Is there a Story like that of Mesut Ozil?

   So, you think only in the U.S. are there protests over police killings? And, you think only in the U.S. are athletes taking to twitter to vehemently object? 

   Turn your eyes to Nigeria, where there is outrage over a young man killed after a stop-and-search operation, only to have 10 more allegedly killed by police during the protesting. 

   And, turn your eyes to Mesut Ozil, the German soccer star, who is decrying the police violence. "Horrible to hear what's been going on in Nigeria," he tweets. "Let's make this a trending topic everywhere." 

   This is not the first time Ozil has taken on the world's social issues. He literally interjected himself into one world affair. In December, he tweeted against the treatment of Uyghurs in China. That brought a backlash from the Chinese. Their China Central Television promptly cancelled coverage of a soccer game between Arsenal, who Ozil plays for, and Manchester City. 

   Mesut Ozil, reportedly the highest-paid German player ever. Mesut Ozil, who won a record five German player of the year awards. Mesut Ozil, who won a title with Real Madrid to interrupt Barcelona's dominance of the league. Mesut Ozil, who helped lead Germany to the World Cup in 2014.

   Mesut Ozil, whose team, Arsenal, is currently locking him out of the team, setting its 25-player roster without him on it, suggesting it can only have so many foreign players and Ozil is the odd man out.

   Mesut Ozil, who met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2018, posing for pictures before the election. The controversy that erupted from that rocked the German nation, and resulted in his resigning from the national team. "I have two hearts, one German and one Turkish," Ozil tweeted.  ". .  . for me, having a picture with President Erdogan wasn't about politics or elections. It was about me respecting the highest office of my family's country."

  Mesut Ozil, who also made news for declining to sing Germany's national anthem. Perhaps, then, Mesut Ozil, the international version of Colin Kaepernick. Mesut Ozil, today was his 32nd birthday. Happy birthday, Mesut.