Peyton Manning vs. Dr. Huxtable
Ok, Bill Cosby was accused of numerous sexual assaults, including rape, and had his life turned upside down. Cosby has yet to be convicted of anything yet his career and reputation have been destroyed. We all form our own opinions based on media reports and intuition long before the inside of a court room is ever seen...sometimes. I grew up loving Bill Cosby, back to his days of Fat Albert, and with a heavy heart have convicted him of these heinous accusations. I'm glad his career is over, his reputation ruined, and his squeaky clean facade dismantled. So then, why isn't everyone doing the same with Manning? Unlike Cosby, I never liked Manning; he always seemed a little shifty to me and I just couldn't believe others couldn't see through his act. Well, now the stage lights have come on and his make-up is off...so where's all the outrage? Why is poor little Peyton being given a pass? (excuse the pun) Tom Brady got caught deflating footballs; he is the Nixon of the NFL. It was the talk of the town for months. Yes, as a society we spent our time discussing the weight of footballs and weather or not they factored in the outcome of a game...A GAME! When Johnny Manziel, the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, has one too many drinks and makes a public ass of himself, the media has a field day. Apparently public degradation of an alcoholic is amusing; but let's not forget the media wouldn't keep publishing these things if there wasn't an eager audience. I could go on for pages about the abuses perpetrated, on and off the field, by these athlete "heroes." But back to good old Peyton, the Good Ole Boy.
Really Ladies????
The most troubling question that has been rattling around in my brain is this: Why do we value the career of a quarterback over that of a physician? Her career was ruined; he just won a trophy and sells insurance on TV. Physicians heal people; sexual predators harm them.
I ask that all my friends who truly want a color-blind, gender-neutral society to get angry. I want you to repost this. I want you to really think. Cosby was accused by numerous women, Manning was accused by one(that we know of); does that make it ok? Does a person's first act of sexual abuse get a pass? No! So for all of you that personally convicted Bill Cosby, I ask: Why not Peyton?
Right On!!
ReplyDeleteI am finally commenting on this after much reflection.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I am risking the ire of women all over the world who have suffered the horrific experience of sexual assault. Please know that I cannot imagine the trauma sexual assault has brought to your life, and I pray that all sexual assault survivors find peace, and their assailants are judged accordingly.
On that note-let us be clear that Bill Cosby reportedly recruited and drugged MANY women. According to the reports, he committed, what I would call, first degree sexual assault, in a serial manner. Mr. Cosby shows no public remorse for his actions, and in fact worked to REPEATEDLY bury the accusations for more than 40 years. Frankly, I don't care if he was green with purple antennae (my description of a different person in society). Mr. Cosby preyed on woman. I loved the characters Bill Cosby played on television. Note I that wrote characters? Clearly, Mr. Cosby had another character that was completely different than his public persona. No one, except his victims, knew the "shifty" private character side.
Next, Tom Brady. I will admit that I cannot stand Mr. Brady. In fact I can think of SEVERAL instances where Mr. Brady got a "pass" because of his athletic prowess. Most recently some sports writer attacked Cam Newton for flaunting his child, born out of wedlock. I believe Mr. Brady had the exact same life experience. In addition Mr. Brady has repeatedly "cheated" in his personal and professional life, been caught, and cajoled his way out of the spotlight with his handsome demeanor and drug like influence of fans who want "MORE" trophies. Nixon of football? Please. More like the prodigal son.
Why not Peyton you ask? Well I am not going to give him an out either. He does have a woman who has accused him of sexual assault. He will be judged accordingly. My role on this earth is not to judge. I do believe that all predators will be judged and how they choose to make amends to the victims will be determined by a power much higher than any of us. Judgement though should not be based on whether or not the character tickles our fancy in some media created hype, or brings us ire because we don't like the bend of their antennae.