Wasn't meant to be directed at anyone personally, but I see your point. Maybe phrasing could have been better, but most disagreements about other people's opinions or motives rise from a lack of understanding each other and each other's personal life experiences. Although I am very close to a few gays, I have not lived their life. The reverse is just as true.
You say this in an age where: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...Harassment-Tries-to-Clear-Name-374552441.html
The article is about evidence that may show the accused is innocent. And yet the news article just can't help calling the accuser "the victim". Guilty until proven innocent, as usual. SMH.
Sly I can think of a poster who constantly tells people they are full of shit when they don't agree with them and nothing is censored. I am not trying to start anything at all but just point out that if you're going to censor at least be consistent with the rules across the forum and moderators.
I think I know who you're talking about and I have edited their posts more than you probably realize. If it is who I think you're talking about I will say that if I see, "you're full of shit" here in the main forum I will edit/delete that but if I see it in the OT section I will let it go. Things are a bit more relaxed there. If that is not the case and I did miss a "you're full of shit" post here in the main forum it wasn't me playing favorites, I just missed it.
And this originally, IMO, was on topic and belonged in the main forum it has since faded into different areas and now belongs in the OT section.
In an attempt to get back to the topic at hand. (I will not respond to the ridiculous "sexist" allegations except to point out the post found objectionable dealt in its majority with the abuse suffered by gay boys and men.) I do not expect ballplayers to be perfect human beings. I expect them to be decent human beings. I use the same standards I would with everyone else. And if anyone else said publicly that having a gay roommate should cause a person to commit suicide I would absolutely have something to say about it. I realize male athletes live in a different world of hyper-masculinity where they constantly have to prove they are "men" by proving they are not "not men". And "not men" means women and gay/transgender people. We see it among sports fans as well; if a male athlete is disliked he's given a female name ("LaMarsha"). There is only one way to interpret that: The worst thing a man can be compared to is a woman. Gay men are viewed as "like women" so must be despised. This is the 21st century. Can't we finally move to a place where manliness is not defined by being a sexist jerk? That you can be a "real man" and still consider women equal human beings? That you can be a "real man" and be gay? Athletes may not be perfect or even heroes but like it or not they are public figures and what they say and do publicly counts. If they want the fame and fortune they need to accept noblesse oblige. What an athlete says in private is his business. How he practices his religion in private is his business. What he does in private is his business so long as no one is harmed. I care if an athlete beats up his wife; I don't give a shit if he is promiscuous with consenting adult partners or smokes pot or eats fast food. Not my business. But what is said in public counts. And anything posted on line is public. So if they can say it I can damn well comment on it. And if they want to say shit in public they need to accept that what is done in public does have consequences.
This isn't a "one size fits all" situation. Ignorance and immaturity need to be dealt with differently than true malice. (pardon me - "sincere expression of religious belief") It appears that Harkless made these posts when he was neither an adult nor a public figure. Do we have any reason to believe that those posts reflect his true feelings as an adult? The Aminu situation is (IMHO) far more worrisome.
Agree, grouch. I find it weird, frankly, that for at least one poster when gay men are mentioned his first reaction is to go ballistic about the theoretical possibility of some gay man grabbing his crotch. I ask all you guys. How many of you have you been in a random public place, not a gay bar or party, and had some strange male grab you like that? Ask the women you know if they have ever been in a random public place and had a strange man grab their breast, or shove a hand in their crotch, or try to rub against them. I'd bet close to 100% will say yes. But if I were to react to any mention of straight men with an auto response of "don't assault me!" I bet I'd be called sexist. On further consideration I guess I could be called Islamophobic since I called out the kidnapping of Christian girls in Nigeria while not mentioning all the Muslims Boko Haram has killed. Sorry.
I'm just letting you do all of the typing on this one. You are knocking it out if the park in this discussion and I really enjoy reading your takes on this.
Blazers' Al-Farouq Aminu says he didn't write homophobic tweets http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...write-homophobic-tweets-surfaced-twitter-feed /thread!
