Outspoken doctor dismissed from Vanderbilt Medical Center

Eugene Gu posted this picture of himself taking a knee in support of NFL players.

ASAM NEWS

A CONTROVERSIAL medical resident, whose social media posts about the Black Lives Matter movement and other social issues caught the attention of President Trump, has lost his job at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, reports the Tennessean.

Eugene Gu posted a picture of himself taking a knee in support of protest by Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players who refused to stand for the national anthem.

He also alleged workplace harassment at Vanderbilt which he connected to his political views.

RELATED: Asian American doctor takes a knee

Gu worked at Vanderbilt for three years, but his residency was not renewed for a fourth year and he will not be able to complete the five year program.

The Duke Chronicle obtained a letter to Gu from the University explaining its decision.

VUMC General Counsel Michael Regie cited a “lack of sufficient improvement in performance and conduct in key areas” after Gu was placed on probation late last year. The letter cited “patient care, communication, and medical knowledge” as “significant areas of concern.”

“The take-home message here is that there is an unwritten rule for surgical residents and that is rule is, always make your program look good and always make your hospital look good, and often that means stay silent,” Gu said to the Tennessean. “But as an Asian American physician, unlike a White doctor, I don’t always have the same luxury to stay silent.”

Gu was part of a successful lawsuit against the President filed by American citizens who were blocked by Trump on social media after their persistent criticism of him.

Vanderbilt denied their decision had anything to do with Gu’s politics, criticism of the president or his stance on social issues.

“Regarding other allegations that Dr. Gu is making about the Medical Center, I would ask that you please consider these as allegations and nothing more,” John Howser, a spokesman for the hospital, said in the email to the Tennessean. “To date, we have not engaged in a point by point rebuttal of Dr. Gu’s many claims over the past two-plus years. At this time we will continue to maintain this stance.”

In an interview with AsAmNews back in December, Gu defended his actions.

"I feel like I’m in North Korea where speaking out to promote justice is seen as an evil. I’m being punished for that,” said Gu. “Instead of helping me, they are trying to destroy my career. I graduated with top of my class as Stanford and Duke Medical School. I’ve been outspoken on positive issues like fighting racism. Vanderbilt is trying to destroy my career. That is wrong."
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Asian American NFL owners on Trump, the flag and the knee

Kim and Terry Pegula, owners of the Buffalo Bills.

THE TWO Asian/American owners of NFL franchises voiced their opposition to Donald Trump's comments about football players, team owners and the professional football league.

NFL owners Kim Pegula and Shahid Khan chose to allow their players the freedom to continue expressing their views when the national anthem is played prior to the games.

Kim Pegula, a businesswoman who with her husband Terry Pegula, own the Buffalo Bills issued a statement that focused on the comments Trump made at an Alabama political rally:

"Several of us met tonight - players, coaches, staff, and ownership. Our goal was to provide open dialogue and communication. We listened to one another. We believe it's the best way to work through any issue we are facing - on and off the field.

"President Trump's remarks were divisive and disrespectful to the entire NFL community, but we tried to use them as an opportunity to further unify our team and our organization.

"Our players have the freedom to express themselves in a respectful and thoughtful manner and we all agreed that our sole message is to provide and to promote an environment that is focused on love and equality."

Kim Pegula was a Korean orphan when she was adopted by Ralph and Marilyn Kerr in 1974. She grew up in a suburb of Rochester, N.Y. and is President and CEO of Pegula Sports and Entertainment, which also owns the Buffalo Sabres.

The Pegulas outbid Trump in his attempt to become the Bills' owner paying $1.4 billion in cash for the NFL franchise.

Trump's Alabama remarks suggested owners should fire players who kneel or raise a fist during the anthem.

"Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he's fired," Trump said. "He's FIRED!' You know, some owner is gonna do that. He's gonna say, 'That guy disrespects our flag; he's fired.' And that owner, they don't know it. They don't know it. They're friends of mine, many of them. They don't know it. They'll be the most popular person, for a week. They'll be the most popular person in this country."

Shahid Khan, center, joined his team the weekend after Donald Trump's comments.

“This is a very personal issue with him,” said Jacksonville Jaguars owner Pakistani-born American billionaire Shahid Khan. He called Trump “a divider, not a uniter” and noting Trump's failed 2014 bid to purchase the Pegula's Buffalo Bills. 

Khan says Trump is “jealous” of the NFL and trying to soil its image in “personal” attacks in an interview with USA Today.

