Thread by @PeakGooners

A Statement from @PeakGooners:

The Pikes Peak Gooners is a football fan group. We share a love of football, a love of our club, and of the family around it.

HOWEVER...

That in no way removes us from the responsibility of social and racial justice work. /1

Colorado Springs and the PPR is a politically mixed area, and there is a long history of racial conflict and oppression here. That truth is vitally important to recognize. (tinyurl.com/y84d8uyx) /2

It's also one of the top cities in the country for millennials, small businesses and startups. It is changing rapidly. (tinyurl.com/yaw8boud) /3

Over the last few days, peaceful protests have marched in our streets for racial and social justice. There have been tensions and incidents of violence and destruction. It has been, as it has across the entire country and around the world, an incredibly hard and painful time. /4

We as a city have never been perfect. We never will be.

The Pikes Peak Gooners is a community, a family, of all walks of life and backgrounds. Expats, veterans, small business owners, brewers, and healthcare workers. We are our city, for all its flaws and foibles. /5

We welcome anyone who wants to watch a match with us, raise a glass to The Arsenal, and join us in song. That is our purpose as fans of our great football club. /6

The Arsenal has always been an inclusive and welcoming club, historically having one of the most diverse fanbases of any club, both locally and internationally. We aim to add to that work, to be on that right side of history. /7

So - our pub is your pub, and the taps are always open.

Our purpose as a group, and as individuals, is to create the community and world we want to live in. /8

That starts, and doesn't stop, until the systemic racism, violence, and murder of people of color is addressed, torn - from the roots on up - out from our society and city. It starts, in short, with our commitment to antiracism. /9

We have a responsibility to be better and to create better. We have a duty of care to listen, learn, see, and act within our community against racism in all forms. /10

Simply put: #BLACKLIVESMATTER.

That's where the work starts, and where we start working, too. 

COYG.

/End

#BlackLivesMatter #Protests2020 #Antiracism #ArsenalAgainstRacism #GoonersAgainstRacism

cc: @arsenalamerica @MSPGooners @BostonGooners @DenverGooners @ChicagoGooners @austingooners @DCArmoury @Arsenal_LA @LAGooners @ArsenalNYC @htowngooners @ep_gooners @GBArmoury @NOLA_Gooners @kport_cannons @CascadiaGooners @GRgunners @KnoxGooners @DSMGooners @BayAreaGooners et al