sonoma Raceway, saying he agreed with NASCAR that it should be removed from the grounds of the South Carolina state capitol.

"I think it's offensive to an entire race," Earnhardt said. "It does nothing for anybody to be there flying, so I don't see any reason. It belongs in the history books and that's about it."

more>>>>

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2015/06/26/dale-earnhardt-jr-jeff-gordon-confederate-flag-nascar/29349435/

[wildeyed]

5. Wow, I hadn't seen that.

For what it is worth, NC is not typically governed by racist knuckle-draggers. The group that is in power right now is not typical. We usually keep centrist Dems and business progressive Reps in power. We are not liberal by any stretch, but we are not radically RW either. We are savagely gerrymandered right now, but there is fixing to be a HUGE backlash.

[starshine00]

20. WOW that is amazing, this kid

He was such a rebel if I remember right in his early days, sad a lot of stupid things and had a bad attitude, now he is kicking butt...to say THIS about the confederate flag is unheard of by someone with a fan base like his, good for him.

[Cha]

35. Thank you for that, Fla Dem!

[ck4829]

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr is actually a pretty good guy

This isn't the first time he's done something I think we could all get behind.

I remember this from a while back.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=20985

[LisaM]

26. Well hey! Now I have a NASCAR driver to root for!

Good on him.

[democratisphere]

7. Thanks to Dale Earnhardt Jr. for standing SO TALL on this issue.

It shows the kind of character this guy is made of!

[manicraven]

8. My husband is an avid Earnhardt fan and loves Nascar and despises Trump and GOP.

So did my dad... Nascar is also trying to improve their image of inclusiveness.

[Botany]

9. i have a friend who does promotion work for a major insurance company ....

.... and has met and worked w/Dale Jr. and told me years ago that he is
one of the nicest guys he has ever met.

[Paladin]

11. Now THIS is significant.

Remember after Dale Sr. died and the entirety of redneck America went into mourning? Dale Jr.'s willingness to make this statement on immigrants is going to resonate.

[underpants]

28. And Ann Coulter made up a victimization story about The NY Times ignoring it

The Times actually had it on their front page (below the fold) the next day. Al Franken pointed this out in one of his books.

[nini]

12. Jr is a good guy

definitely not a hot head like his father.

[Baconator]

23. Wish he could have had a better run in his career...

Always nipping at victory but never quite got there...

[nini]

29. I know!

I don't watch too much but always rooted for him when I did.

[ffr]

13. His courage will soften many of those reds to think, "wait a minute."

It's the first crack in this whole let-us-be-isolated meme tRump and the KGOP are pushing.

[progressoid]

14. Whoa.

That's gotta piss off a lot of people. WTG Dale!

[FailureToCommunicate]

15. Nice, but don't stop short of the finish line Dale.

Just about everyone in USA is an immigrant or refugee or decended from some.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

16. As Lyndon Johnson said of Walter Cronkite,...

“If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost Middle America.” – Lyndon Johnson, February 27, 1968

"History repeats itself; the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce."

[hibbing]

17. He seems like a good guy

I don't follow NASCAR, but I do follow him on the Twitter, his Twitter game is strong.



Peace

[irisblue]

18. wow! when a NASCAR royalty calls you out

you have to wonder who that base will follow.

[pamela]

19. Back in 2004...

He took his whole crew to see Farenheit 9/11.

[Wounded Bear]

21. Surprising to me personally, because I don't follow the sport or the man...

from the above comments, he's apparently more of a kindred spirit than I knew.

Kudos to him.

[Mika]

22. He promoted Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 when the Daytona 500 was delayed...

... not long after it was released. He was asked by trackside reporters what he and his crew did after the race was postponed a day because of rain. He replied that he took his crew the see Fahrenheit 911, then he looked into the camera and said it is a film that every American should see.

Bravo Dale

[Delphinus]

24. I agree with your statement.

I am impressed and hopeful this makes an impact on his fans.

[ck4829]

25. Kick

[Docreed2003]

27. Jr is a great guy and certainly his own man...

In my limited experiences with him, I can only say this doesn't come as a surprise. The hate will come, but I doubt it will affect him in any way. Despite what people may think about NASCAR drivers, Jr is a decent and compassionate guy and this shows he has no fear in standing up against what is wrong.

[cynatnite]

30. He supported removal of the confederate flag by Nascar...

He's a good guy.

[Boxerfan]

31. I disliked his father-saw him bowl over some autograph seekers once...

And his damn the torpedoes race style caught up with him. After I witnessed Dale Sr. do that I never bothered to follow his son.

I was a big Tony Stewart fan & have a ton of his 1st year memorabilia. Big prop's to Dale-he knows he is not gaining anything by saying this.

I have a new driver to root for - Yay- Tony's last year so I need one...

[JI7]

32. i don't know anything about NASCAR but he has always seemed decent

[colsohlibgal]

34. Wow

I would have to think this would anger much of this kind of fan base, it will be fun to follow this story.

I am no NASCAR fan but good for Dale Jr.

[Cha]

36. Mahalo, wildeyed! This is huge

[wildeyed]

37. At least he will speak to some who discount other voices.

[Cha]

38. Really! I'm so impressed..

Mahalo