“He has been elected President, where maybe a great goal he had in life ─ to own an NFL team ─ is not very likely,” Khan said. “So to make it tougher, or to hurt the league, it's very calculated.”

Khan, who purchased the Jaguars in 2011 for $760 million, linked arms with players during the US anthem in September in the days after Trump first spoke out against NFL players kneeling in protest during the anthem, calling for them to be fired.

Trump has accused players of insulting the flag, the nation and its soldiers by kneeling for the anthem while players have steadfastly denied any such motives. 

The football players who have knelt or locked arms, say their protest -- which was started by then 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick --  were not against the flag, the anthem or the military but wanted to express their displeasure at the racial injustices and unequal treatment of minorities by some police departments.

Three weeks after Trump's comments that sparked the protests be every NFL team, the kneeling has died off but many teams still have players who kneel during the playing of the national anthem.

Khan, who contributed $1 million to pay for Trump's inauguration, said the NFL issue is not so bad when compared to the ethnic, racist and religious insults and remarks Trump has uttered since starting his presidential campaign through Charlottseville and Muslim travel ban.

“Let's get real,” Khan told USA Today. “The attacks on Muslims, the attacks on minorities, the attacks on Jews ─ I think the NFL doesn't even come close to that on the level of being offensive.”

“Here, it's about money, or messing with ─ trying to soil a league or a brand that he's jealous of.” 

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Jessica Sanchez takes a knee after singing anthem

OAKLAND RAIDERS

Jessica Sanchez did a beautiful rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" before the NFL game between the
Oakland Raiders and L.A. Chargers last Sunday

By Louis Chan
ASAM NEWS

SPEAKING IN A SOFT TONE, Filipina and Mexican American Jessica Sanchez took to Facebook to defend her decision to take a knee at the end of her performance of the National Anthem before the Oakland Raiders-Los Angeles Charges games in Oakland Sunday (Oct. 15).

The season 11 runner up on American Idol seemed unconfortable explaining her decision. She appeared to be speaking off the top of her head. The 22 year old spoke haltingly and struggled to find the words to explain her actions.

Sanchez went down on her knees while singing the words “home of the brave”at the end of the song.

Raiders Marshawn Lynch sat during the anthem, while Chargers Russell Okung raised his fist.

Sanchez told the Associated Press that Lynch said to her, “You did your thing girl.”

The singer described reaction to her protest as “crazy stuff on the internet.”

“I can’t sit here and help them understand why I did it…but it’s something I stand for and believe in,” she said on her Facebook post. “I don’t know. I’ve always been quiet about how I felt and my opinions about things like this, like big things like this.”

She explained that she did not mean to be disrespectful.

“I was not,” she said while holding her hand to her heart.

“I don’t want to be quiet anymore. This is how I feel. It’s what I stand for. I encourage you guys, if you feel a certain way, don’t be afraid to be part of the conversation. Stand for what you believe in.”

This is not the first time Sanchez has gotten involved in a political issue, but it’s by far her most controversial. She released a song during the Presidential campaign in support of Hillary Clinton.

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#Takeaknee goes viral

AFTER the weekend's dramatic display of solidarity when over 200 NFL players took a knee during the playing of the national anthem, it was not surprising that people do the same.

The company of Broadway's Miss Saigon took their final bow from their knees last night in to demonstrate their solidarity with the players.

Directed by Laurence Connor (the recent hit revival of Les Misérables, School of Rock), the Broadway return of the musical stars Filipino/Americans Jon Jon Briones as The Engineer, Eva Noblezada as Kim.

Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed production of Boublil and Schönberg's legendary musical Miss Saigon continues its limited engagement at The Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway) through Sunday, Jan. 14.

Celebrities such as John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Pharell, knelt during their concerts. The entire cast of Grey's Anatomy joined in as did the X-files leads Gillian Anderson and David Duchovney.

#Takeaknee went viral online.

Colin Kaepernick, the former 49er quarterback who started the demonstration, did it to bring attention to the racial inequality in American society and the police shootings of unarmed African/Americans.

When Donald Trump lambasted Kaepernick and other football players during a political rally in Alabama on Friday implying that they were disrespecting the flag and the U.S. militariy, it didn't take long for the NFL players and owners to react.

The unprecedented and powerful display by the NFL for the right to protest was on national TV Sunday and Monday.

