C.J. Leslie’s tweets have set the University ablaze with controversy. Alumni sit and wonder about the cultural impact in the athletic community. Coeds ponder how the GLBT culture at N.C. State will be affected. Administration scrambles to determine what this means for the University’s reputation.
It seems as though everyone is looking for meaning in something that has little. Leslie’s tweets should not be construed as significant as its consequences will be of limited magnitude, if any.
It is a concern that his tweets could facilitate a culture against homosexuals in athletic fields; however, according to CNN, this cannot be the case, as there is already a firm culture against gays in both the NBA and the NFL. No active player has ever been openly gay in either the NBA or the NFL. If the environment was hospitable, this would not be the case.
Another concern is that Leslie’s comments may reflect poorly on N.C. State. Leslie is seen as a representative of the University,and as such, his words influence the perception of the school. These tweets may have tarnished State’s reputation, but the athletic administration managed to perform the acrobatic feat of throwing Leslie under the bus while simultaneously not taking a stance on the issue.
The administration voiced that they did not share his opinion, but did not take a firm stance on the matter. Consequentially, N.C. State has saved face by distancing themselves from the issue but at the same time they have done nothing to amend the environment that Leslie’s tweets are a product of.
The final and the greatest concern that one should have regarding the consequences of Leslie’s tweets is their effect on the GLBT community at N.C. State. Again, I am not concerned. Regardless of one’s feelings towards the homosexual community they should not be threatened nor vindicated by these tweets of an athlete.
Leslie’s tweets did not show some moral proof that the gay community is inferior nor did his post display the superiority of its opposite; he merely voiced an opinion. He voiced an opinion that we have all heard before living south of the Mason-Dixon.
An individual’s life course should not be so fluid as to allow an idea limited to 140 characters to direct it. A life course should not be directed by anything anybody says.
Direction should be found through the synthesis of a constant influx of new ideas. The idea presented by Leslieis one we all know — the majority’s stance on the GLBTcommunity long ago factored in the ideas that line his tweets. His tweets merely echo a sentiment — they do not establish it.
The call for C.J. Leslie to practice self-censorship is a flawed request. The decision to quiet these comments only attempts to prevent the consequences discussed. However, the supposed consequences of the comments exist independent of Leslie’stweets.
Without his tweets, upper echelon athletics would still be less than receptive to gays, and students’ independent attitudes towards the GLBTcommunity would remain the same. The plea for self-censorship only asks for one to guise their ignorance in silence. It does nothing to attempt to solve the problem — their core sentiment.