June 15, 2015, 2015 - PPM - Jenn(d)er Bender

This week’s PET PEEVE MONDAY (PPM) is the Bruce/ Caitlyn Jenner story.

I don’t care if a man becomes a woman, a woman becomes a man, or that Facebook now offers 58 gender options.

I don’t care that the national media, not just the “Life and Style” media, but the national networks and cable news channels, have had non-stop coverage.

I don’t care that this gender reassignment was all probably done to make money on a reality channel or to sell magazines.  Let’s not forget how Kim Kardashian got her start. I’m sure there are many trailer park moms and dads kicking themselves today because their children didn’t think to hit the “record” button.

What I DO care is that ESPN decided to honor Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner their 2015 Authur Ashe Courage Award.

I haven’t seen an undeserving award of this magnitude since Barrack Obama was nominated (and eventually won) the Nobel Peace Prize after only 2 weeks in office in 2009.

There were so many more deserving candidates:  any wounded warrior, anyone now endangered by their religious beliefs, and especially someone who valiantly fought for their life against a terrible life threatening disease, including Lauren Hill.

 

ESPN has lost all credibility. But the impact doesn’t stop there.  They have lessened the merits of all previous Courage Award winners and they have also tarnished the legacy of Authur Ashe.

 

Additionally what does it say to the family of Kimberley Howe.

Howe was killed when Jenner struck Howe’s vehicle and propelled her car into another lane and she was killed in a head-on collision on February 7, 2015.  Jenner gets a “Courageous Award”, Howe’s family is left with an empty chair at the family dinner EVERY NIGHT.

Well done, ESPN. Well done.