Posted on 01/28/2020 11:49:55 AM PST by Kaslin
At the time of his passing, Kobe Bryant was, by all accounts, a wonderful husband and father. His death is tragic, for his family and fans. A period of national mourning is wholly appropriate.
Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez was suspended by her paper for tweeting about the rape case Bryant battled in 2003, hours after his death. The Post said Sonmez’s suspension came because her tweets did not “pertain” to her “coverage area,” and because her “behavior on social media is making it harder for others to do their work as Washington Post journalists.”
This is a story with many layers. Journalists should tweet less (so much less) and listen to their editors more. Another reporter wrote on Sunday that an anonymous Post employee said “the suspension was a reaction to a third tweet from Sonmez that included a screenshot of her inbox, exposing the names of some of those sending her threats.” That seems unlikely given the Post’s statements on Monday, which did not mention the exposed names, even though they would be a much less controversial excuse for punishment.
Sonmez, some may remember, leveled an allegation of sexual assault against another journalist, as documented in Reason by Emily Yoffe last August. The allegation helped destroy Jon Kaiman’s career, despite their divergent accounts of the encounter, and admittedly alcohol-impaired memories.
Sonmez could be the least credible journalist in Washington and the Post would still be wrong to suspend her over measured tweets on the rape allegation against Bryant. “Any public figure is worth remembering in their totality,” she wrote on Sunday.
That’s right. Public figures are worth remembering in their totality, and Bryant’s evolution from admitted adulterer to loving family man is an important part of his story. Indeed, to be fully appreciated, that story needs “totality.”
The post that rankled Twitter users, so many of whom were reasonably sensitive in the immediate wake of Bryant’s shocking death, included merely the text of a headline and a link. It was not a piece of commentary. It was not cruel. It did not even pass judgment. It simply recalled, like it or not, one of the most major moments in Bryant’s career.
Sonmez’s journalistic merits aside, that should be fair game. It must be fair game.
If the Post’s suspension was less of a punishment and more of a genuine review period, or a punishment rendered because Sonmez disobeyed her editors, that’s fair enough as well. But it’s worth defending Sonmez’s tweets because it really is worth remembering public figures in their “totality,” warts and all, out of respect for their alleged victims, and out of respect for the work they put into moral rehabilitation.
Reflecting on the instant recollections of Bryant’s darkest hour, my colleague John Davidson argues “that public figures are human beings with complicated lives.”
“When they manage to put their lives back together and find redemption, whether in family or faith or charity, that’s something worth noting,” he writes. “Certainly, it’s far more important than the worst thing they ever did.”
I could not agree more. Those using the rape allegation to categorically dismiss Bryant’s legacy, or define it in the negative, are wrong and participating in a deeply unhealthy exercise. That said, the 2003 case was mentioned in every major obituary I could find. In proportion, it is both fair and necessary to remember the full arc of Bryant’s career.
Sonmez’s tweet, perhaps unlike some others, was not arguing the allegation should define Bryant’s legacy. It wasn’t arguing much of anything, other than Bryant was accused of serious misconduct, and the incident is worth remembering when reflecting on his life.
As Davidson wrote, when public figures “manage to put their lives back together and find redemption, whether in family or faith or charity, that’s something worth noting.” But in order to appreciate the “back together” part, we have to remember what was broken. Done respectfully and in proportion, that’s a process well-worth defending. It makes the arc of Bryant’s life all the more powerful.
What ever
‘Kobe Bryant said he would kneel for national anthem if he were still playing’
Kobe Bryant Criticizes Donald Trump for Causing ‘Division and Anger’
(NOT too soon)
What ever
But, for the families and friends of the other victims? Meh. Get over it already, would ya. Sheesh. Crybabies.
“A period of national mourning is wholly appropriate”
Um, no. He got paid a lot of money to play a game. Period. Soldiers, people in law enforcement, firefighters, etc are not afforded the same consideration when they die on duty.
His legacy as a basketball player is not complicated at all. He’s one of the very best to have ever played the game. Such things are always subjective, but I would certainly put him in the top 5.
The rape accusation was:
A) A consensual hookup during which he put something somewhere that was not consensual.
B) A hookup with a pro or semi-pro that saw an chance to cash in.
C) Both.
It certainly looks like A or C. The physical evidence indicated that he had sex with her. It also indicated that she had sex with a few other men in that time-frame and that some of it was rough. There was also evidence of butseks. All in all, a really gross and unseemly ordeal. Ultimately, it was dropped. Whatever happened between them, we can only hope they both learned and went on to lead better lives. He seems to have. I hope that’s true.
“Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez was suspended by her paper for tweeting about the rape case...”
Washington Post doesn’t ever have a bias, does it?
The rape allegations were fake. Nothing but a mentally ill gold digging whore who got what she wanted and tried blackmail.. He cheated on his wife. Made amends by all accounts. Attended church and seemed to live his daughters. Kneeler and increased the division in America by saying he wouldn’t visit the White House. Moral coward. Fantastic athlete.
Does not deserve nation mourning or half staff.
Normally the love their hate filled activist feminists...this time the two Dem constituencies were opposed, actually happens a lot.
” Ultimately, it was dropped.”
Settled.
Five or six Air Force personnel died in the E11 crash yesterday. Nobody will ever report their names or stories. But we’ll learn everything about a scud running celebrity who helped the division in society along because he was too much of a coward to face the SJW crowd if he didn’t pretend Trump should be snubbed
She got paid off. Most rape victims are not happy to just accept money and call it good. She went and hooked up with a celebrity. When she got busted by her boyfriend for being late, she came up with the rape story. She had been in and out of mental institutions, and had also accused two others falsely. She would’ve been destroyed in court as an obvious liar..
Kobe proved the old PT Barnum saying, you can’t cheat an honest man.
If room service arrived, and he didn’t call for it. He shouldn’t of opened the door.
In this day and age any millionaire or celebrity should have a hidden camera in the room going at all times. Just not worth the risk
This is a feminist discussing the rape allegation, and a black athletes who hates Trump. This threw the post into cognitive dissonance. It’s like someone in California watching a endangered mountain lion kill an endangered bighorn sheep. They just don’t know who to root for
Something to do with sportball?
I live in Ca. I have to say I could not stand Kobe, HOWEVER after the man left the NBA he became the absolute roll model for black men, Kobe VERY QUIETLY did an unbelievable amount for the kids in ghetto areas not only money but massive amounts of time!!! He also VERY QUIETLY gave hundreds of these kids a full ride through college, put up learning centers for tutoring all over these ghetto areas!! Had SO MANY sports programs going on in these areas to keep the kids out of gangs!!! He became father that EVERYONE wished they had and a husband his wife could have only dreamed of!! Kobe completely turned his life around AFTER the NBA and for that I changed my mind about the man, this loss is horrible for the kids in these ghettos, for the kids that have lost their very caring dad, for his wife who after ALL the problems they had FINALLY had the husband one could only dream of !!!! VERY VERY SAD!!! I am very happy however Kobe had made his peace with God and family before he passed!!!
It’s appropriate to review the totality of Kobe Bryant’s legacy. It’s inappropriate to be happy he died, and post it on this very forum, as some have done.
He was a great basketball player who died young in a tragic accident. The end.
The media sees a high profile personality who can influence people and didn’t like Trump. In other words, eligible for sainthood.
My thoughts exactly. The other lives are insignificant. Koge was a god. His existence was clearly more significant than ours because he could jump and run. It means something odd for sports dullards that seem to have no regard for life or lives. Let them emote in the shallow corners of what should be the blessings of life in a glory we all have been granted by our Creator
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