Over the last couple of hours I have been bombarded in emails and messages on sites such a Twitter and Facebook with comments regarding my last post, NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BOYCOTT THE NFL. Many people shared my understanding and disgust, but some others don't understand "what the big deal is all about". So I had to take some time to come up with a general, deatailed conclussion...and I hope this helps...
First of all you need to ask yourself if you believe, support and promote the protection of Animals. This doesn't mean you have to identify as some radical, PETA supporting activist. But ask yourself the following questions:
1) Do I own an animal as a pet?
2) Do I believe they are dependent on humans?
3) Is there life less important than other lives dependant on people, i.e. children, senior citizens, minorities?
4) How serious is animal abuse and killing animals to me?
Now let me compare this controversial situation to something that may better help your relate to what's going on.
- I'm a proud, loving parent of children. An NFL player takes my child(ren) and abuses them by means of beating, kicking, drowning, electricution, starvation, cutting, stabbing, choking, strangling, then joins others in wagering money and valuables on the chanches of their survival. This NFL player is caught, lies over and over to his commisioner, authorities and court. Is sentenced lightly to 23 months in prison, gets out and is quickly reinstated by the NFL later to be signed by a team as quarterback. How does this make me feel? Am I outraged? Should he be privelaged to play professionally in a way that so many people look up to him?
- I'm an African American. An NFL player takes a fellow African American and abuses them by means of beating, kicking, drowning, electricution, starvation, cutting, stabbing, choking, strangling, then joins others in wagering money and valuables on the chanches of their survival. This NFL player is caught, lies over and over to his commisioner, authorities and court. Is sentenced lightly to 23 months in prison, gets out and is quickly reinstated by the NFL later to be signed by a team as quarterback. How does this make me feel? Am I outraged? Should he be privelaged to play professionally in a way that so many people look up to him?
- I'm a Gay or Lesbian person. An NFL player takes a fellow Gay or Lesbian person from my community and abuses them by means of beating, kicking, drowning, electricution, starvation, cutting, stabbing, choking, strangling, then joins others in wagering money and valuables on the chanches of their survival. This NFL player is caught, lies over and over to his commisioner, authorities and court. Is sentenced lightly to 23 months in prison, gets out and is quickly reinstated by the NFL later to be signed by a team as quarterback. How does this make me feel? Am I outraged? Should he be privelaged to play professionally in a way that so many people look up to him?
- I'm a friend or family member of somebody with a disability. An NFL player takes my diabled friend or family member and abuses them by means of beating, kicking, drowning, electricution, starvation, cutting, stabbing, choking, strangling, then joins others in wagering money and valuables on the chanches of their survival. This NFL player is caught, lies over and over to his commisioner, authorities and court. Is sentenced lightly to 23 months in prison, gets out and is quickly reinstated by the NFL later to be signed by a team as quarterback. How does this make me feel? Am I outraged? Should he be privelaged to play professionally in a way that so many people look up to him?
- I'm a lover of animals and own one or several. I believe in protecting them since they are dependent on me. I believe they are living, breathing creatures that feel love, fear, pain and stress. An NFL player takes one of my animals and abuses them by means of beating, kicking, drowning, electricution, starvation, cutting, stabbing, choking, strangling, then joins others in wagering money and valuables on the chanches of their survival. This NFL player is caught, lies over and over to his commisioner, authorities and court. Is sentenced lightly to 23 months in prison, gets out and is quickly reinstated by the NFL later to be signed by a team as quarterback. How does this make me feel? Am I outraged? Should he be privelaged to play professionally in a way that so many people look up to him?
This is how me an MANY OTHER PEOPLE feel. We understand he "did his time", whether that was enought time for such a horrific act, that's not the point. What is the point is that this violent, lying human being is being privelaged to play in a sport where so many people look up to the players as role models, mentors and leaders. The world sees it as, "they were only dogs". There is no way in hell the NFL would reinstate a player in one of the above mentioned scenarios.
Think about this! Discuss this! Discern it! Pray about it! THIS IS JUST PLAIN WRONG!
Dude, shouldn't you boycott the NFL for the way they treated Rush Limbaugh? It was cruelty to another human being.
ReplyDeleteCNN and MSNBC have apologize for the lies but what about the NFL. We all know that many members would not pass a character check, but they treated Rush was like trash. Where is his apology from the NFL. What will happen next, we won't qualify for a student loan or small business loan if we disagree with Obama? We are entering dangerous territory my friend.