While this petition is directed towards
ending Stephen A. Smith's unwarranted suspension, its scope is much broader. We
the Viewers call on ESPN to acknowledge the mistake in suspending Smith. If
we're going to have thoughtful dialogue on any topic, we should be tolerant enough
to hear to all sides as long as the exchange is respectful. The point of
debating is to explore all sides of an argument to achieve a mutual
understanding of each other’s views, which can ultimately lead to progress and
cooperation. ESPN seems to only want to have a one-sided debate and I think
it's important that we hear all sides.
This petition is not about liking Stephen A.
Smith; viewers in his audience have the right to disagree with him. However, we
all benefit from his willingness to address tough issues honestly. The point of
this petition is to tell ESPN that we're all adults and no group should have
that much power over another if the network is about diversity, both in
personnel and in thought. What Stephen A. Smith said was not beyond boundaries,
but he nonetheless apologized. Did his words warrant a suspension? Please take
a moment to read what caused him to get suspended:
"We
keep talking about the guys. We know you
have no business putting your hands on a woman. I don’t know how many times I
got to reiterate that.
But
as a man, who was raised by women, see I know what I’m going to do if somebody
touches a female member of my family. I know what I’m going to do; I know what
my boys are going to do. I know what, I’m going to have to remind myself that I
work for the Worldwide Leader, I’m going to have to get law enforcement
officials involved because of what I’m going to be tempted to do.
But
what I’ve tried to employ the female members of my family, some of who you all
met and talked to and what have you, is that again, and this what, I’ve done
this all my life, let’s make sure we don’t do anything to provoke wrong
actions, because if I come, or somebody else come, whether it’s law enforcement
officials, your brother or the fellas that you know, if we come after somebody
has put their hands on you, it doesn’t negate the fact that they already put
their hands on you."
Essentially he's saying that women should be
mindful to not do anything that can escalate the situation. Many of us know
that there are women out there who are the aggressors in instigating fights and
that needs to be addressed as well. ESPN President John Skipper mentioned that
they came to this conclusion based in part by women working for the network.
Are we really saying it’s a problem to tell women they shouldn't hit men
either? If everyone keeps their hands to themselves, we can avoid violent
situations.
Signing this petition is an acknowledgement
that political correctness has gone so overboard that people can no longer have
real discussions about the issues. That's the danger here. This country was
based on ideals and you create and promote those ideals through thoughtful
discussion and discourse. Far too often, ESPN continues to demonstrate an
unwillingness to engage in that dialogue if it doesn't fit the mold. If the
network intends to be the hub of issues surrounding the World of Sports, then
it has to allow a freer flow of perspectives surrounding its issues.
Signing this petition is a message to the
network's leadership that ESPN should allow thoughtful discussion on serious
topics. Commentators who strive to be respectful to the audience and those
involved should not be in fear of losing their jobs by participating in that
discussion. It is only through open dialogue that ESPN can maintain its place
as the beacon for real talk on issues surrounding sports.
Here's ESPN's president John Skippers
memorandum on the suspension of Stephen A. Smith:
"As
many of you know, there has been substantial news coverage in the past few days
related to comments Stephen A. made last Friday in the wake of the NFL's
decision to suspend Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice for two games
following charges of assaulting his then fiancée, now wife, a few months ago.
We've
said publicly and in this space that those remarks did not reflect our
company's point of view, or our values. They certainly don't reflect my
personal beliefs.
We
have been engaged in thoughtful discussion about appropriate next steps. Those
conversations have involved a diverse group of women and men in our company.
Our women's ERG has added to the conversation and going forward, I know they
will help us continue constructive discussion on this and related issues.
Stephen
has called what took place 'the most egregious mistake' of his career. I
believe his apology was sincere and that he and we have learned from what we've
collectively experienced.
I'm
confident we will all move forward with a greater sense of enlightenment and
perspective as the lasting impact of these last few days. I want to thank all
those whose thoughts have contributed along the way."
By signing this petition, you're standing
with the countless other viewers who wish to simply remind ESPN's President
John Skippers that the "greater enlightenment" he speaks of, can only
be achieved through granting commentators the freedom to engage in thoughtful
dialogue without fear of punishment.
Please click here to sign the petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/john-skipper-president-bring-back-stephen-a-smith
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