Hmmm...

Okay, so I recieve a call between classes today, and my mom asks me, "What happened to Terrell Owens?" Upon hearing this, about a million different things welled up inside of me and I wanted to say, "well where do you want me to start?" I assumed (correctly) that this was a more pointed question - she then told me that news had broken that he had alledgedly attempted suicide. I got home and read the article, and I'm just mad about this whole thing.

I do not think Terrell Owens is the best role model on the planet, however, his treatment is absolutely horrendous. He does little dances in the end zone - so what? If he were a scantily clad girl then no one would have problems with him dancing in the end zones after scores. (That is a whole other topic). So what that he is attention starved? Does that make him a leper in America? If these people who are so content to peer in and criticize Owens' seeming arrogance and disillusionment would only peer in so keenly to themselves (and everyone else in the world) they'd find exactly the same problems. The difference - Owens is in the national spotlight.

So here's where the line has to be drawn. I believe that the combination of Vicodin and supplements doped him up, and that he didn't attempt suicide. However, from the past couple years, its obvious that the man has some emotional problems (as if we "normal people" don't) and we "normal people" think that its fine and right to push those buttons and try to draw those problems out of him. We are appalled at animal testing because it subjects animals to cruel treatment in the name of science. Well what we do to people like Owens' is far worse - we are subjecting him to cruel treatment (if you disagree with that - then think about how you felt when you saw the treatment Jim Carrey's character received in Truman Show). We are subjecting him to this treatment not in the name of science, or anything that even has remote beneficial qualities - we are putting this on him just to ostracize and demonize him. It makes us feel better to point and say, well I'm better than him.

That's weak.