Thursday, May 15, 2014

Don Jones sent to sensitivity training; Michael Sam doing reality show

Don Jones of the Miami Dolphins
I just want my readers to know that I have no problem with an openly gay person, Michael Sam in this case, being drafted by the NFL.  I have written on this blog how I have utmost respect for the gay population, even to the point that I support gay marriage.

I could write about how good this is for the nation and stuff like that, but I think that topic has been covered ad nauseum on other blogs and in the media.  For the sake of this blog, I would like to take this discussion a step further.

I think that our Constitution is not prejudiced, and it essentially protects the rights and liberties of all Americans equally.  By this, it does not matter the color of your skin, the religion of your choice, whether you are male or female, or whether you are straight or gay.  You are an American, you have natural born rights and liberties that the Constitution protects.

Michael Sam of the Miami Dolphins
Taken a step further, you also have a right to be smart, but you also have a right to be stupid.  You have a right to be sensitive, but you also have a right to be insensitive.

That said, while I completely disagree with him, I think that Miami Dolphin Don Jones is an insensitive idiot for tweeting "OMG," and "horrible" in response to the drafting of Sam.

So, just because Don Jones disagrees with the management of the Miami Dolphins, and disagrees with sensitive and caring Americans who are proud of Michael Sam for doing what he did, the Dolphins are forcing Jones to attend "sensitivity training."

You may disagree with me here, but I think this is scary.  So just because Jones disagrees with you he has to attend "sensitivity training" until he either does or says he does.  That is not American.  In fact, it's as un-American as you can get.

I think we should be proud of Michael Sam.  However, I think what the Dolphins are forcing Jones to do, attend re-educational camp, distracts from all that is good about Sam being drafted.  I think it's crazy; it's scary.

If I openly disagree with Obamacare, am I going to have to attend "re-education" training" until I support it. I openly criticize world leaders on this blog.  Am I going to be forced to attend "re-education training" when my opinion differs from theirs.

Folks, this is not good. Sam being drafted is good, but the Dolphin's punishment for Jones being an idiot is not good.

Should Jones' apologize? Yes!  Should Jones be told to keep his mouth shut? Yes! Should he be fined?  Yes! Should Jones be fired? Perhaps.  Should Jones be forced to think like you and me?  No!  And that's what I find scary.
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Update:  5/17/14

In another interesting twist, the Dolphins learn that Michael Sam was doing a reality TV show during the draft, and they weren't aware of this.  So, this sort of distracts from his coming out, and the kiss.

Think about it this way, when you are in front of cameras, and when the cameras are rolling, do you act the same way you would act when the cameras are not on you?  The answer is usually no.

So, this raises the possibility that Sam came out only as part of the show, and the possibility that "the kiss" was only an act in front of the cameras.  ESPN analyst Jason Whitlock said he would cut Sam based on this deception.

According to CBS News:
Whitlock said that he feels like Michael Sam is contradicting himself. Sam said that he wants to be viewed as a football player, but now he’s doing a docuseries that’s going to take away from football. He also said he’s a staunch supporter of Sam coming out but right now he feels duped.
It's interesting anyway. Were all the media, all those who all they could talk about for several weeks before the draft was Michael Sam being the first ever gay player who came out to be drafted in the "manly" NFL draft, duped?

I'm not forming an opinion here, nor telling you how you should react to this, I'm merely analyzing what's in the news.  Yet some say the show should be cancelled because it will just distract from football (something Sam said he did not want to do), or Sam should be cut.

Further reading or viewing:
  1. Dolphins fine and suspend Don Jones for anti-Michael Sam tweet
  2. O, No!  Show revealed
  3. Michael Sam faces real danger: the Tim Tebow effect

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