That's not the story.
The story is that a safety for the Miami Dolphins, Don Jones, said something politically unacceptable on the Twitter when he saw the images of the draftee and his boyfriend kissing. He is now being sent for reeducation. They actually say that in almost those exact words. From the story on Fox News:
Miami Dolphins safety Don Jones was fined an undisclosed amount Sunday and will undergo educational training after sending a negative tweet about Michael Sam, the first openly gay player to be selected in the NFL draft.I don't understand what all the hubbub is about, bub. Sure, he's the first openly declared gay in the NFL, but I can't imagine anyone would think there are no gays in the NFL. Some percentage of people are gay, although the exact percentage is something is probably not known with great precision. There are those who want to exaggerate the number higher, and those that want to exaggerate it lower, but at least in my view, any sample of the population will have some percentage that is. I played a little football in my younger days, and every team had "that guy" who was considered gay.
...
Jones apologized for his comments Sunday and described them as inappropriate. The Dolphins said Jones has been excused from all team activities until he completes training related to his comments.
It's the fascistic reeducation center aspect of the story that's the important part. Don't mess with the gay mafia, or you'll be eliminated.
And then there's all the Dolphins "controversy" last year with Richie Incognito.
ReplyDeleteDolphins just can't avoid turmoil these days, although Tannehill seems sharp enough to avoid such things in his interviews.
Greater scrutiny...
Bandwagon PC from the NBA noise...
"Educational Training"...
Let Sam play/make it onto a team, see if he's any good.
Guess that is old-fashioned.
Sure miss Coach Shula.
What would think should happen if someone made a comment about a kiss between an interracial couple? Just asking.
ReplyDeleteThere are still people who don't like interracial relationships.
As far as letting him earn his way... He probably thought he was going to be passed by completely.
No winner of the SEC Defensive Player of the year (Sam shared the award) was drafted later than the 2nd round in the past 10 years. (or so) C.J. Mosley was drafted in the 1st round. He shared the award with Sam. Michael Sam was drafted in the 7th round.
Straight couples kiss, hold hands, have pictures of the wedding and their kids (actual proof they "did it") and that is not flaunting it. But if a gay even talks about what they did this weekend, and with who, well that is cause for being fired.
As you said, a percentage of the population is gay. They also happen to be consumers of your products. Any business that employs a person who makes disparaging remarks about a demographic subset of your customers is going to receive training about how to not alienate those customers.
ReplyDeleteIt is called consumer relations, and any business that allows its employees to say things that offend a percentage of its customer base will soon find itself losing those customers.
This "reeducation" by the "gay mafia," as you call it, is nothing more than customer relations training. The result would be the same if he had made remarks about a racial group, retired people, people in wheelchairs, or people with Downs Syndrome.
It just isn't good business to go around disparaging your customers.
I realize I have a minority view. I was heartened (and surprised) to hear ESPN commentator Stephen Smith say pretty much what I'm thinking. Or at least lots of it.
ReplyDeleteDeb, you wrote "Straight couples kiss, hold hands, have pictures of the wedding and their kids (actual proof they "did it") and that is not flaunting it. But if a gay even talks about what they did this weekend, and with who, well that is cause for being fired." Firing someone for that is unquestionably wrong and I don't agree with that in any way. If my gay coworkers have pictures of their partners on their desk, I simply don't care any more than my heterosexual friends. As the article about Stephen Smith put it, "The commentator said that he had not seen footage of Sam and his boyfriend Vito Cammisano smashing cake into one another's faces in celebration but "if I saw all of that... I would say the same thing I would say to a heterosexual couple: 'Get a room'."
But this isn't about me. My question is simply have we really gotten to the point in society that the only way for one group to have more freedom is to take it away from someone else? Is it really the case that all the freedom in life has been used up and the only way for person A to get more is to take away person B's?
Divemedic, I work at a place that has sent people to reeducation, and the chances those people would ever see a customer are just about zero. It's simply for political correctness. I have a hard time believing that a back up defensive back would cost the Dolphins a dime - unless someone organized a loud boycott and attracted attention. It's easier to fire a 7th round draft choice who plays special teams.
As I've said before, I want people to be free to be honest. If they believe things I find despicable, I want them to be free to be open about it, so I know whom to avoid. If they hate my background and would just as soon lynch me, I want to know. PC doesn't change hearts, it just changes words.
Again, have we really gotten to the point in society that the only way for one group to have more freedom is to take freedom away from someone else?
It seems only fair that they have reeducation camps to prevent this kind of discrimination. After all the NFL really clamped down on those who were diss'ing Tim Tebow mercilessly... Opps! That's right, Tim Tebow was fair game because he was a white male and a Christian. So much for white privilage.
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, white heterosexual Christians are on the verge of being wiped out in this country.
ReplyDeleteGet f$*#ing real. I think I sprained my eyerolling muscles.
I'm reminded of the time my pastor thundered out at the congregation "...and when those soldiers of the secular humanist government come through those doors with their machine guns and say 'Stand up if you believe in Jesus', who will have the courage to die for Him?"
And I thought to myself, "My gawd, what planet is this going to happen on? You can't even buy beer on Sunday in this state."
This rush to pile on the whiny victim bandwagon is just unseemly.
Tam, you know I love you like a bratty, PITA little sister, but you're reacting to what you read not what I wrote. I didn't say anything of that sort and frankly don't see how you get it. Except for preconceived notions.
ReplyDeleteI said a guy got sent to reeducation for expressing an opinion, and that's wrong. The only argument that he could be sent for reeducation is Divemedic's - that there is no right to free speech if it reflects on your employer - and I don't think that's relevant for a couple of reasons.
I think it's a freedom question, that you don't make one person more free by making others less free. Making one group less free makes everyone less free. Frankly, I'm surprised someone with a wookie suit as luxuriant as yours didn't see what I was saying.