A quick recap:
When asked how how he would deal with a gay teammate, Tim Hardaway said:
"First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that's right. And you know I don't think he should be in the locker room while we're in the locker room. I wouldn't even be a part of that."
"You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."
"Coach, I'm trying to box out, but I don't want to touch anyone."It's clear that Tim Hardaway's not alone in his beliefs. And he has the right to feel that way. And I understand that religion complicates the issue. The fact remains that everyone should be entitled to the same civil rights, the same equality, and the same respect.
It is such a cop out to say that it's okay to hate gay people because you believe that homosexuality is a sin. (As an aside, I think that's ludicrous. It's painfully clear to me that it's a not a choice, but the way someone is constructed. That sexual orientation is as innate as part of a human's makeup, as is their race or gender, or anything else that they are born with. So if you believe that God created people, then God created gay people the way they are, and that's not a sin in God's eyes. But that's not even the point.)
My point is that even if you think it's a sin, that's not an excuse to hate them. As a Christian, we are taught to love each other and that everybody sins. Everybody is a sinner. That's why we have reconciliation, that's why we pray, that's why we get baptized. If you hate gay people just because you think it's a sin, then you must hate everyone on Earth, including yourself. And that's not very Christian.
But of course, Tim Hardaway can say however he feels, and I'm not here to say that he shouldn't. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that just hours after he openly spoke his mind, he apologized for his remarks. Anyone who heard the original interview can tell that he's not caught up in the moment, he's just being honest.
And yet here's his apology:
"Yes, I regret it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I hate gay people, or anything like that. That was my mistake."
He went on to add in a written statement:
"There are more important things to worry about than my comments. We should be more concerned about President Bush and all the people dying in Iraq."
Maybe you should take it easy, Champ. Why don't you stop talking for a while.When you make a mistake, the least you can do is apologize. But this wasn't a mistake, this was his honest belief. So why is he apologizing. If you still think that way, what does saying "I'm sorry" really mean?
Yeah, an apology after what happened is quite obviously meaningless. There's no way he's sorry for what he said, because he didn't say it under any kind of stress or pressure (not that I think that'd be an excuse to say whatever you want *cough*Michael Richards*cough*).
ReplyDeleteI think what was most interesting and insightful about this whole thing was the response from John Amaechi, "the gay former NBA'er who inspired Hardaway's bile." :
"I'm actually tempted to laugh," Amaechi said Wednesday. "Finally, someone who is honest. It is ridiculous, absurd, petty, bigoted and shows a lack of empathy that is gargantuan and unfathomable. But it is honest. And it illustrates the problem better than any of the fuzzy language other people have used so far."
From here: http://raptors.aolsportsblog.com/2007/02/15/hardaway-apologizes-amaechi-appreciates-the-honesty/
I wish a former teammate (possibly friend) of Tim Hardaway would come out. "What? _______ is gay. But he was cool. How can he be gay? Oh no. I showered with a gay man. Does that mean I'm gay?"
ReplyDelete