Tuesday, May 30, 2017




Reporter slammed for ‘racist’ tweet about Indy 500 winner

A SPORTSWRITER in the US is being slammed on social media after firing off a “racist” tweet about the winner of the Indy 500 being Japanese. “Nothing specifically personal, but I am very uncomfortable with a Japanese driver winning the Indianapolis 500 during Memorial Day weekend,” wrote Terry Frei, of the Denver Post.

His tweet came about an hour after former Formula One driver Takuma Sato made history Sunday by taking home the checkered flag and becoming the first Japanese winner in history.

It wound up sparking a wave of backlash, with countless Twitter users blasting him throughout the evening for being insensitive.

“SPECIFICALLY personal, I am very uncomfortable w your racism, xenophobia & lack of understanding of what the Indianapolis 500 is all about,” tweeted Megan Brown.

“Really just a monumentally stupid tweet,” wrote the band, The Mountain Goats. “Congrats.”

PFT Commenter added, “Your right. Much would of rather seen a Italian, British, or southern guy win it as opposed to someone the US has fought a war against [sic].”

Frei later deleted his tweet, and fired off another post that seemed to be directed at his haters.

“THIS is what Memorial Day is about. Dave Schreiner’s death in Battle of Okinawa. Not for squeamish or ‘sensitive,’” he wrote, prompting more responses.

SOURCE



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The right to race on Memorial Day and allow the best driver on the day to win regardless of his heritage is why so many have died to defend the freedom that people enjoy. In this day and age I can't see what it matters who wins the Indy 500 regardless of the day it falls on. Perhaps Tony Frei should seek a new occupation as the current one seems to be inappropriate.

Bill R. said...

Did the writer try to rewrite history? While his tweet may not be overtly racist, he seems to have forgotten that Italy was a card carrying member of the Axis forces. Can you spell Mussolini?

Anonymous said...

BoP,

As usual, you make a totally ridiculous post that has nothing to do with the issue.

The only whining little snowflake on this blog is you and your birdbrained buddies (who somehow type and spell llike you do.)

Sockpuppet much?

Hinchey said...

I seriously do not understand why anyone would be uncomfortable with the best driver winning from whatever heritage . A stupid tweet which I am sure the tweeter will regret . I do however defend their right to make such a stupid statement and believe it certainly not up to the government to do anything about it though

Anonymous said...

This guy is entitled to his opinion, and to voice it.
Equally other people are entitled to call him out on being an idiot.
Nothing to see here really.

Anonymous said...

Hinchey and Anon 6:08,

The man's uncle was killed in the Pacific during WWII. He has written a book on the horrors of the treatment of POW's by the Japanese.

On some level I can understand him being "uncomfortable" with someone from a country that wanted to destroy America and to this day is still a somewhat closed and xenophobic society.

On some level I think it would be hard for this guy, who has researched the history that deeply affected him and others to root for a driver from a country that doesn't embrace the things exemplified by the Indy 500.

Does that mean he is a racist? I don't think so. I think it is just something that affects him deeply and was horribly expressed in a tweet.

The paper for which he worked and brought recognition fired him for the tweet. Instead of allowing the tweet to be the opening salvo of a discussion on what he was thinking and feeling, people automatically assumed the guy was a racist because it is easier to look at the faults of others than yourself.

Spurwing Plover the Fighting Shorebird said...

Bill R The liberal leftists in Hollywood have always been trying to rewrite history to make america look bad and to make it more leftists feindly