 "Courage is contagious. When a brave man or woman takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened." ~ Billy Graham This morning, while eating breakfast and watching The Today Show, the story of former Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice came on. I watched, horrified, as a video was shown of Rice assaulting his then fiance in an elevator on 15 February of this year and then dragging her unconscious body from it once they'd reached the desired floor. He then dropped her face down at his feet. In March, Rice was indicted on a charge of third-degree assault, which he pleaded "not guilty" to (REALLY??? Are you f'in kidding me?), and applied to a program for first time offenders that could clear him of all charges! As I watched the story, listening to the positions from the NFL (which made me feel slimey with every back-pedal and denial they made), Rice's now wife (this just makes me shake my head), and Rice himself (...whose "I'm sorry" at his League hosted media event made me want to puke up my morning toast), I became more and more outraged! Regardless of whether professional athletes wish to be role models for children, they are! I remember Charles Barkley's Nike commercial where he quips, "I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model." Hate to burst your bubble, there Skippy, but if you are a professional athlete, that is in part EXACTLY what you're paid for! Having been in a middle school classroom for nine years, I have lost count of the number of young boys who told me, wrote about, and discussed their own aspirations of being an NBA/NFL/MLB star! That career field comes with a spotlight, so player conduct is constantly on display. When those same athletes commit crimes against others or in ANY way, and they are not held accountable, it sends the WRONG message to our youth and our society. Holding them accountable does not mean merely ensuring their full punishment by law either, it also means they should be permanently banned from playing professional sports for unbecoming conduct. There are plenty of great athletes who would be good role models, just waiting for the chance at going professional! As a society, we must draw a hard line in the sand that says this kind of behavior will not be tolerated, much less rewarded. You want me and the fans to contribute to your multi-million dollar salary? Obey the law and treat people with dignity and respect, otherwise find another line of work after you've paid your debt to society for your criminal behavior. I want to see a ZERO tolerance policy on this issue before I spend even one dime on any organization, including professional sports. I am a firm believer in giving others a "second chance", however I also believe in consequences and some actions have severe consequences. Domestic violence falls into that category, and where it doesn't, it should! We have the right and responsibility to shape our world in a way that we can live with, and this particular issue is an easy fix...behave in a way that is unethical, immoral, or illegal and you're out for good. Do not pass go. Do not collect two million dollars! Note: For a more detailed look at how the NFL, NBA, & MLB have handled this issue and the power they each have to do more, see the article by Bethany P. Withers, "The Integrity of the Game: Professional Athletes and Domestic Violence" (written for The Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law, Harvard Law School--Spring 2010) http://harvardjsel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/JSEL-Withers.pdf. 
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About The Author
I grew up in rural North Carolina. When I was only nineteen, I moved away and became a military wife. My only aspiration at that tender time in my life was to create an adult life that "fixed" all of the "injustices" of my childhood. Secretly, however, I wanted to reach for the sky! I wanted to be a writer and find ways to "save the world" (my mother used to say, "You have Save the World Syndrome".). Mostly, I wanted to matter. Archives
December 2017
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