I may not be internet popular (nor do I wish I could be) but I am a decent writer with a lot of thoughts on Patrick Kane and the reactions to his actions. I also have a blog that I occassionally use to post my thoughts, so here I am on a mini soap box ready to get this all out.
I do not believe that Patrick Kane is a good person. Period. Make your own decisions on him based on whatever you wish. He is one hell of a hockey player and that's why we are even talking about him. If he wasn't a good hockey player, maybe the NHL would have taken a different action back in August. Actually, what is more likely is that the the press wouldn't have gotten the amount of information they did. The media dug into confidential information and between them and the inadequate representation on both sides, the public was given a lot. Information in the hands of the public is very dangerous; assumptions are made and conclusions are drawn. The investigation was compromised from the start and likely an innocent victim was harmed in the process.
A suggestion that Patrick Kane be nominated for the Masterton Trophy has brought a new incident to light. A woman was brave enough to tell her story, likely knowing how it would turn out. Immediately many people shared the story to show that Kane is scum and an awful person. Similarly, many people began victim blaming and accusing her of telling a story. We don't know what the truth is, but discrediting this woman does no one any favors. It only tells victims not to come forward because they will be villainized and mocked.
Back to the Masterton Trophy. This trophy goes to the person who overcame the most in life. Recent winners include Josh Harding who excelled for the Minnesota Wild while dealing with an awful disease that plagues his everyday life and Dom Moore, a man who lost the love of his life to cancer. How on Earth does an accusation of violating a human being even compare to that? Kane couldn't work out in public for a few weeks? He was still in camp in day one, he was on the opening night roster, he lived his superstar life in his mansion while others talked about him nonstop. This isn't adversity. This is dealing with consequences. I do honestly believe that the Chicago media would not nominate him anyway, so hopefully this is a moot point.
As to the reactions everywhere. The Chicago Blackhawks and the NHL did set a bad example. They put winning hockey games over a victim. They likely knew that there would be no charges and used this to support their money maker. Morally, this was an awful decision.
I also saw the belief that the lack of prosecution against Kane (and add Drew Doughty to this list) tells other players that it's okay to rape. This is a point that I cannot agree with at all. While I strongly believe that teaching needs to go more towards "don't rape" than "don't get raped," I do not believe that all NHL players think that they can just have any woman they want. Maybe I am naive, but the majority of these men likely have a conscience and will find a woman who says yes. There are plenty of women who will say yes. Don't slut shame them either. One step towards women's equality is also realizing that women are sexual beings with wants and desires. Some will still say no and those wishes should ALWAYS be respected, but some will go up to that hotel room willingly and do not deserve to be judged for it.
I am still a fan of hockey and even of the Blackhawks even though I did lose a bit of respect for the way the situation was handled. I support the wins. I don't support the human on the team. Maybe my compartmentalization is a problem, but that's who I am.
Off my soapbox now.
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