Texans’ Kareem Jackson Tweets Cockfighting Photos

[The Straight Story]

Texans’ Kareem Jackson Tweets Cockfighting Photos

On the surface, Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson did nothing wrong. He was on vacation in the Dominican. He went to the beach, to clubs, doing all the things young affluent men could and should do.

Then, he attended cockfighting … and started Tweeting about it.

Dumb, dumb, dumb. There is no excuse for an NFL player to be so ignorant that he actually flaunts inhumane treatment to animals — no matter the context.

Jackson was not a 5-year-old when the Michael Vick episode occurred. Yes — before you think anything — this isn’t about legal vs. illegal. Cockfighting is legal in the Dominican. It’s about the perception an NFL athlete bears by participating in any way in a controversial event … and, worse, publicizing it.


http://houston.cbslocal.com/2011/03/08/tweeting-cockfighting-pictures-is-kareem-jackson-naive-defiant-or-just-dumb/#photo-1

[JackintheGreen]

1. A few years ago

Cubs 3rd basemen Aramis Ramirex (a Dominican) was caught out cockfighting at home in the off-season. Sadly the blowback was quite limited, along the lines of "but it's *legal* there, so who are we to judge?" or in more erudite circles "cultural imperialism! who are we to judge?" Blah blah blah. And in my (now) hometown of Philadelphia there is a gi-normous mural of a cockfight in one of the dominican/latino neighborhoods. Heading north on 5th from Allegheny if ya'll wann check it out. It's actually a really well-done mural, but that beside the point, sort of.

I'm torn. I'm an anthropologist, so I might go to a cock-fight out of professional interest. In my own region of study (India) a certain kind of bull-fight is popular, and I've been. Though to be fair bull-fighting in India is not the bloodsport it is in Spain and Mexico.