They say it is better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Or, in this case, open your Twitter account.
Rashard Mendenhall may want to ponder that statement, as well as heeding his own advice encouraging people to think prior to his next emotional outburst on Twitter.
Curiously, Mendenhall seemed to be questioning the death of arguably the most wanted terrorist of all time, as well as whether or not the planes that struck the Twin Towers in New York City were actually the cause of their collapse in a number of posts on Twitter.
In his first Tweet, he said, “What kind of person celebrates death? It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We’ve only heard one side …”
First of all, no one is celebrating death. What we are celebrating is the elimination of a man who planned and implemented a direct, violent, deadly action against the United States of America on our own soil. We are celebrating the removal of the mastermind behind numerous terrorist attacks all over the world, including the attacks of nearly 10 years ago. The celebration is not for death. We are happy he can do no more harm to anyone else.
Secondly, I don’t need to hear someone speak to know a man is evil and hateful. Words are used every day to hide intent. Hell, we can’t even get a straight answer out of an NFL general manager about the draft. What makes Rashard think a man like Bin Laden is going to be forthright and honest with every word he says? Actions, as we all know, speak much louder than words. Osama Bin Laden’s actions defined him as a man who had no compunction about taking lives; a man who stood in judgement of others simply because they had the audacity to believe something contrary to what he believed in.
Which leads me to Mendenhall’s statement, “Those who judge others, will also be judged themselves.” I don’t see the actions of Monday morning as us judging Bin Laden as much as us ensuring that he will do no more harm.
What should we have done, Rashard, allow the most wanted man on earth to continue to plan and execute the deaths of thousands, many of whom are just people trying to live their lives? I guess we could have captured him, but that would only put more of a strain on our already weakened economy and overcrowded prison system, not to mention allowing him the chance to continue to spread his message of hatred and destruction.
Finally, and perhaps the most ridiculous of his quotes, “We’ll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style.”
I’m not structural engineer and a quick look at Mendenhall’s college career shows his major was sports management. That means neither of us is qualified to say with any certainty what caused those buildings to collapse.
BUT, I know what I saw.
I saw two very tall, very sturdy buildings, that had stood for nearly 40 years collapse within hours of when an airliner crashed into each of them. I would be interested in knowing what he thinks made those buildings collapse.
I understand the jist of Mendenhall’s message, which is to judge not lest ye be judged and to think about things rather than allow others to tell you what to think. Those are both valid messages, but much like his tweets earlier in the year comparing the NFL to slavery, something is getting lost in the translation.
In and of itself, thinking differently is not a bad thing, but when you compare the NFL to slavery, and come across believing it was a mistake to kill a dangerous, violent, insidious man like Bin Laden, maybe it is time for you to shut your account down for a while.
In saying what he did, Mendenhal is spitting on the graves of the lives lost on 9/11, as well as in the faces of the brave men who found and defeated a known terrorist and murderer.
I applaud the men of the U.S. Navy SEALS, and all the military for the thankless, never-ending job they do. You along with police, fire-fighters and teachers, are the real heroes in this world.
As for you, Rashard, maybe you should worry more about #runningtheball and less about #tweeting for a while.