Let me start by saying I do not
condone what Jones is being charged with.
Driving an automobile while under the influence is an extremely
dangerous action, and one not to be taken lightly. I’m not trying to make light of it, but the
reaction does not match the crime. If we
could sit back as individuals for just one moment and realize how hypocritical
we sound. How many of us have been in
that exact same situation, made that exact same mistake or known/been related
to someone who has been in that situation.
I’m not perfect and have made that awful decision. I wasn’t caught. I’ve had friends who made that mistake and
were caught. It’s a mistake of
youth. We all look back and thank the
good Lord that we didn’t hurt ourselves, or worse yet, someone else. Let’s be honest, though. He didn’t hurt anyone other than
himself. This is likely going to delay
sponsorships and a continued elevation to the mainstream, thus hurting potential
deals for him and his family. The thing
is he’s the one that will face this head on and own up to his mistake. Who are any of us to attack that? Why should any of judge him for a mistake
that will be learned from? Just when did
we become an internet society that allows us to anonymously attack others,
while pretending to be what we wish we were?
He apologized to his friends, family and loyal fans for ”embarrassing”
himself. Personally, raising a 3 year
old who loves Jones, I’m happy he made a mistake like this. We’re going to either validate our belief in
his character or we’ll learn that he isn’t what we thought he was. Either way, when my son grows up and learns
about this, I can tell him that no matter who you are in this world, you’re
going to make mistakes. We’re not
defined by our mistakes, but how we react to those mistakes. If you own up to that mistake, do what you
can to make it right and not repeat it, then you’ve done a great thing. I have no doubt in my mind that Jon Jones is
a good kid (he’s only 24, making mistakes 24 year old kids make), and that
he’ll handle this with grace and honor.
The real issue here isn’t about Jon Jones, though. The real issue is the lack of responsibility
and common sense out in the digital world.
I watched a war of words on Twitter between UFC president Dana White and
an individual who kept blasting him for employing guys who are “boozers”, on
drugs or steroids. Here’s the
interesting part of that conversation, though.
His Twitter name is glorifying the late Chris Farley…who passed away
from a well-documented battle with drugs and alcohol. Can you really be taken seriously when
pointing the accusatory finger, while glorifying the same thing you are
condemning?
Then, of course, comments started coming in calling Jones fake and stating
he should stop the religious “act”. I
don’t know if I can ever understand how someone making a bad decision means
they can no longer have faith in the Lord.
Without jumping on a religion soap box, one of the core beliefs in
religion is that ability to make mistakes and be forgiven, to be given the
strength to get through tough times.
Yes, the Bible is a guide to living life the right way, but at no point
do I recall hearing that you must live a perfect life. Mankind was not created to live perfectly. We are all fallible, but faith allows us to
be forgiven and learn from those mistakes.
Stating that Jones should quit with the religious “act” is one of the
most offensive things I read this weekend because no one but Jones knows what
he believes. Emblazoned across his chest
is Philippians 4:13 which read: “I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me”. That could not be truer
for Jones right now as he will need strength to get through this storm he created. However, none of us are in a position to make
his struggle harder.
We are a forgiving society. We
vilified Michael Vick when it was convenient for us, yet loved him the second
he started playing for our fantasy team.
We despised Kobe Bryant while he had issues in Colorado, but once that
next championship ring appeared on his finger, all was forgotten. Before we lump Jones into a category of
“athletes gone wrong”, let’s let it play out and see how he responds. He may have gotten knocked down for the first
time in his career, but he’s not out.
He’s just getting back on his feet.
All I’m really asking for in this time of 24/7 social media is caution
and intelligence. If you want to post
your opinion, post it. Heck, I’m doing
that right now. However, I simply ask
you to use caution and look in the mirror before attacking someone you don’t
really know. If you don’t like Jon Jones
as a fighter, then don’t like him as a fighter.
However, before attacking his character and beliefs, step back and
realize you don’t know who he is. Just because
Rashad Evans said he was “fake”, it doesn’t mean he’s right. Maybe he is.
Maybe he isn’t. I’d be willing to
bet none of us will ever truly know Jones as a person.
Regardless, I’ll still cheer for him and happily let my 3 year old cheer
for “Bones Jones”. An outside the
Octagon fight just started, and I’d bet anything it ends the same way the other
fights did, with Jon Jones as the victor.
No comments:
Post a Comment