OF PROTESTS, SOCKS, ISRAEL, TENNIS

Last week, a student in her final year at the school where I teach was suspended for using a derogatory term to describe the principal within earshot of the principal herself….She had been originally spoken to for having socks on that didn’t conform with the school dress code….Neither of these were very clever actions on her part….For reasons I’m not sure of that student’s mother when informed of her suspension chose to pull her out of school entirely rather than wait until July when the school year ends.

On Friday, a student in my Year 11 English class showed up in class wearing his pants tucked into his socks with black, red, and blue stripes drawn on them….When I asked him why he was doing that as it looked sort of silly, he told me it was to protest what happened to his classmate and her removal from school.

His simple protest, while I don’t agree with as the student admittedly used a foul word to describe the principal and was not expelled but rather suspended and then removed by her mother, was ,however, clever and a creative way to blow off steam that didn’t harm anybody.
It has inspired me to take a further action in a case I’ve been monitoring….Last week, I wrote about my support for UAE’s decision to not issue a visa to an Israeli female player for a tour event in Dubai.

However, since I wrote that, UAE has bowed to pressure and allowed in a male player for next week’s men’s event as well as paying a fine some of which goes to the female tennis player in question….There is talk of taking both the men’s and women’s events away from UAE.

If this was Myanmar or North Korea, I doubt this would have ended the same way….One of the root causes of the dislike and perpetuation of negative stereotypes about Jewish people in the world is the fact that normal justice doesn’t seem to apply to them….Of course, it all starts with Israel’s long history of mass murder and deliberate targeting of women and children.
I’ve been looking for some way to creatively let off my anger at the disgusting colonial regime full of human rights abusers and murderers known as Israel….I mean I no longer pay taxes in the USA but I’ve now come up with something else.

Let me say first that I have a long history with tennis….It’s the only sport I’ve ever been anything above mediocre at and played on and off throughout my life from when I was a kid….I’ve also loved watching it on TV for years….Bjorn Borg was my idol growing up and I had his poster on my wall when I was in junior high school….This decade I’ve admired Roger Federer greatly….I think he might truly be the greatest player I’ve ever seen.

However, I don’t watch it much since I came to Malaysia due to the time difference and not always having access to television….I gave up on women’s tennis a long time ago as the Williams sisters completely turn me off….They are poor sports, display no class, and have the physiques of men….I miss the days of Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, and Martina Navratilova.

Anyway, I’ve decided to boycott tennis….I will still play it and love the game but will no longer watch ATP or WTA events on television….They can support whomever they want but I am also free not to support their decision and do what I want as a viewer.

There,,,I’ve done something….I feel better already!