I respect the opinions of celebrities when those individuals are actually informed on the issue. Some current celebrities' use of their platform on say, autism and vaccines, have been complete off base in terms of the actual science available and just breed fear and contempt.

Have your opinion and speak up if you choose. But realize millions will agree with you blindly because they adore you so much. Get informed on both sides of the discussion please.

I never understood the "just play basketball" statement. Whether we are athletes, marketing professionals, or CPA/finance folks, we all should use our voice to speak out against any policies or injustices we see or feel. Yes, some have a louder voice than others - But that voice is only insulted as "they're just an athlete" when one disagrees with the issue. One of FoxNews resident hypocrites is an easy exhibit A - Lebron needs to "shut up and dribble" but Curt Schilling, Kid Rock etc. are brought on her show.

Be civil. Be respectful. Use your voice.

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.” — Elie Wiesel

I agree there are degrees here. There's definitely a difference between actively campaigning for a political candidate and advocating for a social cause. A very big difference, obviously.

But there are plenty of people who tell athletes to stick to sports when all they're doing is supporting a social cause. A bunch of NBA players wore "I can't breathe" shirts, and were criticized for it. That's not actively campaigning, it's just bringing attention to a cause they care about.

It's 43 years ago but Harry was a celebrity who brought it every night. This is worth the 7 minute watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9dbZDyRNs4

So, in other words, only if the athlete agrees with your side of the aisle?

I give credit to people like Joe Burrow who made a difference without alienating portions of their fan bases.

And here we see a good real life example of how when an individual has strong enough political convictions, they're able to genuinely think arguing against the "other side" isn't being political at all it is just fighting for decency or whatever. And now we are back to that very fine line of speaking out vs being political.

This

While I'm perfectly fine with those that disagree with me on this subject, I'd like to provide Jason Isbell as an example of a performer not shy from speaking out against society's ills. Isbell is arguably one of the best songwriters of his generation and if I had to provide one song to check out it would be "White Man's World". Not what you'd expect from a white man born in Alabama or one currently living and recording in Nashville.

Isbell has this to say about his new album released this week:
"I'll never lose sleep over not selling more records, but I'll definitely lose sleep over keeping my mouth shut and letting things happen to people."