Please Stop Acting Like Karen
DWAYNE DAUGHTRY (Raleigh, NC) — Perhaps you’re not familiar with the term “hegemonic influence,” a phenomenon where a dominant group or state’s culture, values, and practices become the norm, often at the expense of others. Unfortunately, this form of “cancel culture” has seeped into the fabric of the Paris Olympic Games, casting a shadow over its true spirit and raising concerns about its future.
In recent decades, the spirit of the Olympics has often been overshadowed by public and media scrutiny over behavior, conduct, political statements, cultural sensitivity, and occasional doping allegations. However, it’s crucial to redirect our attention to the excitement and historical legacy of the games. Let’s celebrate the coming together of athletes worldwide, a spectacle that inspires hope, unity, and a sense of awe at the human potential.
Consider the case of an Olympic volleyball player from the Netherlands with a questionable criminal conviction. Unlike the draconian sentencing and registry methods of the United States, Dutch law does not require a registration process for such convictions. Despite support from the International Olympic Committee and the Netherlands’ Olympic committees, other nations, primarily the United States, imposed their hegemonic influence and bias via cyberstalking media tactics, acting like petulant “Karens” despite not being directly affected. When, as a society, do we believe it is time to allow reentry into society—spiritually, morally, or legally? Or have we become a society that no longer tolerates forgiveness or supports reentry?
This influence, reminiscent of puritanical moralism, poses a dangerous challenge to the reentry and support of individuals without causing an uproar over irrelevant issues. While the world celebrates the spirit of national pride in these Olympic games, there will always be “keyboard Karens” trying to divide people, nations, and the ideals of peace. We’re not talking about an unfair umpire call or faulty equipment. We’re distracted by those who want to interfere with societal functions and opportunities by deeply vetting the distant past, based more on speculation than relivant newsworthy events.
It may be time to tune out these distractions. President Franklin Roosevelt famously said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” a sentiment that resonates deeply. Fear can cause panic, hinder rational decision-making, and lead to inaction or harmful actions. Suppose we continue to allow despair, discrimination, division, and the canceling of people for actions that have no bearing on the present or future. In that case, we are doomed by facilitating and attempting to reintroduce moral absolutism, which didn’t work in the 16th century and certainly won’t work today.
The Olympic Games are a splendid vision and reality of pluralism, demonstrating unity, cultural diversity, equal opportunity, international cooperation, and a celebration of human achievement. Let’s actively promote good sportsmanship in the Olympics and in our daily lives, fostering a culture of respect and morality that can shape our future. These values make the Olympics a global event worth celebrating, and we can incorporate or reintroduce parts of that spirit into our daily lives, inspiring us to be better individuals and a better society.
In re4gards to your posting stop acting like Karen, it appears our society has fears about a made up boogie man, IE the people on the Sex Offender Registry. I for one opposes this system. It is unfair, outdated, targets people whom have paid there debt to society. It is a source of revenue for states and counties in the form of we need money for new equipment, payroll and such. The registry serves no real law enforcement value at all. It only shows whom has been arrested. If we truelove want a just registry then everyone alive over 18 years of age should be on it.
Also my concern is why sex offenders only on a registry. Were is the drug dealer, domestic violence, burglary. impaired driver, violent crimes registry? Are their crimes not as dangerous to society? Do they not prey on innocent victims? Do they not prey on the young and the old?
And lets talk about those restrictions placed on sex offenders. Only here would I suggest that yes restrictions should be placed on re offenders as well as certain types of sex offenses to be determined on a case by case rule.
Persons convicted of a DUI can still live with alcoholic beverages in their home, and reside within a thousand feet of a bar. The can still own a car. Those convicted of domestic violence can still date, get married, live with a member of the opposite sex, go to state parks and such.
My point is simple we as a society have taken one category of people whom have been convicted, lumped them all together, labeled them as not fit for society, have placed trumped up notions of fear into peoples head to justify our fears. And what to use this group of people for is a source of revenue to fund agencies whom in turn spend this funding on various projects.
In closing I would like to state that one size does not fit all. Our justice system proclaims that the punishment fits the crime. Here it has failed greatly. We have invented a way to banish the people not the crime.
I could not agree more, however ,stop and look at the kind of mindset we are dealing with in the world today , “as long as I am the one pointing the finger I am automatically excluded from the conversation” logic has packed its bags and went south. The same people who are calling out this S.O look the other way when they attempt to indoctrinate little kids into a deviant lifestyle. LGBTQLMNOP is a collection of people who should be on the registry but have not been caught yet. One can only pray to God that truth will prevail .