Printer-friendly copy Email this topic to a friend
Lobby Okay Sports topic #2753454

Subject: "the true GOAT has some unkind words for lebron" This topic is locked.
Previous topic | Next topic
guru0509
Charter member
46050 posts
Tue Dec-28-21 11:27 AM

Click to send private message to this authorClick to view this author's profileClick to add this author to your buddy listClick to send message via AOL IM
124. "the true GOAT has some unkind words for lebron"
In response to In response to 97


  

          

https://kareem.substack.com/p/dear-lebron-heres-the-covid-19-help

LeBron James is not only one of the greatest basketball players ever, he’s committed to being a leader in the African American community in the fight against inequality. But his Thursday Instagram meme showing three cartoon Spider-Men pointing at each other—one labeled “covid,” one labeled “flu,” one labeled “cold”—with his message: “Help me out folks” was a blow to his worthy legacy. The meme’s implication is that LeBron doesn’t understand the difference among these three illnesses, even after all the information that’s been presented in the press. Well, since he asked, let me help him out by explaining the difference—and how knowing that difference might save lives, especially in the Black community.



First, let’s put his meme in context. In September, LeBron stated: “I don’t talk about other people and what they should do. We’re talking about individual bodies. We’re not talking about something political or racism or police brutality. I don’t think I personally should get involved in what other people do for their bodies and livelihoods ... I know what I did for me and my family ... But as far as speaking for everybody and their individualities and things they want to do, that’s not my job.”

Here’s the first problem with that statement: With 106 million Instagram followers, making such a post is automatically politically impactful because he questions the validity of the efforts to get the country vaccinated. As is evident by some of the comments that cheer LeBron’s post, he’s given support to those not getting vaccinated, which makes the situation for all of worse by postponing our health and economic recovery. The CDC reports that those who are unvaccinated are 9 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital and 14 times more likely to die from COVID than those vaccinated. The number rises to 20 time more likely when compared to someone who’s gotten a booster shot. By posting the uninformed meme, LeBron has encouraged vaccine hesitancy which puts lives and livelihoods at risk.

Here’s the second problem with that statement: He says we’re not talking about racism, but we most definitely are. As of December 2020, about 97.9 out of every 100,000 African Americans had died from COVID-19, a third higher than that for Latinos (64.7 per 100,000), and more than double than that for whites (46.6 per 100,000) and Asians (40.4 per 100,000). According to an article on the U.S. National Library of Medicine site, “The overrepresentation of African Americans among confirmed COVID-19 cases and number of deaths underscores the fact that the coronavirus pandemic, far from being an equalizer, is amplifying or even worsening existing social inequalities tied to race, class, and access to the health care system.”

A year later, the communities of People of Color are still suffering at a much higher rate than white communities. In November 2021, the CDC stated, “It has highlighted that health equity is still not a reality as COVID-19 has unequally affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19.” One study in Atlanta showed 79% of Blacks with COVID-19 were hospitalized versus 13% of whites. COVID-19 has resulted in a drop in life expectancy among whites of 1.2 years. Among the Black and Latinx communities it was more than 3 years.

For those confident that the Omicron variant may not be as harsh as previous variants, it’s important to realize that, while most might come out of it okay, they can still unwittingly infect others along the way—the elderly, people with compromised immune systems, people with respiratory problems—who could end up hospitalized or dead. Also, almost half of those who recover from initial COVID-19 illness have “long-haul COVID,” with persistent symptoms of brain fog, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.

For those pointing out that there are “breakthrough” cases in which the vaccinated contract COVID-19. Yes, but they also have lighter symptoms and are at a much less risk of dying than the unvaccinated. The crucial statistic here is this: 98-99% of Americans dying of COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

Vaccine hesitancy is higher in the Black community than in any other. While there are certainly justifiable historical reasons for Blacks to be skeptical of the health care system that has routinely marginalized, ignored, and even illegally experimented on them, that is not enough to justify compromising their health and even losing their lives during the current health crisis.

