Reply #17: Those quotes don't do it justice, either [View All]

[jobycom]

I think anyone could find quotes to redeem or condemn him in this article. You chose to condemn (with justification). I chose to pick out a few quotes I thought showed the conflicts within him. You could pick out comments to argue that he's a good guy if you wanted to. I don't think any of those angles would be comprehensive.

And I don't agree with two things you said. First, you sarcastically commented on Hardaway's "Christianity." Hardaway specifically says this isn't a religious belief. And second, you claim Hardaway is playing the victim. He takes full blame for every problem he's encountering. He is describing how the fallout has affected him, but he's not claiming to be the victim.

As for Scoop Johnson's interview, I'll tell you how I think he did a good job, since you asked. He was trying to reveal the true person, not trying to help or hurt him, not trying to redeem or condemn him. I thought the questions were good, got to the heart of Hardaway's inconsistencies, and remained neutral. He wasn't trying to "get" Hardaway or to save him, he was just letting Hardaway reveal who he is. It's up to the audience to judge him after that.

Not a likable image of Hardaway. But I see it as a more complex image than you did. I guess I approach it differently. I don't care one way or the other about Hardaway himself--he's just a vocalized part of a much larger issue. I'm interested in the attitudes he reveals because I think that's the heart of the issue. This is the person we have to change. And there are many openings in his expressed beliefs through which change could occur. Some were brought on by the reaction to his comments. That's how I read it. There are two ways we can change America--we can kill everyone who disagrees with us, or we can look for opportunities to help them understand what we see. Help them overcome their hatred. You can't do that by hatred. You can't do it by not responding strongly to their hatred, either. But to me, the point of a strong response is to make the perp reevaluate his position. In this case, in this interview, there are signs that he is struggling with the issue, that he has changed to some degree. If those changes go no further, then not much has been accomplished. But they may be the start of something.

I lived in Mississippi during the later part of Civil Rights and desegregation. I've seen people change. That article is how they look when they first start to. Many don't go any further, but some do. And that's where there is hope for the nation. This isn't about Hardaway, it's about what happens next.