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The Totality Of Kobe Bryant’s Legacy Is Complicated, And That’s OK
The Federalist, ^ | January 28, 2020 | Emily Jashinsky

Posted on 01/28/2020 11:49:55 AM PST by Kaslin

At the time of his passing, Kobe Bryant was, by all accounts, a wonderful husband and father. His death is tragic, for his family and fans. A period of national mourning is wholly appropriate.

Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez was suspended by her paper for tweeting about the rape case Bryant battled in 2003, hours after his death. The Post said Sonmez’s suspension came because her tweets did not “pertain” to her “coverage area,” and because her “behavior on social media is making it harder for others to do their work as Washington Post journalists.”

This is a story with many layers. Journalists should tweet less (so much less) and listen to their editors more. Another reporter wrote on Sunday that an anonymous Post employee said “the suspension was a reaction to a third tweet from Sonmez that included a screenshot of her inbox, exposing the names of some of those sending her threats.” That seems unlikely given the Post’s statements on Monday, which did not mention the exposed names, even though they would be a much less controversial excuse for punishment.

Sonmez, some may remember, leveled an allegation of sexual assault against another journalist, as documented in Reason by Emily Yoffe last August. The allegation helped destroy Jon Kaiman’s career, despite their divergent accounts of the encounter, and admittedly alcohol-impaired memories.

Sonmez could be the least credible journalist in Washington and the Post would still be wrong to suspend her over measured tweets on the rape allegation against Bryant. “Any public figure is worth remembering in their totality,” she wrote on Sunday.

That’s right. Public figures are worth remembering in their totality, and Bryant’s evolution from admitted adulterer to loving family man is an important part of his story. Indeed, to be fully appreciated, that story needs “totality.”

The post that rankled Twitter users, so many of whom were reasonably sensitive in the immediate wake of Bryant’s shocking death, included merely the text of a headline and a link. It was not a piece of commentary. It was not cruel. It did not even pass judgment. It simply recalled, like it or not, one of the most major moments in Bryant’s career.

Sonmez’s journalistic merits aside, that should be fair game. It must be fair game.

If the Post’s suspension was less of a punishment and more of a genuine review period, or a punishment rendered because Sonmez disobeyed her editors, that’s fair enough as well. But it’s worth defending Sonmez’s tweets because it really is worth remembering public figures in their “totality,” warts and all, out of respect for their alleged victims, and out of respect for the work they put into moral rehabilitation.

Reflecting on the instant recollections of Bryant’s darkest hour, my colleague John Davidson argues “that public figures are human beings with complicated lives.”

“When they manage to put their lives back together and find redemption, whether in family or faith or charity, that’s something worth noting,” he writes. “Certainly, it’s far more important than the worst thing they ever did.”

I could not agree more. Those using the rape allegation to categorically dismiss Bryant’s legacy, or define it in the negative, are wrong and participating in a deeply unhealthy exercise. That said, the 2003 case was mentioned in every major obituary I could find. In proportion, it is both fair and necessary to remember the full arc of Bryant’s career.

Sonmez’s tweet, perhaps unlike some others, was not arguing the allegation should define Bryant’s legacy. It wasn’t arguing much of anything, other than Bryant was accused of serious misconduct, and the incident is worth remembering when reflecting on his life.

As Davidson wrote, when public figures “manage to put their lives back together and find redemption, whether in family or faith or charity, that’s something worth noting.” But in order to appreciate the “back together” part, we have to remember what was broken. Done respectfully and in proportion, that’s a process well-worth defending. It makes the arc of Bryant’s life all the more powerful.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: kobebryant; moron; nevertrumper; rape; sexualmisconduct
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To: TexasGator

Criminal prosecution dropped, civil suit settled.


21 posted on 01/28/2020 2:56:42 PM PST by cdcdawg (Cornpop was a bad dude!)
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To: cdcdawg

“Criminal prosecution dropped,”

SETTLED


22 posted on 01/28/2020 3:02:02 PM PST by TexasGator (Z1z)
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To: TexasGator

Yeah, I agree, just posting what happened in both cases for the sake of accuracy.


23 posted on 01/28/2020 4:08:05 PM PST by cdcdawg (Cornpop was a bad dude!)
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To: Kaslin

NO.

‘Kobe Bryant said he would kneel for national anthem if he were still playing’

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2017/10/05/kobe-bryant-los-angeles-lakers-kneel-national-anthem/735758001/

Kobe Bryant Criticizes Donald Trump for Causing ‘Division and Anger’

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2734739-kobe-bryant-criticizes-donald-trump-for-causing-division-and-anger

(NOT too soon)


24 posted on 01/28/2020 4:58:32 PM PST by treetopsandroofs
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To: Kaslin

Does that include the rape?


25 posted on 01/28/2020 6:07:18 PM PST by Mr. Blond
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To: whistleduck

Excellently stated, thank you.

My own similar comments here elicited some SERIOUS intolerance yesterday.


26 posted on 01/29/2020 5:37:12 AM PST by treetopsandroofs
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To: whistleduck

Because I didn’t fawn over his career, or he and his daughter attending church before dying, or I mentioned that he was a kneeler and a Trump-hater, I was accused of “dancing on his grave”.

It would be interesting from a data perspective, to see if that same self-righteous indignation was present in their responses to posts that did not venerate Ace McCain after his war on America ended.


27 posted on 01/29/2020 6:19:17 AM PST by treetopsandroofs
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To: cdcdawg
The physical evidence indicated that he had sex with her.

Where did you find that information? Just asking because other articles say the DNA evidence was another man's.

28 posted on 01/29/2020 11:01:05 AM PST by Tired of Taxes
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To: Tired of Taxes

Her blood was found on his shirt, she was found to have vaginal bleeding. That was the physical evidence linking them them. I’ll rephrase it: He admitted to having sex with her. Investigators told him they had physical evidence of sex between them. They might have been bluffing, but it was enough for him to change his story from no sex to consensual sex. There was physical evidence (semen and pubic hair) from another guy in her panties when she was examined. These were not the panties she was wearing at the time she was with Bryant. This is a pretty good rundown:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/kobe-bryants-disturbing-rape-case-the-dna-evidence-the-accusers-story-and-the-half-confession


29 posted on 01/29/2020 12:40:20 PM PST by cdcdawg (Cornpop was a bad dude!)
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To: cdcdawg

Thanks. I’d just found info about blood found on his shirt, and I was just about to post to you to disregard my question.

Unless I missed something, the DB doesn’t point out that DNA evidence from the other guy was found with a vaginal swab, too: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jul-24-sp-bryant24-story.html

She wasn’t a credible accuser at all. But, back then, hearing about his behavior still was shocking and disappointing.

Thanks again for the link.


30 posted on 01/29/2020 1:00:52 PM PST by Tired of Taxes
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To: TexasGator

The criminal charges were dropped, not settled. There was no plea bargain.


31 posted on 01/29/2020 1:03:20 PM PST by colorado tanker
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To: colorado tanker

“The criminal charges were dropped, not settled. There was no plea bargain.”

It was settled. Charges dropped in exchange for pre-written apology letter.


32 posted on 01/29/2020 1:19:12 PM PST by TexasGator (Z1z)
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To: TexasGator
Charges dropped in exchange for pre-written apology letter.

Do you have a source for that? It could be inferred from the events, but I've never heard that from LE or Kobe's camp.

33 posted on 01/29/2020 1:30:32 PM PST by colorado tanker
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To: colorado tanker

mum was the word but most believe 2+2=4


34 posted on 01/29/2020 3:56:52 PM PST by TexasGator (Z1z)
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