To directly address LeBron’s confusion, no one thinks colds and the flu aren’t serious. In the 2019-2020 flu season, 400,000 people were hospitalized and 22,000 people died. In 2020, 385,428 people died of COVID-19, while so far in 2021, 423,558 have died in the U.S., for a total of 808,986 deaths. Experts agree that COVID-19 is at least 10 times more lethal than the flu. As for the common cold, death is extremely rare.

However, LeBron, if you’re concerned about the flu, then help promote the flu vaccination. In the 2019-2020 flu season, only 51.8% in the U.S. were vaccinated, well below the 70% that is the target. Worse, the vaccination rate is 20% lower among Blacks than whites and as a result they have the highest hospitalization rate due to flu of any other group. This is due to vaccination hesitancy that your meme promotes.

One way to help the Black community to overcome their hesitancy and save lives is for prominent Black celebrities and influencers to continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and their boosters. Immunization, whether from vaccines or having had the disease, lessens over time and makes people vulnerable for reinfection.

While LeBron is a necessary and dynamic voice critical of police brutality against the Black community, he needs to be the same necessary and dynamic advocate with vaccines, which could save thousands of Black lives right now. The racism is just as real—and just as lethal—in both cases.

-------------------
I wanna go to where the martyrs went
the brown figures on the walls of my apart-a-ment...

  

