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Loading ...Chiefs RB Johnson apologizes for gay slurs
10.27.2009 3:30pm EDT
(Kansas City, Mo.) The Kansas City Chiefs have barred running back Larry Johnson from team activities pending an investigation into his use of a homosexual slur this week.
Johnson, a two-time Pro Bowl running back for the Chiefs, apologized Tuesday to his team, fans and the NFL “for the words I used.”“I regret my actions. The words were used by me in frustration, and they were not appropriate,” he said. “I did not intend to offend anyone, but that is no excuse for what I said.”
Johnson posted the slur on his Twitter account Sunday in a response to another tweet. On Monday, he said it again in refusing to talk with reporters, according to a recording made by the Kansas City Star.
The Chiefs and the NFL are investigating.
I am all for freedom of speech–but we must always be on our guard for hate speech. I again say this is not so much a gay issue as an issue of disrespect to the coach and the team. This is the whole reason for the apology. He doesn’t give a damn about us ‘fags’. He is scrambling to keep his job.
Unlike us ‘fags’, this loser is uneducated and has nothing to fall back on outside of football. Notice how well-worded that apology statement is. I seriously doubt he wrote it–I seriously doubt he could write something which is a clear and accurate use of the English language. If he is such a wordsmith, why couldn’t he come up with a better insult than ‘fag’?
There are more pressing things for me to be upset about. Only if I were a Chiefs fan would I be offended.
@audlindal–y’know, I’ve wondered about that before–whether some of the “zero-tolerance” policies do much good. Any chance you wanna say some more about what you’ve seen? It’s really interesting, and it’s cool to have an adult provide commentary on what it takes to reshape kids’ behavior (OK, at least inside the school).
Again, I wanna know what Johnson actually SAID. We’ve read about some other stuff–his inappropriate behavior toward women in a bar setting, for example. Doesn’t take a genius to see that he’s acting out against women ’cause he thinks he can get away with bullying them. That’s a man?? Shit…that’s a punk bitch is what that is. He’s had a crappy season and he’s reaching for excuses. What’s he doing to amp up his game instead of blaming others? This isn’t anything close to gay hatecrime–but dude DOES need to check himself on how he treats women. You play in the NFL, you’re a modern-day gladiator. A primary definition of a man is a male who keeps himself in check. What kind of gladiator–warrior–can’t keep himself in check? Johnson is starting to be the go-to on that question.
edit: (sorry – thought I proofread carefully)
It seems weird and so obvious, but kids (people) really do get the message that if you can’t make slurs in public, it’s also NOT ok to harass, intimidate or beat on that same group.
Can’t use 1st amendment protections to dehumanize others or incite violence against other groups of people.
randy: well said.
typhoon: speech, while an outlet, is also a gateway. speech has the power to create a hostile environments. And derogatory language, when allowed to continue, sends the message that we don’t value the target of that language enough to stand up for them. If we don’t value the target, what’s to prevent the bully from taking the next step, getting physical?
example: I teach in a public high school, where sexually charged put-downs and homophobic slurs are the norm. The kids know what words they can “get by with” in certain teacher’s classrooms and which words they can’t.
For example, even the rednecky kids (we live “up north”) would never use the N-word, even though some come from very racist homes. when we went to a zero tolerance stance on that word and insults , we saw drastically reduced racially charged fights as well.
Like I said, when kids know they can use put-downs, that language serves to intimidate\silence the glbt kids in the classroom. when a teacher allows that language, the teacher is basically allowing homophobic behavior in the classroom, sending the mesage that it’s ok to hate this group of people because of who they are. It takes all of 3 seconds with a teacher outside the classroom to go from inappropriate language to shoving a guy, punching him and calling him a “faggot.”
The words set the tone and attitude, and communicate what is accepted or not.
They do lead to action.
Trust me. I’ve seen it spill into my classroom from other parts in the building. This year, our school began cracking down on homophobic slurs in the hallways, and guess what? It has definitely sent the message to the student body that bullying, beating or harassing glbt students is not acceptable.
It seems weird and so obvious, but kids (people) really do get the message that if you can’t make slurs in public it’s also ok not to harass, intimidate or beat on that same group.
We may never change some hearts and minds. But we can send a message that society says disrespecting fellow human beings is NOT acceptable.
Why do we keep getting apologies that AREN’T apologies?
When you apologize, you say what you did. “I regret my actions.” What actions? “The words were used by me…” What words? “I didn’t intend to offend…” Sorry, but I’m not buying that at all. The sole purpose of those words is to offend.
Why do we keep accepting this?
The apology SHOULD have said:
“I used words yesterday that are commonly used to disaparage gay people in this country. In my anger, I intended to hurt the people who heard or read them. I apologize for that. I will not use such language again, on or off the field. To make amends, I will make a donation of $10,000 to a LGBT sports charity, and I will have dinner with the individuals I directed those statements to, at a restaurant of their choice, on me.”
His apology was nothing more than more rhetoric to appear politically correct…it did not work IMHO.
Larry apologized not because he is sorry, he is only sorry to get called on his BIGOTRY, sorry to have been revealed as the BIGOT he is…..I hope his obituaries mention his legacy: BIGOTRY.
and another edit: Cling onto these outdated views even more.
edit: meant to say homophobic, and not “anti-homophobic” view.
I always thought this “freedom of speech” thing was brought to life so that private joe citizen(Johnson), could say whatever he felt like to another private citizen(whomever it was on the receiving end of that twitter, and reporter). It kinda makes me wonder though. Why GLAAD’s name isn’t printed all over this story? This is because, it’s not like the NFL is a great example of all that’s good, and gay loving in the world. Not that I’m encouraging discrimination, or anything like that, but censorship of any kind sucks to the greatest level of suckiness. Speech does not harm anyone in the physical sense. So why do we continuously provide an asylum for feelings, where speech is concern? I think it does more harm, then good. If we let people express their anti-homophobic views, then at least we know where they stand. It’s not like forcing them to say sorry will change their views. If anything this will make Johnson, and other misguided, misinformed individuals, like him cling on to these predated views. And once again, create another foe in what could’ve been a potential friend for our community. Think about it.
Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to speak *unopposed*. For example, when this dofus spouts his hate, the rest of us have the right to speak too, and say, “hey, that’s not appropriate.”
Similarly, his employer has the right to say, “hey, it’s not okay for representatives of my ball club to speak that way in public if they want to remain representatives of my ball club.”
typhoon – Johnson is free to express his homophobic remarks. Likewise, we and the NFL, as private citizens, are free to do whatever we deem fit to respond to his remarks.
By the way, the first amendment is there to protect us from the government, not private citizens, from suppressing free speech. Your usage here is not applicable.
freedom of speech, anyone?