The 2018 Winter Olympics are in full swing, so I was browsing through the headlines to see if there was anything extraordinary going on in the way of the athletic performances. Of course, it's the Olympics, so every performance is over-hyped, over-stated, and over-analyzed. It makes for interesting stories, but nothing I've seen so far has been earth shattering.
Then, there it was, in bold letters at the top of the page; Gay Athletes Make Huge Statement.
"How is that" I asked myself. What kind of "huge statement" was made, and who did they make it to?
It certainly couldn't be the fact that gay athletes were competing at the highest level, that's been happening for years. Perhaps there was something else, but as I scanned the article it was severely lacking on anything of substance, just the same old tripe about how important it is that "these people" are making a statement. Nothing really about winning a gold medal, or setting a world record, or even introducing a new political agenda. No, it was just some reporter trying to stir the pot where there was nothing of substance to be shared.....Big headline, no substance.
The statement was made long ago. We live in a country that allows freedom of choice, whether 100% of the citizens agree or not, it's a freedom everyone has. Women, Men, Blacks, Indians, Gays, Asians, and every other American citizen can pretty much participate in whatever endeavor they choose, and have been able to do so for years. Yet, we have those in the media who continue to find controversy where none exists. Under the guise of inequality, they continue to publish the big headlines, no substance.
True equality will only exist when the headlines don't begin with the words, Gay, African-American, Asian-American, etc. etc.. As long as we feel the need to attach an identifying label to every person who makes the news, applies for a job, or participates in the Olympics, we continue to create the division among our citizens.
Those are my thoughts on the subject, and they come from my heart, not my political beliefs. I refuse to assign labels to my friends and acquaintances, and certainly not written in big bold letters in the headlines. No, they are just my friends, some old, some new, and some yet to be made. But, as all of you know by now, I'm just an old man, so What Do I Know?