Printer-friendly copy


2021-22 NBA Regular Season: Week 10 [View all] , allStah, Tue Dec-21-21 06:06 PM
 
Subject Author Message Date ID
God Damn, this team is worse than the Nash,Howard, Kobe squad.
Dec 22nd 2021
1
Yep
Dec 22nd 2021
7
      the irony of that team was how well 2019-20 Lakers worked
Dec 27th 2021
112
wonder if bron is gonna ride it out in la or ring chase on another team.
Dec 22nd 2021
2
closes out his career in Cleveland w Bronny running the point
Dec 22nd 2021
5
Well, he most likely rides out next season
Dec 22nd 2021
8
he'll retire w/ us. his business and family is too entangled in LA now
Dec 22nd 2021
9
he ends his playing career in LA, bet on that
Dec 23rd 2021
35
If I were the Lakers I would simply stop being bad
Dec 22nd 2021
3
LMAO
Dec 22nd 2021
6
Stephen A Smith frying the cowardly Nets and Kyrie..
Dec 22nd 2021
4
RE: Lakers
Dec 22nd 2021
10
No - it’s clear. This is not a title team.
Dec 22nd 2021
11
      I still take a healthy Bron and AD in a 7 game series against anybody.
Dec 22nd 2021
13
      a healthy Bron and AD are not walking through that door.
Dec 22nd 2021
21
      You focking telling him, Ryan!
Dec 22nd 2021
14
      You focking telling him, Ryan!
Dec 22nd 2021
15
      I guess I didn't explain myself well
Dec 22nd 2021
17
Lance Stephenson, Joe Johnson, IT...COVID giving all these dudes...
Dec 22nd 2021
12
Opportunity is knocking like a Dilla beat right now.
Dec 22nd 2021
16
It's 2016 again
Dec 22nd 2021
19
damn Emanuel Mudiay is back in the league, I remember when people...
Dec 22nd 2021
25
      That's just how the game is played, lol.
Dec 23rd 2021
28
           RE: That's just how the game is played, lol.
Dec 23rd 2021
36
THT 1-13; IT 1-11?
Dec 22nd 2021
18
Bron isn’t the problem. The rest is a mess
Dec 22nd 2021
20
THT is getting way to many minutes to be as trash as he is
Dec 22nd 2021
22
picking up his check tomorrow like this
Dec 22nd 2021
24
lmao
Dec 22nd 2021
26
This is why re-signing him over Caruso was silly.
Dec 23rd 2021
27
The numbers aren’t the same, the Bulls are paying Caruso way more…
Dec 23rd 2021
41
Yup.
Dec 23rd 2021
29
So what team will you be rooting for next year?
Dec 22nd 2021
23
      Aye man...look in the mirror.
Dec 23rd 2021
30
      I will root for teams that win the second quarter!!!
Dec 23rd 2021
31
Adam Silver needs to suspend league play for a few weeks
Dec 23rd 2021
32
they gonna fuck around and be back in that michael bubble' for christmas...
Dec 23rd 2021
33
These dudes are just going to get it away from the court with a lockdown
Dec 23rd 2021
37
      "don't panic" - south african health official
Dec 23rd 2021
38
a 10 point loss when it could have been a 30 point loss...
Dec 23rd 2021
34
Kemba trying to break the Garden's scoring record as a fuck you
Dec 23rd 2021
39
Kemba got 44 in the 4th?
Dec 23rd 2021
40
Staples Center going out on THIS huh
Dec 23rd 2021
42
Keita Bates Diop….8/8 perfect from the field for 21 points
Dec 24th 2021
43
30 points.. Knuck f you Buck.
Dec 24th 2021
44
Steph with 46 in win over the Grizz
Dec 24th 2021
45
GPII !
Dec 24th 2021
48
I was told Lebron makes teammates better.
Dec 24th 2021
46
Zero lineup continuity
Dec 24th 2021
53
37 year old Bron with a lineup that’d be good 12 years ago. Good post!
Dec 24th 2021
55
he can't make them better in street clothes.
Dec 26th 2021
95
Yella Mamba’s win streak is up to 20 games.
Dec 24th 2021
47
Which win streak? Didn’t he miss some games?
Dec 24th 2021
49
      He did. And came back and kept winning.
Dec 24th 2021
50
           did his team win when he was out?
Dec 24th 2021
54
                Yes and they also didn't win.
Dec 24th 2021
58
KAT entered COVID protocols...I feel SO bad for him
Dec 24th 2021
51
I knew it was a matter of time bro.
Dec 24th 2021
52
in protocols =/= having covid
Dec 24th 2021
61
      i just felt bad for him when i read the tweet, given his past dealigns w...
Dec 24th 2021
63
      Yeah it does...vaxxed players only enter protocols for positive
Dec 28th 2021
128
nba should just follow nfl. no test if asymptomatic and vaxxed.
Dec 24th 2021
56
but the vaxxed asymptomatics can still spread. and omicron dgaf about
Dec 24th 2021
59
Lakers to sign Darren Collison and Stanley Roberts
Dec 24th 2021
57
Oh what the fuck
Dec 24th 2021
60
      desperate cheap moves, we actually tried to sign Collison in 2019...
Dec 24th 2021
62
