NFL: Ray Lewis Questions Black Lives Matter Movement, Says “Slavery Was About Togetherness”

2-time Super Bowl Champion and future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis is often admired for his leadership, and rightly so, considering he was the heart and soul of the Baltimore Ravens franchise for 17 years. Today though, the retired athlete and current ESPN analyst gave his thoughts on issues of black on black violence in America, and proposed his idea to fix the issue.

In a video posted posted to his Facebook, Lewis questions the Black Lives Matter movement, asking if the phrase applies to black on black crime. Using Chicago as an example, he began sharing statistics on violent crime in that city, though he never cited where he received his information.

I’m trying to find out if Black lives really matter, when in Chicago alone the murder rate has soared 72 percent in 2016, 88 percent in the first three months of 2016 compared to last year…I’m trying to figure out in my mind why no one is paying attention to Black men killing Black men.

Lewis goes on to suggest that Black people must understand what slavery was all about, which for him, meant togetherness.

Lets stop killing Black folks, let’s take it way back to when we understood what slavery was all about. Slavery was about togetherness and understanding that we must overcome, together.

He also proposed his idea to fix the crime rate if he were to ever be an elected official. Beginning by admitting that he is not a perfect man by any stretch, Lewis says that he would place barrels on street corners and give people 30 days to dispose of their illegal weapons inside and walk away without contact from law enforcement. He goes on to say that if the 30 days have passed and you’re caught with an illegal weapon, he would put you behind bars for “25 years, minimum.”