ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is On Fire in Defense of Kobe Bryant on Trayvon

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith appeared on Arsenio Hall and gave a stirring commentary regarding L.A. Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant’s unorthodox comments on why he wouldn’t want to wear a hoodie in honor of slain young black man Trayvon Martin.

On the night of February 26, 2012, the 17-year-old Martin was killed by “white Hispanic” George Zimmerman after an altercation; after a jury acquitted Zimmerman in July of 2013 on manslaughter charges, it ignited a public outrage in many communities across the nation.

Kobe Bryant recently said the following about the case:

“I won’t react to something just because I’m supposed to, because I’m an African-American. That argument doesn’t make any sense to me. So we want to advance as a society and a culture, but, say, if something happens to an African-American we immediately come to his defense?



Yet you want to talk about how far we’ve progressed as a society? Well, we’ve progressed as a society, then don’t jump to somebody’s defense just because they’re African-American. You sit and you listen to the facts just like you would in any other situation, right? So I won’t assert myself.”

Stephen A. Smith’s best points came in his defense of Kobe’s controversial comments. It is one of the most articulate expressions of the “conservative” outlook on what would best liberate the black community that one will find.

“Kobe Bryant basically has the attitude that justice should be equal, no matter what, whether in regards to race or gender,” Smith noted. “And that was his position. All he was trying to say was that ‘excuse me, let’s listen to the facts first, let’s make sure we know everything before we jump out and judge accordingly. You can’t sit there and take somebody’s side just because they’re an African-American, you can’t turn around and assume or think that people from other races are going to ever be fair to you if you’re not willing to exercise fairness yourself. Lay back, listen to the facts, and then accord justice where it should be served.’”

http://www.ijreview.com/2014/03/125...fense-kobe-bryant-trayvon-hoodie-controversy/