The ‘Pen is Mightier than the Pads’ is an opportunity for student athletes to constructively and responsibly express themselves on a range of topics. They may be moved by a positive situation on the court/field or passionate about a social issue, et al., off of it. ‘Pen is Mightier than the Pads’ gives them the opportunity, a platform and the space necessary to do so. We strive for full representation of myriad thoughts, feelings and opinions. The student athlete’s views are not necessarily representative of those of the Ricardo Report. Our desire is merely to act as a conduit for the growth and development of the youth in our nation.
Broken Hearts and Bended Knees; The Divide of a Nation
I believe this country is going down a steep hill. The United States of America is dividing faster than people can comprehend. The unpredictable and selfish acts of Donald J. Trump have caused immense damage to the minorities of the country. I’ve always read about times like these in my history books and heard about times like these from my grandparents but never thought I would have to experience and see racism on the national scale.
I personally believe the President of the United States has given a voice to hate groups and those who oppose equal rights movements and created a slope for racism to creep back into this country on a more blatant and obvious level. I feel victimized by Trump’s comments about NFL players being “Sons of B**** ’’ and should be fired for not standing for the national anthem. The president of the United States telling athletes who have a voice not to use their right as a peaceful protest speaks volume to minorities of this country and proving our point of why minorities should 
continue the lifelong fight for equality and justice in America.
The best advice I can give to the oppressed is to get an education go to college and succeed. Fail the system by succeeding; don’t let the system fail you.
Javier Smith
Class of ’18
Damascus
DMV Top 25 Week 8 (Josh Ilori|Chad Ricardo)
4 Downs: Jacob Isaia
