This is the tweet that got Greece’s triple-jump champion, Voula Papachristou, booted from the Greek Olympic team.
The tweet was deemed racist as this translates to,
“with so many Africans in Greece, at least the West Nile mosquitos will be eating food from their own home”
The Greek Olympic Committee moved fast, as the banning came before the torch was even lit at the opening ceremonies tomorrow night.
The ruling was passed down, despite here apology tweet:
When you read the comments on most news sites, the reactions seem to be a mixed bag. Some say this wasn’t racist, but merely a silly joke — like saying, “It’s all Greek to me!” — while others completely agree with the ruling, stating her comments run contrary to what the Olympics represent.
Although I’m sure there will be plenty of racists participating at the Olympics, I think Greece did the right thing in taking a stand against such a statement, especially when you consider she’s a representative of her country at the Games. When you fail to properly represent those you are a representative for, you lose the privilege of being a representative.
Once again, we see an instance of “think before you Tweet.” It’s easy to get lost in social media. The medium is so solitary, yet so public. We become bolder than we would face to face, and it’s easy to forget that everything we pour into social media is essentially shouted from the rooftops.
What if this kind of tweet came from a Pastor?
Could a pastor or minister find themselves booted from the pulpit in the same matter that Voula Papachristou?
Would love to hear your thoughts on this!
[via TechCrunch]
Tre Lawrence says
I think our church leaders definitely NEED to understand the power they wield with social media.
Eric Dye says
Indeed.
Jonah says
Any church leader who would make a comment like that would definitely be unqualified for ministry!
Eric Dye says
Public OR private.
kurt bennett says
I love humor. But humor at someone else’s expense is always dangerous ground. I think that’s true for a pastor or anyone else who represents Christ, which of course means every Christian.
Eric Dye says
word.