Can I Just Voice My Opinion

Kobe Bryant is by far one of the best players in NBA history, but he has recently landed himself in the headlines again, and no, it’s because he is returning to the court.  Kobe Bryant recently made a comment while being interviewed for The New Yorker about the Trayvon Martin case and how he felt about the Miami Heat’s support of Trayvon Marin in which he stated,

I won’t react to something just because I’m supposed to, because I’m an African-American. That argument doesn’t make any sense to me. So we want to advance as a society and a culture, but, say, if something happens to an African-American we immediately come to his defense? Yet you want to talk about how far we’ve progressed as a society? Well, we’ve progressed as a society, then don’t jump to somebody’s defense just because they’re African-American. You sit and you listen to the facts just like you would in any other situation, right? So I won’t assert myself.

After that interview, Kobe Bryant came under fire within the African-American community.  Kobe did however agree that Trayvon Martin was “wronged”, but he did not feel that he should automatically support a case just because the person was Black. Do we agree with Kobe on this? I feel that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and because Kobe Bryant is who he is, people tend to hold him to a higher standard.  Kobe without a doubt is entitled to his own opinion in the matter and is entitled to show or not to show support. 

I personally tend to support causes that I believe in, in regards to the Trayvon Martin case I felt that there was a lot of wrong doing and lack of evidence that would not hold up in court and side with the prosecutions argument. The fact that George Zimmerman was set free made me rethink the entire justice system, especially in Florida.  I myself did not wear a black hoodie in support for Trayvon Martin, am I wrong for this? Should I be condoned for not wearing a black hoodie? I showed my support in other ways, such as voicing my opinion and advocating on the issue. How many people do you know still wearing a black hoodie or supporting cases like this? VERY FEW.  I did not want to be that person to support a case because that was the “popular” thing to do at the moment.  I wanted to be that person that continues to bring awareness to cases like this, not because it’s the popular thing to do, but because it’s the right thing to do.  It’s important that we as an African-American community continue to support ALL cases and not just be selective in what we support.  You may not agree with what Kobe said or in the manner in how he said it but everyone is entitled to voice their opinion whether it be right or wrong. Thoughts?

-Britt Daise

Urban Echelon Magazine & Blogspot 

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