Quote:
Originally Posted by PepsiFree
Sorry, this comment is the one that rings disgusting to me. Chalking this up to be some "boys will be boys" thing? Give your head a shake.
I know some of you are older, but when I was 14, being a racist was clearly unacceptable. And I'm not talking about saying inappropriate things that you don't understand the gravity of as a joke with your friends. Did I use the N-word and think it was funny when I was 14? You bet. To me it was just a word you heard in music and in movies. Would I have ever used to referring to a Black person to belittle them or even as a joke, absolutely not under any circumstances, and not just because I knew it was wrong, but because I didn't understand why you'd use the word like that. THAT is being 14. Being 14 is not understanding how the things you say and do carelessly can cause harm. Not belittling a Black person and calling them a N-word. Bullying was also clearly unacceptable, and while unavoidable, it would take a uniquely ####ty person to do that to someone who had developmental issues. There's the type of bullying against people who can take it, which is awful in it's own right (and which I was a victim of plenty for who I am, so the "boys will be boys" nonsense defending bullies can eat ####), and there's the type where you're just being a predatory #######.
And here's the rub. At 18, even though I never meant to do harm, I still had remorse for some of the things I said and did at 14. For someone to do the type of harm he did, show no remorse, and not even apologise in person? Nah, #### this guy and the same goes for anyone defending him.
I'm not looking to burn him at the stake, I honestly don't care what happens to him outside of never wanting to see him in the NHL, ever. You don't deserve the gift of an NHL career when that's the harm you're capable of as a teenager.
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It is not about defending him, because it is indefensible - but it is about understanding how this came to be.
If a 14 year old acts in such a way, a responsible/good parent would correct the behaviour. If the 14 year old didn’t apologize/show remorse/work to correct his wrong doing, then corrective behaviour should have been forced on him by his parents - easiest being that they pull him out of hockey. The fact that no apology was made, and that the kid continued to play hockey makes it look like the kid learned this behaviour from his parents. If you come from a household like that, good luck on growing beyond your circumstances without significant external assistance.