Devin+B’s+2016+OpEd+Article

media type="youtube" key="4gqk4WPnrpM" width="560" height="315" Celebrities are not role models. They are people just like everyone else, yet they are put on a pedestal and because of that are expected to never make mistakes and when they do they are vilified for it. Athletes are no different just because someone can catch a football or dunk does not mean they are a perfect person. They are people just like everyone else they make mistakes as Charles Barkley said 20 years ago just because he can dunk a basketball does no men he should raise your kids. Role models should be people who the child can interact with on a daily basis not someone who was in one of their favorite movies or plays for their hometown team, kids should look up to the mom who works two jobs to keep food on the table not the basketball player who makes millions of dollars to dunk a basketball. It is one thing to admire someone for their work but it is a completely different thing to want to be like them. In the last few years professional sports and the NFL in particular has had a large domestic violence problem and yet at games their are six year old kids wearing these players jersey because he scores touchdowns. It's not the child's fault, they are often too young to understand the situation, the parents are the ones who need to be role models and show the kids what is right and wrong. The players cannot be blamed either they are humans just like everyone else except they are expected to try and crush people on the field and then as soon as they step off, turn that aggression off and be a role model for children, that is a difficult if not impossible thing to do. 20 years ago this ad was incredibly controversial (and to some extent still is) but it is true the people on TV are not the ones who should be raising the kids it should be the parents.