*The New England Patriots’ new kicker, Justin Rohrwasser is catching heat this week over his tattoo that depicts the logo of a rightwing militia called the Three Percenters.
Fans noticed Rohrwasser’s tattoo on social media after the Patriots drafted him over the weekend, and noted that the Three Percenters were connected to the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va. that left one person dead.
Rohrwasser has responded to the backlash by vowing to remove the tattoo on his left arm, claiming that when he received the ink as a teenager, he was unaware of the meaning behind it, NBC reports.
“As soon as I saw what it was linked to Saturday, I knew I had to have it totally taken off of my body,” Rohrwasser told WBZ’s Steve Burton. “I said ‘covered up,’ but I want to get to totally removed from my body. It’s shameful that I had it on there ignorantly.”
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: ‘The Real’ Ladies Aren’t Ready for the Country to Reopen + Krazy Kym Whitley Visits from Home – WATCH
‘That’s Not Who I Am’: Patriots Rookie Kicker Justin Rohrwasser Apologizes For Tattoohttps://t.co/QKiyqH9I2Q pic.twitter.com/wbnT4AZx3T
— WBZ | CBS Boston News (@wbz) April 28, 2020
Justin claims he had a different understanding of the group when he got the tattoo at age 18.
“I saw someone posted a picture of me and my tattoo and linking me to some horrific events, obviously Charlottesville, and these horrible things,” Rohrwasser said. “The first time I found out what it was linked to was Saturday. That’s why it was so surprising.
“… (The tattoo) was described to me as the percentage of colonists that rose up against the British. I thought that was such an American sentiment, a Patriotic sentiment. Coming from a military family, that really spoke to me. I always was proud to be an American.”
The New York native said he now feels horrible for “the friends and family that had to defend me.”
“Putting them in that compromising position is one of the biggest regrets I’ll ever have,” he said. “To them I’m sorry. I’m going to learn from this. That’s not who I am. Hopefully you’ll all find that out.”
Rohrwasser has now locked his Twitter account.
Meanwhile, the mainstream media is being called out for appearing to be on code with white supremacy, as outlets are going out their way to downplay Rohrwasser’s tattoo of a racist gang.
One Twitter user wrote, “They promote black athletes parents being crack addicts but when it comes to white athletes they defend their image at every opportunity.”
Another added, “I wonder why (not really) ESPN failed to mention that Patriot draft pick Justin Rohrwasser has 3 percenter tattoo prominently displayed on his forearm. Don’t you think it is relevant to fans & players to know if their new teammate is a member of white supremacist militia?”
A third wrote, “@NFL be like, White supremacist and right-wing militia group member: You’re hired. Black player who kneels to stop the violence of white supremacy: You’re fired.”
Others have noted that former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick was blackballed and called unpatriotic after he took a knee during the National Anthem to protest police brutality and systemic oppression against Black people.
Rohrwasser’s defenders have called him a “true patriot”.
Below are some reactions to his tattoo:
DISCOURSE! I DEMAND IT! pic.twitter.com/x2ONruBNWO
— Justis Mosqueda (Day 49) (@JuMosq) April 25, 2020
Justin Rohrwasser had the Three Percenters tattoo as early as 2015, which was still seven years after the Three Percenters’ formation. The symbol didn’t just “change” in recent years. pic.twitter.com/oFh0iqFWHn
— Andrew Joseph (@AndyJ0seph) April 25, 2020
The NFL… pic.twitter.com/XMX3Wb5WKX
— Resist Programming (@RzstProgramming) April 26, 2020
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
