There’s so much nuance here that has to be discussed. 4-5 yrs ago, before getting into MH advocacy, I may’ve reacted to this story very differently. I may’ve reacted emotionally, the way Phil Mushnick from the NY Post did yesterday in his article (slide 7➡️) entitled “Kyrie Irving Can Go To Hell W/ His Anti-Semitic Stupidity.”
As a fellow Jewish man, I understand how appalled Mushnick is w how Kyrie doubled & tripled down on his anti-Semitic IG post, & his lack of apology. But attacking hate, w more hate – “go to hell,” is a microcosm of so many ails in our society rt now.
Was I appalled by Kryrie’s comments? Yes. Appalled he didn’t apologize until he was essentially forced to last nt, after the Nets suspended him? Yes. But here’s what I also have seen DAILY as I’ve gotten into MH advocacy: Hurt People – Hurt People. When that cycle isn’t broken it’s a downward spiral for our society.
Let’s rewind. In 2020 (slide 8➡️) NFL WR DeSean Jackson also posted some very hateful anti-Semitic things on IG – specifically abt Hitler. The next day he issued a solid apology (slide 9➡️), talking abt attacking anti-Semitism AND racism, TOGETHER. He then used his IG platform to have convos w Holocaust survivors, & educate abt the 6 million Jews that perished. DeSean has played for 3 more teams since then! And you don’t hear his name even discussed w anti-Semitism any more.
Kyrie could’ve apologized immediately. He didn’t. If you watched his subsequent press conferences after his initial post, I took careful note of what he shared abt his OWN pain:
“Where were you (addressing reporters) when I was a kid, figuring out that 300 mill of my ancestors are buried in America? Where were you asking those same questions when I was a kid learning abt the traumatic events of my familial history…it has nothing to do w dismissing any other race & group of people. I’m just proud of my heritage & what we’ve been through.”
There’s no question, as Kyrie points out, that he & his ancestors have faced a lot. Here’s the “but” – he uses that pain, to inflict pain on another group that’s(➡️slides)