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Kobe Bryant, An issue of race

When looking at superstars like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Kobe Bryant, they all have one thing in common. They are all viewed as spectacular athlete’s first, and black men later. But when does this phrase become inverted? It seems that in America, at the first sign of trouble, these kings of the media are racially profiled. Sexual assault charges against a glamorous all-star in any sport would catch Americans' attention. But with Kobe Bryant, a black man, facing an accusation from a white woman, many Americans are viewing the case through the filter of race as much as sex or celebrity. This of course draws many similarities to America’s reaction to the O.J. Simpson trial. A situation in which most of the black population believed O.J. to be innocent, whereas a higher percentage of whites believed him to be guilty. When viewing the factors involved in the arresting of Kobe, the national response, and the final outcome, race seems to be the major factor. Most people deciding to give an opinion on this subject haven’t even heard the complete story, nor do they know the statistics, but they are all willing to make a decision based on their own race. Now there are many Americans who mi

Finally, we must look at the reaction of not only the community of Eagle County, but also the Nation’s reaction towards this accusation. Again, as we saw in the O.J. trial, instead of calmer heads prevailing, we see a country divided into two sides, black and white. And really, isn’t it the people’s opinion that decides whether this is a case of race or not? A poll conducted by CNN/USA Today constructed the following results. When asked if people felt sympathetic for Kobe, 63% of African Americans said yes, while only 41% of Caucasians answered yes. The most intriguing part of this result, is the fact that Kobe Bryant was recently voted favourite athlete at the teen choice awards, just imagine what the results would have been for someone less “godly” than Kobe Bryant himself. Another poll taken by CNN showed that 68% of African Americans believed that Kobe is innocent, while 61% of Caucasians believed that he is guilty. If we look at the reaction of the citizens in Eagle County itself, we can almost say that the majority vote is against Kobe. White supremacist groups in Eagle County were scattering fliers that headlined “Don’t Have Sex With Blacks”, which is an absolutely outrageous statement. Yet has there been any uproar or complaints within the County? Or even yet, in the Nation? No matter what, everyone will always have their own opinion; it is simply up to the person to be intelligent enough to either become educated on the subject, or to just not have an opinion at all. The real problems begin when society decides to make their own feelings upon their own emotions and feelings.