PBS journalist suggests that a paralyzed man standing up is racist

PBS Newshour's White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor criticized Madison Cawthorn, a paraplegic congressional candidate, for standing up out of his wheelchair at the conclusion of his Republican National Convention speech last night.

One wonders if Alcindor would have had the same sentiments for the many disabled veterans who stood for the national anthem at the end of the evening as she did for Cawthorn.

"It was a direct rebuke of actions by ppl—including black athletes who are currently sitting out games—protesting police brutality," tweeted Alcindor.

As Trace Adkins sang the Star-Spangled Banner, disabled women veterans seated in the front row stood as best they were able.

The boycotts, or what could be more accurately called "walk-outs" or "strikes" began in the NBA— but now teams across US athletic leagues have joined the Black Lives Matter movement in solidarity, prompting a string of game cancellations.

MLB games between the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants were called off after NBA's Milwaukee Bucks sat out Game Five of their playoff series against the Orlando Magic, prompting an end to the rest of the day’s matchups.

"You can kneel before God but stand for our flag," Cawthorn urged Americans.

Although partially paralyzed due to a near-fatal car accident, the rising GOP star, who unexpectedly won the party's runoff election in North Carolina, stood tall, clutching the walker before him.

"For which I stand. One nation. Under God. With liberty and justice for all,” Cawthorn proudly stated in reference to those unrattled patriots who still stand during the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem.

Cawthorn rose out of his wheelchair after recounting his tragic car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down at just 18-years-old.

"This is a time of great adversity for our country," stated the House hopeful and dark horse who defeated Trump's pick Lynda Bennett in the June primary. "And I know something about adversity."

Cawthorn noted that political forces were working together to usher in the "dark digital ages—a time of information without wisdom and tribalism without truth."

He invoked the dream of Martin Luther King Jr., desiring for all Americans to be judged solely on their character. "National leaders on the left have normalized demagoguery and a radicalized identity politics that rejects MLK’s dream."

However, Cawthorn emphasized that Republicans were committed to building a "new town square" that "welcomes all ideas and people."

Alcindor spun Cawthorn's daring physical feat into an act of white supremacy, when the paralyzed young man was simply proving that if he can stand to honour the nation, so can any able-bodied citizen.