"Talking Points": How to Talk
About the Sportsworld
Last February Ray Rice
knocked out his then girlfriend, now wife, in an elevator in an
Atlantic City casino. Originally they were both arrested and charged with
assault. Later the charge against his wife was dropped. And Rice, as a
first-time offender, was allowed to enter a diversionary program that would
lead to the erasing of the offense from his record if he completed the program.
Then in July the NFL, after its own investigation, instituted a two-game
suspension for Rice’s misbehavior.
A lot has happened since that
night, mostly driven by a video of the altercation. Those events include:
·
Rice’s team, the Baltimore
Ravens, cut him from the team.
·
The NFL, claiming
the video provided new evidence, changed Rice’s
suspension to an indefinite suspension.
·
The NFL also
changed its domestic abuse policy making a first-time offense punishable by a
six-game suspension and a second offense a lifetime ban from the NFL.
·
Rice is appealing
his suspension by claiming that the NFL wants to punish him twice.
When events like this happen,
it gives parents a great opportunity to
talk with their kids about a divine perspective on such events. Questions
provide a smooth path into a conversation:
- Do you think Ray Rice would like to back up the calendar and live that night over again?
- Is it a good idea to marry a man who punched you out two months ago?
- Should Rice get a second chance?
- What would you do if Rice was a good friend of yours?
- What does God think of Ray Rice?
Don’t be in a hurry to give
answers. Your ultimate goal is to help your kids learn to discern the
difference between good and evil on their own.
No comments:
Post a Comment