Cadet Command Major General: "Don't Waste your energy mourning a basketball player", seriously General??

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Sure most of you guys heard what happened to Kobe Bryant yesterday and the other eight lives lost but what Major General John Evans said about Kobe Bryant this morning, "Lots of people mourning a basketball player this morning. I think I’ll use my energy to remember SPC Moore and his Family." Seriously General?? I get his point about the fact that troops dying for our country is not highly represented in the media but his comments are way too abrasive, especially one coming from the Commanding Officer of Cadet Command. You would expect better from a two star general. Of course we will respect and thank the soldier for his service, but Kobe Bryant helped his community too both on and off the court. He has a family too. When we start comparing deaths and their impacts then we have really lost our touch in humanity. Beyond disappointed in the Major General making the wrong comment at the wrong time.
 
Agree this doesn’t help the military civilian divide. As someone who spent a huge part of my life in a basketball uniform and in a military uniform... I can mourn both. The military and basketball court have been by far the two biggest influences on my life. Kobe was by no means perfect. What he has done since he retired has been impressive and he was only in his early 40s. He was a father, husband and son just like many of our military members who have made the ultimate sacrifice. We can mourn him for that and what he could of done. A life cut short... it sucks... one isn’t more valuable than the other.
 
Agreed - very sad on both sides. Compassion seems to be a lost art.
 
Whole chunks of families have been wiped out. I admired how Kobe was spending his time post-playing days. Coaching young women to become confident in their physical skills, leadership and teaming ability is priceless. They were on their way to a youth basketball game as family and friends.

I will always mourn a lost military member. I also have room in my heart for the 9 people on that helo who must have had a pretty awful last few moments, when they should have simply been thinking about the game ahead.

The general’s comments, if accurate, are tone-deaf. If there was an emotional intelligence pop quiz, I would score him a zero.

The back-tracking has begun. I am sure the general’s PAO did (1) [emoji33] and then (2) “Uh, sir, may we review your Kobe tweet? Apparently a few people have taken it the wrong way.”


 
Sometimes I would just chalk it up to a military officer not meaning exactly the way it comes out. Allow him the back track and let it die.

I was a MJ fan. Used to fight with my son about Kobe. He was the younger people’s Jordan. Great stats. It seems like he turned his life around while being a legend. And a very smart, well spoken guy.

Every military death has meaning.
 
Probably a poor choice of words for the General, but the actual words were: "lots of people are mourning a basketball player this morning...I think I'll use my energy to remember SPC Moore and his Family."

That is NOT in any way "Don't waste your energy mourning a basketball player". The original post is misleading, libelous, and it is wrong. The news article headline is misleading, as well.
 
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Lots of people mourning a basketball player this morning. I think I’ll use my energy to remember SPC Moore and his Family. #RIP https://t.co/AGPYNTt0mb
— MG John R. Evans (@CG_ArmyROTC) January 27, 2020

I think that a Major General (of all people) ought to know that he should keep some opinions to himself, but what he expressed was his opinion. I think (just my opinion here) that it was not in any way aimed at telling other people how they should think. Major General Evans has since apologized for the tweet, saying that he "communicated poorly." and I most certainly agree.

My issue is the Court of Public Opinion, and how easy it is for people these days to vilify someone for what they thought they said, or for what they thought they heard. Lots of jumping to conclusions and sensationalizing. It doesn't have to be this way, and it shouldn't.

Just thought that I would post a follow up. I usually agree with @Capt MJ , and I certainly do here.
If there was an emotional intelligence pop quiz, I would score him a zero, as well.
 
i disagree - i think the headline expresses exactly what the tweet implies, and the follow up re-tweet didn't make it any better

i don't think that's "taking it the wrong way". he implies that it's a choice, and that SPC Moore is more worthy of your energy that some 'basketball player'

poor headwork
 
Any use of Twitter by an adult is a recipe for disaster. Forward this to EVERY PERSON in the Chain of Command!
I had a 16 year old girl jump on me on Twitter a couple days ago. I didn’t know her age to start with but just reacted to her attack. I have to remain anonymous on Twitter due to the nature of my employment but am usually respectful, don’t use dirty words, and make comments based on my experience, education, and voracious consumption of information.

In a nutshell I told her to bugger off and go bother someone else. She started screeching she was only 16, waa, blah, waa. I then told her to go do her homework.

It’s my belief that there should be Twitter for kids and leave the grown ups alone.
 
I'm not sure what you'd put on a non-kids twitter. Maybe split into a business version like LinkedIn and a playground for for everything else: juvenile misunderstandings, preening and professional misinformation. I used to read a selection of folks regularly, but so few people confine themselves to useful content that it invariably descends into a cesspool of intolerance, attacks and the hot wet winds of uninformed angry opinion. Yuck.

EDIT: I think the headline was intended to draw clicks AND the general was a knucklehead who should have sat down and finished his morning coffee before posting. He's apparently surrounded by folks who feel the same way, as his clarification was out by 8:16am.
 
