Josh Ho-Sang believes the status quo of societal structure must change.
The at-times outspoken Islanders' prospect _ still, for the time being _ posted a lengthy message on Thursday on both his Instagram and Twitter accounts. It came in response to the protests and civil unrest across the U.S. since a black man, George Floyd, died on May 25 while forcibly being held down by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, a white man.
"Over the years, I have found that in too many instances, interactions lack that love and compassion," said Ho-Sang, 24, who is of mixed heritages, including Chinese, Jamaican, Jewish and Swedish. "I have seen people pass judgment on others based on assumptions and generalizations. And yes, I have also seen people act with malice against another simply because they are different.
"We, as a society, struggle too often when there are differences between us. Whether it be institutional racism that all people of color face as a daily battleground, women who are denied equal pay and equal opportunity, or the LGBTQ community...Who is anyone to pass judgment upon another?"
Ho-Sang, the 28th overall pick in 2014, was loaned to the St. Louis Blues' AHL affiliate in San Antonio on Feb. 28 and is an impending restricted free agent. He has seven goals and 17 assists in 53 career games with the Islanders but is not expected to be re-signed by the organization.
Ho-Sang wrote it was not his place to judge whether the protests are the right course of action but said he supports "all in favor of upholding a just legal system that truly protects and serves all humans."
"I choose to believe, that at their core, people are good," Ho-Sang wrote. "I believe that we all have the potential to be the best version of ourselves. Most of all, I believe, that at our best, we, together, can change the status quo and make this world a better place for all of us."