      inserts crying laughing emoji nm
Dec 24th 2021
65
      Hey, when Gary Payton showed up for last night's Staples tribute...
Dec 24th 2021
67
           I was wondering about that too lol
Dec 24th 2021
69
           He played at Staples for a YEAR
Dec 25th 2021
78
official..no KD for Lakers vs Nets...Luka out too
Dec 24th 2021
64
I had ESPN on in the background and they were hyping this up
Dec 24th 2021
66
      I think the warriors the only team that hasn’t been slammed by “heal...
Dec 24th 2021
71
           It probably helps that they’re in the Bay Area
Dec 24th 2021
72
                Draymond entered the Health & Safety protocols today.
Dec 26th 2021
96
                     Our COVid protocols could likely stomp most starting 5s :(
Dec 27th 2021
115
28 point loss to the Spurs? We're fuckin trash..
Dec 24th 2021
68
I’m still in wait and see mode, if you told at this point in the seaso...
Dec 24th 2021
70
      it's bigger than personnel
Dec 24th 2021
73
      I feel like a healthy Bron and AD and 3 guys out the G-league…
Dec 25th 2021
74
           any team that can shoot the 3 reasonably well and also
Dec 25th 2021
76
      i'm the same
Dec 25th 2021
75
Knick fans chanting "fuck trae young" with him not even in...lol
Dec 25th 2021
77
These games have been Johnny Blaze.
Dec 25th 2021
79
otto porter was an absolute steal for gs.
Dec 25th 2021
80
Beat the Suns decisively on the road.
Dec 25th 2021
81
I said the Warriors championship window closed when Durant left...
Dec 25th 2021
82
missing #2, #3 and #5 scorers on an already shorthanded team (klay, jw)
Dec 25th 2021
83
fam if the lakers get beat by *this* nets lineup?
Dec 25th 2021
84
…they’d sincerely like the 3rd-4th worst team we lot to this year
Dec 25th 2021
85
Patty Mills...Laker destroyer...lol.
Dec 25th 2021
86
Shameful. Lakers need Ronstadt handing out paper bags for home games
Dec 25th 2021
87
Lmao throw this year in the trash
Dec 25th 2021
88
Where do we stand on Nash and his staff again?
Dec 25th 2021
89
Can’t judge until the playoffs and it becomes a coaching chess match
Dec 25th 2021
91
Lol yep he’s fine
Dec 27th 2021
100
Yeah that’s as bad as nutpunching CP3
Dec 25th 2021
90
Russ. Smh. What’s he, like 4 for 55?
Dec 25th 2021
92
Top 75!!! Hall Of fame !! Triple doubles !!!
Dec 25th 2021
93
Russ tries to go for a spectacular Dunk over big
Dec 25th 2021
94
Bron spreading COVID misinformation memes on social media
Dec 26th 2021
97
uninformed, dangerous excuse-making
Dec 26th 2021
99
Yeah this is wack
Dec 27th 2021
101
Must be a plea to Kyrie lol
Dec 27th 2021
105
has bron done any long form podcast episodes?
Dec 27th 2021
106
That meme is kind of ambiguous
Dec 27th 2021
111
COVID Cavs vs Scrapheap 'Raptors' - Double Cowbell
Dec 26th 2021
98
wrong post nm
Dec 27th 2021
102
Is Michael Beasley an OKS poster???
Dec 27th 2021
103
This was the one:
Dec 27th 2021
104
      "Patty got yall trippin like Doug Funnie" was a BAR though
Dec 27th 2021
107
      Killer Beas was waaaaay less disappointing than Thabeet
Dec 27th 2021
110
      I watched alot of CBB back then and I knew he sucked lol
Dec 27th 2021
113
      "Ease off ho, my name's Malik"
Dec 28th 2021
122
      Man what is his alias. I guarantee he’s at least a lurker…
Dec 27th 2021
108
every other news headlines re: nba is about covid protocols......tf
Dec 27th 2021
109
klutch sports is a joke.
Dec 27th 2021
114
Monty, you clown..Give Sticks more minutes
Dec 27th 2021
116
Did Monty even coach tonight?
Dec 27th 2021
117
Nope, just checked. The assistant knows what's up
Dec 28th 2021
118
      And why is Monty a “clown”?
Dec 28th 2021
120
           Beezo's a Maryland fan.
Dec 28th 2021
126
Whose minutes would Stix take?
Dec 28th 2021
125
      I get it. He's good enough to be in somebody's rotation. Not here tho
Dec 28th 2021
129
           Just not a league for bigs like him.
Dec 29th 2021
131
Damn, Ustice Winslow is still in the league??
Dec 28th 2021
119
Same minutes per game as Stix too. :)
Dec 28th 2021
127
Bidding his time to join the Duke front office mafia
Dec 28th 2021
130
Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight, and Iso Joe are back!
Dec 28th 2021
121
So the NBA is changing COVID guidelines now that the Warriors….
Dec 28th 2021
123

Lobby Okay Sports topic #2753454 Previous topic | Next topic
Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.25
Copyright © DCScripts.com