In 2011, on the brink of the end of the world, we’ve come a long way. We’ve built cities, harnessed nuclear energy, even put a man on the moon.
Science has come a long way. Society, though, is still playing catch up.
In science, the exploration and understanding of the unknown is motivation. Change is change. Look at the evidence, scientists say. Societal change is, well, torpid. Society has a way of perpetuating the status quo. To think “outside the box” is viewed as radical or threatening. Whether it was McCarthyism in the ’50s or the “War on Terror” in the early 2000s, people fear what they can’t understand. And fear is ultimate negotiator.
Around the globe, there are wars being waged, people are being oppressed – for their skin color, heritage, ethnic background, and sexual orientation. All because the people in societies are misinformed. Don’t understand. Refuse to listen.
Many say those things are prevalent in America, too. I can’t disagree.
America faces a war of oppression. This one, though, is born mostly from ignorance and misunderstanding, not of malice.
The suppression of homosexual rights has curve-balled its way into the sports scene. This time in the form of a Toronto broadcaster.
Damian Goddard was fired after he posted a Twitter message supporting the “TRUE meaning of marriage.”
Mr. Goddard, while I respect your work as a broadcaster, you couldn’t be farther from reality. It’s 2011, not 1911. Last I checked America put a man on the moon and the internet wasn’t just a series of tubes.
And marriage is any social union, between any two people.
Goddard was responding to New York Rangers forward Sean Avery’s support of New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign. On Tuesday, Goddard tweeted: “I completely and whole-heartedly support Todd Reynolds and his support for the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage.”
Todd Reynolds, a hockey agent, used his Twitter account, uptownhockey, to voice his opposition to Avery’s position earlier.
With respect guys, your opinion on same-sex marriage – which you are entitled to have – couldn’t possibly have less to do with a hockey game. In Toronto.
Which is in Canada. Not America. Understanding that Sean Avery is Canadian, it’s still irrelevant.
Perhaps, though, the simple fact that Goddard has created such a stir means the battle for homosexual rights has come a long way. The definition of “marriage” is only a few clicks away. People that use Wikipedia and dictionary.com can realize the same thing.
Both recognize marriage as a social union between any two people.
That’s not to say the fight for equality is finished. It’s not. But as time passes, the fight is slowly changing from a fight against hate, to a fight against ignorance. As far as Damian Goddard, I don’t believe he has any hate in his heart toward the gay community. Nor do I believe that Reynolds does, either. It’s a simple case of fearing the unknown and being unwilling to change.
Catching ignorance and misunderstanding before it turns to fear is the key. It’s something many Americans fight every day. And in this fight, Sportsnet offered a hand.
In a statement, Goddard’s former employer, Sportsnet, said: “Mr. Goddard was a freelance contractor and in recent weeks it had become clear that he is not the right fit for our organization.”
Hopefully people with a similar viewpoint will not be the “right fit” for society in the coming years. Because we have come a long way.
And while societal change is phlegmatic at best, every small victory helps.
Well said Nicholas, maybe we haven’t come as far as we think. But I wish the Oregon State SID people didn’t still hate you or boycott your website so that they could read this and realize that you’ve come further than they all thought! Well done boss!
Well said Nicholas, maybe we haven’t come as far as we think. But I wish the Oregon State SID people didn’t still hate you or boycott your website so that they could read this and realize that you’ve come further than they all thought! Well done boss!
This is some great writing. To top it off, this is a different type of writing than I’d expect from you or any one of your writers on this site. Great work. I appreciate how you took a social issue and applied it your interest in sports. It goes to show that the world of sports does trickle into various facets of society that don’t necessarily come to mind when we first think about athletic competition and the entertainment industry that surrounds it.
This is some great writing. To top it off, this is a different type of writing than I’d expect from you or any one of your writers on this site. Great work. I appreciate how you took a social issue and applied it your interest in sports. It goes to show that the world of sports does trickle into various facets of society that don’t necessarily come to mind when we first think about athletic competition and the entertainment industry that surrounds it.
This is why i love to read your stuff! you make the irrelevant important and bring the disconnected to center-stage but in such a way that to view it any other way just wouldn’t be as much fun. When i read your pieces, especially ones like this, you find a way to make thinking outside of the box just thinking. The constructs of the box disappear and in its place, an enjoyable notion worth taking the time to figure out.
This is why i love to read your stuff! you make the irrelevant important and bring the disconnected to center-stage but in such a way that to view it any other way just wouldn’t be as much fun. When i read your pieces, especially ones like this, you find a way to make thinking outside of the box just thinking. The constructs of the box disappear and in its place, an enjoyable notion worth taking the time to figure out.
Great article…however lets not confuse “fearing the unknown” and “being unwilling to change” with “not agreeing with other’s views” and “my personal beliefs are different then yours.” Lets make a different assumption about Goddard or Reynolds…instead of them being ignorant (which I’ll admit there are people out there that don’t like the idea of same sex marriage because of really wierd and stupid ideas), lets assume they are smart educated people, which their level of success in their careers would point more to this assumption then them being ignorant. Both these men have their beliefs and are rooted in either some educated standpoint against same sex marriage or just have some religious beliefs that disagree with same sex marriage. So to say that because they believe against same sex marriage is “fearing the unknown” and “being unwilling to change” I think is uncalled for. It is their belief,which is just as right as your belief that same sex marriage should be okay. I actually give Goddard and Reynolds credit because in their position coming out with these views is a career killer. Think of how society is today…if the Executive of ESPN came out and said “I support gay marriage”, it would be made known in the news but no one would call for his head. He would get hate mail for sure, but nothing crazy. If he were to come out, like Reynolds and Goddard did and not support gay marriage – he probably would have been given the axe also. Society is becoming too politically correct (supporting everyone, don’t step on any toes, stay on the fence with every issue), and to see two guys stand up and say “Hey I believe this is wrong, I don’t hate anyone or wish any evil on anyone – but I believe this current political issue is wrong,” that should be commended regardless whether you think its right or wrong.
Great article…however lets not confuse “fearing the unknown” and “being unwilling to change” with “not agreeing with other’s views” and “my personal beliefs are different then yours.” Lets make a different assumption about Goddard or Reynolds…instead of them being ignorant (which I’ll admit there are people out there that don’t like the idea of same sex marriage because of really wierd and stupid ideas), lets assume they are smart educated people, which their level of success in their careers would point more to this assumption then them being ignorant. Both these men have their beliefs and are rooted in either some educated standpoint against same sex marriage or just have some religious beliefs that disagree with same sex marriage. So to say that because they believe against same sex marriage is “fearing the unknown” and “being unwilling to change” I think is uncalled for. It is their belief,which is just as right as your belief that same sex marriage should be okay. I actually give Goddard and Reynolds credit because in their position coming out with these views is a career killer. Think of how society is today…if the Executive of ESPN came out and said “I support gay marriage”, it would be made known in the news but no one would call for his head. He would get hate mail for sure, but nothing crazy. If he were to come out, like Reynolds and Goddard did and not support gay marriage – he probably would have been given the axe also. Society is becoming too politically correct (supporting everyone, don’t step on any toes, stay on the fence with every issue), and to see two guys stand up and say “Hey I believe this is wrong, I don’t hate anyone or wish any evil on anyone – but I believe this current political issue is wrong,” that should be commended regardless whether you think its right or wrong.