Commentary — 28 January 2010

Paul Shirley

Bravo to ESPN.

Paul Shirley, former NBA benchwarmer, while writing for ESPN decided to offer his venture outside of his sports purview to offer his thoughts on aid to Haiti, birth control, homelessness and other topics in which he was far less than ill-informed in which to comment.

That alone should get you fired from writing for a sports news service.  But when you see what he actually wrote, it’s amazing that the ESPN editorial board did not manage to keep Shirley from stabbing himself in a literary sense and prevent it from being published in the first place.

Nevertheless, ESPN did the right thing in the end.  Here’s a sampling of what Shirley had to say.

(And before anyone comes with the tired “free speech” argument, this is not a free speech issue.  Paul Shirley is “free” to make the comments, and ESPN is “free” to fire him.  You are not granted an inalienable right to have a column, only not to go to jail for any viewpoint which might have been expressed in it.  No tired “free speech” arguments today please.)

RELATED:

ESPN Was Smart to Fire Paul Shirley

“I haven’t donated a cent to the Haitian relief effort. And I probably will not,” wrote Mr. Shirley on the Flip Collective website. “I haven’t donated to the Haitian relief effort for the same reason that I don’t give money to homeless men on the street. Based on past experiences, I don’t think the guy with the sign that reads ‘Need You’re Help’ is going to do anything constructive with the dollar I might give him. If I use history as my guide, I don’t think the people of Haiti will do much with my money either.”

Dear Haitians –

First of all, kudos on developing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Your commitment to human rights, infrastructure, and birth control should be applauded.  As we prepare to assist you in this difficult time, a polite request: If it’s possible, could you not re-build your island home in the image of its predecessor? Could you not resort to the creation of flimsy shanty- and shack-towns? And could some of you maybe use a condom once in a while?

Sincerely,

The Rest of the World


The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published weekly at www.eurweb.com. It is meant to inform, infuse and incite meaningful discourse…as well as entertain. The Mo’Kelly Report is syndicated by Blogburst. For more Mo’Kelly, https://mrmokelly.com.  Mo’Kelly can be reached at [email protected] and he welcomes all commentary.

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Mo'Kelly

Morris W. O'Kelly (Mo'Kelly) is a columnist, radio and television commentator. Visit https://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo'Kelly. Find him on social media - @mrmokelly

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