Apparently, we don't expect people to be human and make mistakes. Whether religious leaders, business moguls, politicians, athletes, musicians, or actors, we sit in judgment and condemnation of every action reported as if they are not allowed to do things that may mar our moral fiber. We, the people, may steal from our jobs or rant in a store but not our role models. The American public may wear little or nothing during our wild youthful days, but it's unacceptable for 20-somethings on the world stage. You and I may have made bad decisions in regards to colleagues or weren't quite politically correct in all of our conversations with others, but they can't be held to the same standards.
It shameful how we try and convict average Americans who have delighted us in so many ways. And to add insult to injury, we take away any remembrances of them. To remove banners in gyms, strip awards from the record, remove stars from the Walk of Fame, void contracts, and force unwarranted apologies for being...normal...is going way too far. I, for one, do not appreciate it.
I'll take it one step further by saying that I was flabbergasted by the statement issued from NIKE -- sorry, wait. NIKE is a company, an inanimate object which by definition is void of human emotion and therefore, incapable of being offended by the words and/or actions of ... people. Suffice it to say that the Board of Directors, PR aggregate and other C-Suite employees of NIKE fear the backlash against the source of their exotic vacations and company-funded retreats and, therefore, issued the statement. I nearly decided to never purchase another NIKE product. Of course, since I don't make purchases due to the spokesperson promoting the product, I wasn't terribly fazed and quickly recovered from what could have been a heinous consumer decision. (Please read with sarcasm, as we all know that withholding my few dollars will not affect the profit margin.)
Of course, I'm just a small-town girl writing a blog deeply buried below any pop culture radar, but let me go on record this day:
*ahem* I do not want your accolades (especially those honorary degrees) because, undoubtedly, I WILL write something (thank you Freedom of Speech and Poetic License) -- sooner or later -- to offend you. It will be unintentional, but that won't matter to you. There will be a public uproar and the demand for an apology which will go unrequited. There will be an outcry to retrieve any and everything that's been awarded me. If you didn't give me anything, there is nothing to be...TAKEN.
There should be a hashtag for that --
