One fan’s perspective on Cappie Pondexter’s tweets about Japan

posted by HoopFeed.com
Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 9:39am EDT

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Recently a two-time WNBA champion and Olympic gold medalist posted comments on the social media site Twitter.com regarding the recent tragedy in Japan that could only be described as horrifying.

As a sports fan who has followed the WNBA since attending the inaugural game in Los Angeles, I often commend the exemplary athletes that make up our league. Especially when overpaid male athlete make embarrassing comments to the public. The underpaid athletes who make up the WNBA are well-educated, generous people who often engage the fans in conversation via Twitter—on their own time. Truly down-to-earth people regardless of the pedestal on which we fans may put them.

Few sports writers cover the WNBA, and I understand their reluctance to address Cappie Pondexter’s comments on Twitter. After struggling to “sell” potential fans on the league by highlighting the quality of the people as much as the quality of the product, this is something that one would want to just ignore in the hope that it just goes away.

But we are going into the 15th WNBA season. We’re grown up now. We can handle this.

@Cappa23 – “What if God was tired of the way they treated their own people in there own country! Idk guys he makes no mistakes.”

Never mind how disturbing it is that the former face of the “I Will Graduate America” campaign managed to leave Rutgers University without the ability to consistently use the correct their. There are more important things that I’d like to address.

The year was 1971. I was six years old, living in Southern California. My mother took me with her to visit her friend, Ruthy. They were roommates after graduating from high school in the mid 1950s—but not until Ruthy, a Japanese American, experienced rejection from several landlords who would not allow her to live in their building.

I recall Ruthy’s beautiful garden and how formal everything was at her house. We took off our shoes upon entering her home. We sat on cushions around a coffee table. We ate fascinating, delicious foods. I was taught at a young age to respect and admire other cultures, and Japanese culture made quite an impression on me as a child.

Many years later, my mother told me that during World War II, as a young girl, Ruthy was in a Japanese internment camp in California. Not exactly the right way for the United States to treat their own people in their own country.

I’ve driven past the location of that camp, observing a small sign that mentions that dark moment in our country’s history.

Today Japanese Americans are trying to reach loved ones who have suffered a massive earthquake, a tsunami, and now nuclear radiation, while their fellow Americans make comments suggesting that the Japanese “had it coming.”

@Cappa23 – “u just never knw! They did pearl harbor so u can’t expect anything less.”

And ultimately, the United States “did” Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Is she suggesting that several decades after the end of World War II, we are to assume that our now respected ally is conspiring against us?

How does someone who competed in the Olympics have such an ignorant, xenophobic view of people from other countries?

And how inappropriate is it to suggest to people that they took her comments “out of context”?

What context? It was bigotry. Period. There is no contextual variable in which those comments could be interpreted as kind towards the people of Japan.

Of course apologies surface the following day—along with a brief statement from the New York Liberty; like passing out potassium iodide tablets and telling us not to worry about the fallout.

But you cannot un-ring the bell.

An apology was expected, but it is the fact that such thoughts would ever cross Ms. Pondexter’s mind that is so tragic.

What has happened to us as a country? How did the people of the most diversified place on the planet become so polarized? For the past week I have found myself evaluating my own thoughts, ideas, opinions.

The bottom line—as Americans, we need to get to know each other.

My suggestions for Cappie:

First, read Matthew 7—regarding judging others. Put the Christian values you talk about into action.

Second, take this year off from basketball and fashion, to do volunteer work in Japan. You were OK with blowing off Team USA at the World Championships to attend a fashion event, so I’m sure you could give of your time to restore the image of your team, your league, your country.

Third, come back to the WNBA in 2012 and share with us your incredible skill as an athlete, and do your best to lead your team to a championship. That’s who you really are. That’s why we were following you on Twitter in the first place.

Peace,
Michael O’Brien
@Slovydal

Around the Web

Cappie Pondexter sorry for tweets (espn.com)
Pondexter tweets illustrate bigger issue (espn.com)
Liberty player apologizes for postings about Japan (nytimes.com)

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Earthquake in Japan

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There is 1 comment on this post. Join the discussion!

Breprice says:

I still can't believe the lack of humanity, and social responsibility that goes on daily with people who seem to always preach the loudest about doing the right thing. "Please walk the walk", if you're going to "talk the talk". In no way would am I judging Cappie on her thoughts and comments, but I would like to challenge her humanity closer to home, if she has such ill feelings to others across the world what has she done locally to participate in diminishing US suffering. And may "God Bless" HER and HER family.

With Peace

@silentwithlife

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 10:16am EDT

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One fan’s perspective on Cappie Pondexter’s tweets about Japan

Earthquake in Japan

Cappie Pondexter

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