Be Outraged for a Reason!

George Burgess

28/6/19. A footballer was filmed eye-gouging during a footy match. Now eye-gouging is one of those very dirty tactics used in the dirtiest variety of street-fighting.. Such an attack can cause very severe injury. And yet no-one seems particularly outraged.

What penalty will this thug get? Maybe a few games missed? It seems to me that he should be banned from all contact sports for life, plus serve several months in prison. That is a serious crime, worthy of outrage.

Israel Folau

And yet, the outrage is saved for people who merely say something that can be slanted as 'homophobic' or 'transphobic' or racist or sexist or any of the others 'phobes' and 'ists' - words that are bandied about to stifle free speech. Israel Folau, another footballer, lost his job because he spoke of the bible's teaching that various varieties of sinners would go to hell unless they repented and turned to Jesus. This is standard Christian teaching. 'Repent and be saved' and all that. But as homosexuality was one of the categories, (directly from one of the Letters of St. Pauls, New Testament) it is routinely referred to as 'homophobic,' though no-one has bothered getting offended for any of the other categories destined for hell if they don't repent - thieves, liars, drunkards, atheists, idolators (sometimes interpreted as Catholics) and adulterers.

  
So Folau lost his job. How will the eye-gouger be punished, an act that really and truly is outrageous. So far, the reporter said 'he could be due for a sit on the side-lines.' That reporter was, quite obviously, not feeling any outrage at all.

From later news reports 28/6/19, His name - George Burgess, South Sydney, NRL. It seems he's done it before and was banned for 4 matches. But also, others have done it, one banned for 6 matches. One commentator said 'the point is that it was not necessary.' I am appalled that he apparently thought that if it was a matter of getting the ball, then it would have been 'necessary.' The point is that clawing at a person's eyes can result in severe eye damage, all the way to the loss of an eyeball. 'Eye-gouging' as they call it, is outrageous and unforgivable. Any man who commits this act should never play in a contact sport again, and should also face criminal charges.

2/7/19: Burgess's punishment, suspended for nine weeks.