I never know whether to be perplexed or to chuckle when reading news similar to the Tribune’s story on four rabbis being asked to remove their signs during a recent Jazz game.
That they wished to make a public statement in contrast to statements deemed antisemitic by Maverick’s player Kyrie Irving was clear from the article. The rabbis certainly have (mostly) unrestricted First Amendment rights for expression in public locations, of course, but these rights face (reasonable) restrictions when in private venues like the Delta Center.
On the other hand, many professional athletes do use their athletic platforms to express wide spectrums of opinion — comments that often anger people with contrary views. Some pay a penalty for speaking out on politically sensitive issues (e.g., Colin Kaepernick) while others do not (e.g., Aaron Rodgers).
Either way, everyone is afforded rights for speaking out, but for better or worse must also accept the consequences of their words, whether they feel justly or unjustly treated.
Personally, I feel that asking the rabbis to remove their signs at a sporting event in a privately-owned arena was justified, particularly since it was clearly directed towards a specific individual and, whether the rabbis agree with my opinion or not, carried a political undercurrent given the current Hamas-Israeli conflict.
But I have to ask: Would the four rabbis be similarly irked and publicly defend four imams who carried signs into a Jazz game stating, “I’m a Palestinian from Gaza and Proud of It!” and were then asked to remove their signs? Would they agree signage text like that above is, in their own words, “benign enough to not cause offense”?
Just curious.
Thomas Edwards, Logan
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