It's been well-publicized by the media: Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight—kidnapped 10 years ago—are free. Amanda and Gina are home today (with Michelle expected to be released from the hospital tomorrow after recovering from back surgery)... today also being the day that one of their alleged kidnappers—Ariel Castro, one of three brothers accused—is being charged with four counts of a kidnapping and three counts of rape.
Unless you’ve been completely offline this week, Sports Illustrated recently released an article from the May 6, 2013 print issue highlighting NBA center Jason Collins making history as the first openly gay—and active—male athlete in professional U.S. sports. The Twitterverse was awash with supportive messages. NBA Commissioner David Stern offered his support (via USA Today reporter Jeff Zillgitt) by stating, "We are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue." Support continued to flow in from Collin’s teammates, other NBA players, and a multitude of celebrities—Spike Lee to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to Chelsea Clinton and many others offered their complete support.
Dear Jason: Today, you came out as the first openly gay active male athlete. Your team, other members of the NBA, former President Clinton (whose daughter Chelsea went to school with you), and many others offered up public support. I enthusiastically join that group, as I commend anyone with the courage to rise up and embrace his or her true self. But your coming out has me thinking…
It's surreal and strange to reflect on what society deems as "important" today... important to the world (collectively), to our "leaders", and to us as individuals. What we as people allow—and as citizens of the world ignore or endure—is a fascinating reflection of denial, mediocrity, and self-victimization.
Take the State of California—my home—and the current state of the education system...
