Professional athletes have always had a platform to speak out against inequality and the issues that plague their country. Thanks to social media, that platform gets much bigger and is now capable of reaching the masses around the world.
One athlete who has never been shy about voicing his opinion is free agent center Andrew Bogut. Bogut recently spoke out against any restrictions on freedom of speech in an interview with Andrew Bolt of Sky News Australia:
“I laugh at people today – socialism, communism – people promoting that kind of stuff, that it's the way to go,” Bogut said. “My family experienced that and it didn't work out too well for us, being displaced and begging for asylum in Australia.”
Bogut's comments were in response to restrictions on free speech and leftist politics in Australia. Although he was born in Melbourne, Bogut's family had fled communist Yugoslavia in the 1970's.
Fortunately for Bogut, not only was he able to grow up with freedom of speech, but he has played in a league that allows its players to express themselves without penalty. That is not to say that there is never any sort of backlash for an athlete expressing their opinion. However, it comes without the risks that many people face around the world today.
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