Neither are Free

Tenan

In Russia, you can't advocate for the gay lifestyle.

In America you can't advocate against it.  Sam Wheeler a sophomore and Kent State wrestler has been indefinitely suspended for 'anti-gay' tweets.

"I can't even watch Sports Center today cause all there (sic) talking about is Marcus Smart or that fag from Mizzou."

"Queer"

"Don't Tweet me you Queer"

"O geez I got all these fag boys mad at me now." 

Kent State responded with:

"On behalf of Kent State University, we consider these comments to be ignorant and not indicative of the beliefs held by our university community as a whole," Kent State athletic director Joel Nielsen said. "This is an educational opportunity for all of our student-athletes." 

It sure is an 'educational opportunity', that'll teach you to speak your mind, express your feelings, and deviate from the herd. Valuable lesson there!

His coach expressed his outrage:

"As an alum of Kent State University and as Sam's head coach, I was surprised and offended by what I read on Twitter," Golden Flashes coach Jim Andrassy said in a statement. "I have spoken to Sam personally, and while he is remorseful, he will be suspended indefinitely while we determine the best course of action moving forward." 

Obviously, you're on the right track Jim.  Since we can't burn him at the stake the only logical choice is to shun him, it works for the Amish.  After all the primary objective of the higher education system is and must always be to teach conformity and group-think.  There is no greater goal in life than to become nothing more than a social insect, beholden to the swarm, to live and die for the swarm.

Outside of the first obviously juvenile tweet regarding Sports Center, I would be curious to see the intervening tweets... what was the text that Sam Wheeler was responding to?  Kind of a one sided presentation isn't it?  But then again, all lynch mobs are pretty much one-sided.

Now I don't care whether Michael Sam is gay or not, frankly I consider the information irrelevant.  But I can understand Sam Wheeler's frustration with Sports Center turning into Sex Center and a discussion of an athlete's "lifestyle".  Michael Sam's preferences off the field are and should be completely and utterly irrelevant to his performance on the field and as an athlete. Sam Wheeler expressed his frustration in quite a sophomoric way... imagine that. 

The idea that all must conform to the larger group, whether that be your employer or educator, is a dangerous trend and nothing more than another form of discrimination.  Conformity has never been the path to excellence or innovation, in education or in life.

Equality doesn't come from acceptance, equality doesn't stem from conformity, equality comes from irrelevance.  For the most part blondes, brunettes, and redheads are treated equally in the workplace, not because we accept blonde hair or brown hair, but because hair color has become irrelevant.  LGBT's won't find equality in acceptance, because there will always be people who won't accept their lifestyle.  They may find equality in irrelevance, when people no longer care what they do and who they do it with.

IMHO the in-your-face activism, the "I'm gay and there's nothing you can do about" group attitude is detrimental to their own objectives.  They are also in my experience a minority of the gay community that get a vicarious thrill from being 'in-your-face'.  I don't like homosexuals who get in my face with their sexuality, but then again I don't like heterosexuals who get in my face with their sexuality.  Having grown emotionally and intellectually beyond the high school locker room, honestly... I don't care.

But back to Sam Wheeler.  Sam Wheeler is not an employee of Kent State University.  He doesn't represent Kent State, nor does he speak for Kent State, he is a student, nothing more.  The idea that Sam Wheeler can be sanctioned for his beliefs, for constitutionally protected speech by a public university is an anathema to the principles this country was founded upon.  

Fox  

ESPN 

Outrage