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I use Twitter to follow certain people, news or organizations - Navy sports, etc. Actor Hugh Laurie for his dry Brit humor. I might occasionally RT something of interest that deserves to be shared, say, in support of a non-profit. I am not interested in having followers (nothing to see here, folks) and can’t recall the last time I actually dropped something original into the Twittersphere, because I can’t imagine anyone being interested. If anyone I don’t know tries to follow me, hoping I will follow them back and rack up their numbers, I block them.
 
"the hot wet winds of uninformed angry opinion"

:biggrin:
 
This may be unpopular, but I understand and can relate to the General's comment. I had a similar thought Sunday .... Yes, the death of Kobe Bryant is a tragedy to his family and fans, but there were 7 other people in that helicopter, and many thousands of others who die every day, who are every bit as important to their family and fans.

I am not one that puts any celebrity, be it athlete, actor, or other public figure on a pedestal. Kobe Bryant was a great basketball player, and apparently contributed to his community in retirement. However, the soldier that died is every bit important to his family and friends, and to all of whom he died serving. I agree that remembering the fallen isn't a zero sum game -- there is plenty of room to mourn everyone, but the non-stop coverage of Kobe Bryant's death does detract from the recognition that everyone who passes away has value and is important to someone.

(I am in no way endorsing the General's tweet .. I've never understood Twitter; like all other athletes, actors and other political figures, I really don't care what complete strangers think about a given topic)
 
I don't think that our young masters of the universe, heading off to colleges and SA's with their scholarships and praise can be reminded enough that most of the heavy lifting and casualties in the military are among the enlisted ranks. Like SPC Moore, most of them didn't get stacks of promotional material from colleges. Many of them probably couldn't even imagine going to college, much less earning a merit based scholarship. But most of them enlist with the same enthusiasm as our kids pursue their goals, which would ultimately leave them in command of young people exactly like SPC Moore.

I look at his smile and think he must have been one hell of a good son and good guy. His passing must have been devastating to a number of folks.

1580227925377.png1580227925377.png
 
Everyone makes a good point, the soldier who lost his life should be honored and we shouldn't forget his sacrifice. When a celebrity passes away, they usually get more attention then those who have actually died for a cause, I don't agree with this but the truth is that this is reality, Kobe Bryant was a well known figure both on and off the court. I am going to use my energy to mourn the soldier, Kobe, his daughter, and the other seven who lost their lives in the helicopter crash because the truth is that all ten of them have families at home who are now shattered and in grief. The better way for to general to phrase his statement would have been "My condolences to Kobe Bryant and the other eight lives on that helicopter but lets also take time to mourn the soldier who died for his country." They way the general phrased his statement was abrasive and had no regard for the Kobe at all. It also seems like the general didn't even care about the soldier's death, it seems like he was just using his death too make a point. Again, I would expect better judgement from a two start general with a senior position in the Army leading more than 5,000 future Army Officers. The statement he made is the type of statement that you either keep to yourself, or save for a later date. This only widens the civilian military gap. The troops that die for our nation should never be forgotten and should be remembered, however it is important to note that there are heroes back at home who may not wear a military uniform, IE-Firefighters, Police Officers, Doctors , EMTs, Volunteer Workers, and teachers. There was a saying from a professor at my school , "Not all heroes wear capes, not all wear military uniforms, a hero could be the person who talks to you when your depressed, it could be the person who sacrifices his time to help those in need, it could be a friend who buys you lunch, it could be your parents who raised you, it could be the doctor or nurse that saves a patients life, it could even be your four legged furry friend that puts a smile on your face" ,heroes come in all forms. When someone dies, it is important to respect that person because that person may have a family that is shattered.
 
"the hot wet winds of uninformed angry opinion"

:biggrin:
I think @StPaulDad actually said mee mee mee mee me mee-mee-mee mee-mee mee-mee-mee.
Oops - edit - in case anyone thinks I am being snarky - NO! This is because I love Beaker!!

Great comments and perspectives from all. Thank you @cb7893 for posting the picture to remind us of all those that serve.
 
I have no issue with how people are mouring Kobe. It's to be expected I only have two issues. One is that they say Kobe, his daughter and the other seven. Okay, i have an issue with the "the other seven" but I get why they say that. These other seven arent famous, but they do have families. I think the baseball coach had his wife and daughter with him, but i think he has two other chidlren who have lost their parents and siblling. That is so tragic for this family. More imporantly, i dont like when they say he was a hero. He achieved a lot on the court and supposedly off the court so you have to give him that. I understand he worked with girls and women in terms of basketball which is a nice and noble thing but again it doesnt make him a hero. At the very least, there should be some sort of risk to your life in order to be a hero. That is my definition and I apply it to cops, fireman and those in the military. I honor what they do but putting on a badge or a uniform doesnt make you a hero. Now as it so happens, everytime a firefighter fights a fire, he or she is putting their life on the line. That is also true for cops and lots of people in uniform, but that doesnt mean all them are heroes automatically.
 
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