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Trump's attack against pro athletes moves Filipino American football player to speak out

OAKLAND RAIDERS / INSTAGRAM

A majority of the Oakland Raiders chose to remain seated during the National Anthem.

SCORES OF professional football players literally and figuratively took a knee Sunday. 

Last week there were four players taking a knee and a couple of others raising their fists. Yesterday, there were hundreds of players taking a knee, locking their arms in a show of unity or staying in the locker room while the anthem played.

The players were responding to Donald Trump's mocking the players who do not stand during the playing of the National Anthem as a form protest against the inequality in the U.S. criminal justice system.

 At a rally in Alabama last Friday, Trump said, "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He's fired. He's fired!"

RELATED: Asian American doctor takes a knee against Trump

His remarks was met with a storm of criticism from players, owners and sportscasters, including Filipino/American Doug Baldwin, the Seattle Seahawks' wide receiver. In a prepared statement, Baldwin said:

"I'm not surprised by Trump's comments. He has shown since the beginning, his dehumanized nature. To think he would be anything different ti to not know the reality of his presidency ... He acts like a child craving attention and any attention will do."

Doug Baldwin in a post-game press conference.

The Seahawks were playing at the home of the Tennessee Titans. When the "Star Spangled Banner" was sung, they chose to remain in the locker room.

During a post-game press conference, Baldwin continued to elaborate: "This is a dangerous time. We (players) recognize that.

"We're hoping to unite all people, of all races, all religions, all beliefs to come together; to realize the severity of the situation."  He went on to say that the U.S. was founded in protest and that the freedom of expression is one of the country's core beliefs.

"I'm calling on our people and our country (to realize) that this is greater than just football. This is greater than this Sunday evening's entertainment."

The protest against Trump's racist and anti-immigrant remarks spread beyond football. Over the weekend, catcher Bruce Maxwell of the Oakland Athletics baseball team began kneeling on one knee to express his views. He was the first baseball player join the protest.

Last Friday, during the NBA's media day, Stephen Curry, one of the star basketball players in the NBA's World Champion Golden State Warriors, expressed that if Trump followed tradition and invited the championship team to the White House, he would not visit because he did not agree with Trump's views on race, his reluctance to condemn the white supremacists demonstrating in Charlottesville and his policies against immigrants.

In response, Trump tweeted that he would not invite the team to the White House because of Curry's comments.

The African/American basketball players in the professional basketball league, including some of the biggest names in the sport responded almost unanimously in their criticism of Trump and his views on race. 

Cleveland Cavaliers player LaBron James, who some say is the best basketball player in the world, was particularly outspoken and didn't mince words in expressing his distaste for Trump's positions on race.

A few hours after his tweet, James, expanded his comments in a video. "I think it's basically at a point where I'm a little frustrated, man, because this guy that we've put in charge has tried to divide us once again" James said via his digital company platform Uninterrupted. "Obviously we all know what happened with Charlottesville and the divide that caused. Now it's hit home more for me because he's now using sports as the platform to try and divide us."

The Warriors' management, on Saturdaya in support of its star and in response to Trump's decision to not invite the team, said, “In lieu of a visit to the White House, we have decided that we’ll constructively use our trip to the nation’s capital in February to celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion — the values that we embrace as an organization.”

Derrick Coleman, Atlanta Falcon's fullback, reminded his followers that the controversy is not about the flag or the anthem. Kaepernick

What about Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback that started the kneel down during the national anthem? He still remains unsigned because of a suspected blackballing for NFL owners.

When he began the protest last year as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, he explained:

I’m going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed. To me, this is something that has to change. When there’s significant change and I feel that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent, and this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.

This stand wasn’t for me. This is because I’m seeing things happen to people that don’t have a voice, people that don’t have a platform to talk and have their voices heard, and effect change. So I’m in the position where I can do that and I’m going to do that for people that can’t.

It’s something that can unify this team. It’s something that can unify this country. If we have these real conversations that are uncomfortable for a lot of people. If we have these conversations, there’s a better understanding of where both sides are coming from.

I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country. I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone. That’s not happening. People are dying in vain because this country isn’t holding their end of the bargain up, as far as giving freedom and justice, liberty to everybody. That’s something that’s not happening. I’ve seen videos, I’ve seen circumstances where men and women that have been in the military have come back and been treated unjustly by the country they fought for, and have been murdered by the country they fought for, on our land. That’s not right.

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