As a Giant fan lies in a coma, the result of a beating outside of Dodger stadium, I am thinking about how uncivilized many sports fans are all over the world. I have not been to many sports events lately but the papers are talking about fights breaking out in the stands being not uncommon now a days. This still do not compare with the soccer hooligans throughout the world but it is alarming for the U.S. I think, just like the rowdy behaviors in English soccer games, much of the problems here in the U.S. can be attributed to heavy alcohol usage before and during the games. Of course there is no chance that the teams will decrease selling of alcohol at stadiums as this is big revenue for them. So I have a feeling that in the future there will be less and less of families with small children attending games.
Sports can be compared to religion in certain locals only. So if sports rivalry can cause violence, can you see why religion can cause extreme violence? Recently after that crazy preacher in Florida burned a koran, a mob killed several UN workers in Afghanistan. This reaction is predictable but of course the preacher was trying to call attention to himself without regard for the safety of other people. The press actually did a good job by not giving him much coverage when he burned the koran. Unfortunately Karzai decided to bring that to the attention of his people which gave the extremists an opportunity to arouse the anger of the people. Since anyone can predict that this would happen, I am sure Karsai knew what his own action would have caused. While the preacher deserve blame, why isn't anyone pointing their fingers to the president of Afghanistan? I think the idea that he is a reasonable partner for the U.S. and NATO has been proven to be completely false.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
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It's times like these that I wish we didn't have the internet. Even a few seconds of footage showing this guy buring the Koran can explode into an all-out riot and can cause such hate.
ReplyDeleteSure it's one man and his followers but it makes it seem like all Americans are willing to burn the Koran.
I for one am not one of them, but as someone who believes he sees things clearly, even I have a hard time sometimes thinking that a good percentage of Americans distrust Muslums and want to burn the Koran.
How would Americans feel if they saw an extremist in Afghanistan were to burn the bible? I'm sure there would be an uproar here, though I'm not sure if there would be protests and violence.
Now, are we seeing a small isolated incident in Afghanistan? I don't know.
I see what you're doing comparing the sports situation with the religion situation. I admit I take my sports way too seriously at times, but I try to step back and remind myself it's not life and death.
Believe me that there have been times when I've wanted to knock the daylights out of anyone who wore blue and yellow :) but I know good people who root for that team so I know that not all those blue and yellow people are bad. And it's just not worth it.
I don't think anyone who uses rivalry or religion as an excuse to go hurt a fellow human being is ever justified in their actions. I mean, has the human race not evolved enough to get past these types of issues?
I'd like to believe that most humans are beyond violence, but we live in a time of war and because of the internet, we are fed footage of violence every day. We can't escape it and it reminds us that it happens everywhere.
I'm a huge Dodgers fan and haven't been back to Chavez Ravine in over 20 years but I remember the last time we were there, you were in a war of words with another gentleman.
Now, this was at the Olympics, I think, and he was cheering for the USA too. If I remember correctly, he saw the color of your skin and decided to provoke you. Why? Who knows. But it was probably liquid courage that got him to say the things he did, but it was uncalled for.
Would love to go to a Dodgers game one of these days and I'll make sure not to wear Giants stuff. I don't look good in black and orange anyway.
Sorry for going off in a tangent. As far as Karzai goes, what he did/allowed was a strategic move on his part. Only time will tell if it was a good maneuver or critical mistake. He walks a fine line and can never be fully trusted, but is there any alternative?
-LBOAYM