Tweet of the Day- A New Explanation for Bias

Soledad O'Brien periodically posts short videos on Twitter and derives conclusions from limited information without context. However, some of her tweets are spot-on.

This apology fell short. He had an opportunity to condemn racist behavior and he failed. She was not harassed because BYU students ‘don’t know her’. The slurs were racist. This was a fail by the BYU Athletic Director. https://t.co/QVpNsjYpkK

— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) August 29, 2022

This is not a good thing, in most quarters is considered racist, and the offending individual, who is not a student, has been banned from all athletic activities on the BYU campus.

The university official seen in the video O'Brien posted stated

At last night's game, there were some egregious and hurtful slurs that were directed at members of the Duke University women's volleyball team. I'm the Athletic Director and I'm accountable for whatever happens at all our athletic events. 

He says there were "slurs" (plural) directed at "members" (plural) of a volleyball team. However, reportedly there was one particular slur ("ni**ers") directed at one individual.  There is little doubt there was only one victim because, in the same statement, Holmoe remarked

This morning, I visited with the young athlete on Duke's team and her coach. If you would have met her, you would have loved her. But you don't know her and so you don't feel that way. As children of God....

As O'Brien commented, "she was not harassed because BYU students 'don't know her.'" Nor is it pertinent that "had you met her, you would have loved her."

If they had met the athlete, Rachel Richardson, they might still have racially harassed her.  It was not lack of familiarity which impelled the spectator to use a racial epithet, allegedly repeatedly. She was harassed because the individual is a bigot infused with an absence of decency and/or manners, perhaps stoked by a sense of entitlement. It is not lack of familiarity.

There are a few major bromides in American politics. One is that when an individual says "apology," it is not an real apology, for if one is expressing actual regret, there is no need to say "I apologize." One other is that when an individual claims to be "responsible" or "accountable," he or she is nothing of the sort. Tom Holmoe's response is pitiful.

 

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