Hugh McElroy discusses current status of race relations in America

Following his vacation, Gabe kicked off the second hour of Monday's show by offering his opinion on the current state of race relations in the United States following the murder of George Floyd which prompted a phone call from Texas A&M legend Hugh McElroy.

Key notes from Hugh McElroy’s thoughts

• My reason for the call is because you had intentions to have Steve Solari on this morning, and I don't want to undermine anything you had planned, but I am always willing to help and share my thoughts.
   
• In the wake of the George Floyd death, my emotions - not particularly in this order - were rage, disbelief, and disgust. That's probably not too different from a lot of the listeners' reactions. My reaction is that it could've been me or one of mine. In this case, it makes it more personal. When things are personal, you will take more steps and go further down the road to make corrections.
   
• It's important to have these conversations. I shared a message with my congregation, and one of the first things I said was to be sincere. If you say something wrong or in the wrong way, if it's sincere, you'll get a chance to get it right. It starts the conversation. Some people don't have the types of relationships needed to start these conversations. After being sincere, be open and honest. "I don't know" and "Help me" are okay and will lead to better things.
   
• I will say that there has been progress. That is undeniable. A lot of the racism has gone from being overt to covert. That's not a condemnation on everybody. It's no longer Jim Crow on the street corner, it's James Crow in the corner office.
   
• A lot of us have blind spots. The problem with the blind spot is that you don't always know it's there. We need others to help us see.
   
• How many people thought about Colin Kaepernick when they saw all of this going on? The reason I ask that question was because when he took his knee a few years ago, it was very controversial. It was actions like this that he was protesting. If you remember, he started by sitting down. He received an open-letter from Nate Boyer – a former Green Beret and NFL long snapper. Kaepernick sought him out, and they had a conversation. Nate told him he should kneel as it's done when we pray or by the gravesite. I've never thought to kneel during the national anthem, but I recognize that Kaepernick has that right. My father and grandfather fought in wars for the rights for you, knowing that I might never have them. They fought for you.