This is the most interesting thing I’ve read all week.
John Amaechi, a retired NBA player famous for being the first ever NBA player to come out of the closet, offers his opinion on why athletes should speak out more on certain issues:
…that if you would be a God, even if it is just a God of the stadium, then you should perform a miracle every once in a while.
And that doesn’t mean a triple salchow, it doesn’t mean a perfect vault, it doesn’t mean a game-winning shot. It means, occasionally, if you are a God, you do something that affects the world. And I don’t see that from any athletes–whether it be the Dream Team or the gymnasts or somebody else–from any country.
And I think it’s disappointing, because I think even now, if Michael Jordan stood up and said, ‘You know what, let’s really do something about the inequity of education in America,’ then I think it would change.
Of course, John is likely referring to the athletes who are participating in the Beijing Olympics this year who are generally mum about China’s poor human rights record both recently and in the past.
Honestly, I don’t necessarily blame the athletes for not speaking out. The athletes’ top priority in Beijing is to represent their home countries in achieving Olympic glory, and I would bet that most of them certainly can do without the distractions that will be brought about by speaking out on certain sensitive issues.
John further adds:
If you have people that can force people, families, who have almost nothing, to pay 150 pounds or dollars for shoes, then what can’t they achieve? Politicians can’t get 150 pounds out of families with nothing. Politicians have to give families with nothing stuff for them to believe in them. These people are so powerful that they make these families who have nothing buy stuff from them.
So yeah, I think they have the kind of power to change the world. I think it’s an awesome responsibility, and I can see why people wouldn’t want that. However, if you’re a God, every once in a while you’ve got to show it.
Source: Washington Post (via TrueHoop)
On this point though, I can’t really say I disagree with John.
Top tier professional athletes like Tiger Woods, LeBron James, and David Beckham do hold tremendous influential power over the public, and with great power certainly comes great responsibility.
I also think John’s example is spot on - I’ve seen it first hand where poor kids will scrape together enough money to buy expensive Air Jordans even if it means secretly skipping lunch for a few months to do so.
Although the Olympics may not be the proper forum to do so, I do wish more influential people in the world can use their power to influence positive change.
And this should extend beyond just professional athletes and “Gods of the Stadium”, but to other celebrities and public figures who the public generally holds in awe.
I’m also talking about our “revered” Singaporean rulers and leaders who demand nothing less than the full respect and obedience of all Singaporeans for the so-called good that the leadership has bestowed upon our nation.
If you truly believe you are a God to the people, and demand the respect worthy of a God - then show us that you are capable of miracles once in a while, and undo your own morally outrageous acts, will you?
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