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Many years ago, Margaret Court set some tennis records and has a tennis arena in Melbourne named after her as a “legend” of the sport.
This week, Tennis Australia honoured her at the Australian Open.
“From one tennis legend to another, Rod Laver presented Margaret Court with a replica of the Australian Open women’s trophy at a ceremony held on the court named after him in Melbourne on Monday night.” “After months of consternation over a tribute to the outspoken Court to mark the first leg of her triumphant 1970 Grand Slam, she was honoured on Australia’s grandest court but did not speak.”
The “months of consternation” comes from the fact that she is now a preacher and, like many religious people, doesn’t support gay marriage etc., so accordingly, Tennis Australia were willing to honour her but were unwilling to have her potentially upset the luvvies by allowing her to speak.
“A handful of fans sported rainbow flags and there were scattered boos inside the stadium, but the reaction away from the court from her peers was more critical than that afforded her inside Rod Laver Arena. Martina Navratilova said the 24-time major champion needed to understand she was hurting people with her commentary on the LGBT community: “It’s just unfortunate because I think what Margaret Court doesn’t realise is how many people she hurts with her rhetoric.” “John McEnroe was scathing in his critique and pleaded with American legend Serena Williams, who has 23 major singles titles, to overtake the Australian.” “’There’s only one thing longer than the list of Margaret Court’s tennis achievements. It’s her list of offensive and homophobic statements’, he said.”
The Australian
Good on Navratilova and McEnroe for speaking their minds though I do find a bit of respect and sound debate much more persuasive than abusive rhetoric or crybaby type hurty feelings.
People who think they should be protected from anything they find hurtful or offensive are living in a protective bubble that can only end with them being majorly hurt or offended. The world will not stop for their feelings. The sooner they realise this the better off they will be.
Personally, I don’t hold a strong enough view to be bothered debating the rights or wrongs of same-sex marriage any more than I care to debate religion or atheism. As long as I’m free to choose what I do for myself, I’m happy for others to have the same choice as long as that freedom of choice extends to free speech as well. Should we disagree with same-sex marriage (or indeed anything else), having the right to say so and discuss it openly is every bit as important as having the right to live the lifestyle of our choice.
Where do rights begin and end? Words like diversity, tolerance and inclusion are the catch words of today except that tolerance only applies if ‘we’ meet ‘their’ criteria of diversity and inclusion.
If ‘we’ don’t, the level of abuse and name-calling is, as we know from experience, seldom mild-mannered or appropriate. It ranges from foul-mouthed abuse to bomb threats (the thug’s veto) and actual violence.
Tennis Australia seems to have successfully dodged a bullet with this one but that pendulum is very much on a set trajectory. How do you think it will ultimately play out? What does history tell us?
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