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As tensions rose in September 2017 in response to football players' protesting police brutality and inequality by kneeling during the U.S. national anthem, astronaut and former football player Leland Melvin jumped into the fray with a lengthy open letter to president Donald Trump. During a September speech in Alabama, Trump had called for a boycott of the National Football League (NFL), saying: Trump's words heightened emotions on both sides of the issue, but for athletes and team owners, it seemed to heighten solidarity and even spread the protest to as quarterback Tom Brady and National Basketball Association players Steph Curry and Lebron James spoke out against Trump. Amidst all this, a lengthy open letter to the President purportedly penned by astronaut and former NFL Player Leland Melvin came to light: It's unclear why this particular response was met with skepticism, but several readers wrote in to ask us if the letter was authentic. It's possible that many were unfamiliar with Melvin. Some may have also questioned the authenticity of the national anthem stanza mentioned by the former NFL Player (it is indeed part of the song). The length of Melvin's post, which was significantly longer than most of the other responses that circulated on social media, may have also raised some doubts. However, this open letter was truly written by Leland Melvin. It was originally posted to his Facebook page on 23 September 2017:
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