Matt Roloff Breaks Silence on Social Justice Protests (But Says Very Little)
Matt Roloff has broken his silence on the George Floyd killing and the subsequent protests for police reform and racial equality that have broken out in response.
But only in a literal sense.
As you may have read about previously, Roloff has come under major fire for remaining quiet over the past few weeks on this pressing topic.
Unlike other members of his family -- and of the entertainment world in general -- Matt did NOT recognize #BlackoutTuesday back on June 2, refusing to even make the smallest gesture in honor of the Black Lives Matter movement.
This snub came amid previous criticism of Roloff for his apparent support of President Donald Trump.
Especially because girlfriend Caryn Chandler did at least take part in the aforementined social media holiday, many Little People, Big World fans have been waiting for a statement from the Roloff patriarch.
And now they have it.
"We live in times of opportunity to do better. I’m in!" wrote Matt as a caption on Wednesday to the following meme, which reads:
Practice gentleness, seek truth, give up anger, do not slander, and have compassion for all beings. Be gentle, modest, and useful to others.
No mention of Black Lives Matter, police brutality, the need for any sort of reform... or, heck, even a mention of the word "racism."
Does Matt Roloff need to support these causes? Absolutely not.
But he may need to prepare for some blowback as a result, even if he's made a living by mostly staying out of politics.
As many folks would point out, including Matt's own son, Jacob, this isn't a political issue. This is simply an issue of being a sympathetic and reasonable human being.
For those who have missed it, Jacob has been VERY critical of his relatives amid this important time in America.
First, he laid into Audrey for simply quoting the bible and not taking any real action to make a difference.
“Keep marching, keep confronting, keep talking, keep educating… For a better world NOW,” wrote Jacob on his Instagram Stories after attending a demonstration in Oregon.
He then seemed to slam his sister-in-law for only issuing "empty gestures and fancy platitudes" on her social media account.
Later on, Jacob held even less back in addressing his entire family, with whom he has feuded at times in the past.
Earlier this month, Jacob posted a list of organizations to which one can/should donate if one believes that Black Lives Matter and if one wants to help this movement.
The former reality star did more than list the organizations, though.
He straight-up called on other Roloffs to assist with them.
"Tagging my family (those with great followings) because they have majority white audiences who desperately require a call to solidarity with these protesters and dissenters," wrote Jacob on Instagram.
We think it's very safe to assume that Matt has no plans to donate any money to these non-profits.
Amy Roloff, for her part, shared images of protestors holding up Black Lives Matter signs on her offiicial account, writing as part of a lengthy caption:
I’m thankful for all the peaceful protesters taking a stand for injustice in my community and all over the country.
I’m thankful for so many coming together in support and wanting to make positive change for the black community that will also be good for all.
Do we realize that? I hope we do now. I’m thankful for all those doing good and the right thing standing up among those in their midst that aren’t.
Tori Roloff also took a broad view of the situation.
I have learned a lot the last few weeks. I hope we all have. The world is hurting and I’ll keep praying, she wrote online, concluding that she's "listening" and adding:
I vow to teach my kids how to love the world and everything in it just like God did. My kids are different and I vow to teach them the world is not against them.
Jesus is with them. It’s their responsibility to stand with others. To love others.
I promise to live out my life doing my best to remind myself of this and guide my family to love more.
So there you have it.
Will Matt's weak stance on this issue have any impact on the renewal of Little People, Big World? Could the backlash be so severe that TLC chooses not to bring this series back?
It's too soon to tell.
But we can't discount this possibility, everyone.
Stay tuned.
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