By Rich Kozlovich
Recently this article appeared, Naomi Osaka Brought to Tears by Heckler During Match, with ...believe it or not......4,299 comments to this article, and one of them was mine. While normally I don't do sports, I do culture, and I'm disgusted at a culture that feels they can treat these kids shamefully, and some of the comments were very unkind. Remember, I'm not a supporter of this snowflake culture with which the left is infecting the nation, but I am a big supporter of civilized behavior. Here was my comment:
You know, I've read some of these comments and I'm a bit amazed. The fact of the matter is this heckling stuff is simply unacceptable behaviour and bad manners from people with bad attitudes who aren't good enough to be play sports at a high level. This is a young and talented girl who has harmed no one and doesn't deserve this kind of ignorant behaviour. Everyone deserves to be treated with a certain level of dignity and respect. It's called civilization.
Before this we saw, Mikaela Shiffrin's Olympic Nightmare Now Includes 'Hate', and my comment was:
Well, let's try and get this right. It's a sport! Sports are supposed to be fun. This isn't life or death, it's sports. I no longer watch sports because they're politics, and it's even worse with these Olympic games. Does anyone think she wasn't trying her best? No, she just had a bad time, and a little sympathy might have been nice. Our need for lessons in good manners, good sportsmanship and behavior was never so obvious as now. So, I extend my sympathy to her for her losses and hope her life is rewarded by being surrounded by caring family and good people. That's what counts in life. Sports is a pass time.
I know this has gone on forever, but so has murder, rape, robbery, infidelity, lying and all things vile. That doesn't make any of it right. The difference? All these other things have been declared illegal and can be prosecuted. This kind of thing is a test of character, and requires self discipline, decency, integrity and most importantly, kindness, which is the most important quality to look for in a prospective marriage partner.
The old saying that "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never break me", may sound nice, but unkind behaviors are like gouges in a beautiful table. They can be repaired but will never be the same.
