Saturday night has been a bizarre night. After George Zimmerman was found not guilty by a jury of his peers in Florida, reaction in the media and social networking has been swift. Whether you agree or disagree with the verdict is beside the point. However, the reaction by some has not been kind.
Professional athletes and public figures have used their Twitter accounts to vent about the verdict. This post is what not to tweet following an emotional and polarizing story. It’s one thing to voice an opinion or a reaction. It is totally another to advocate violence or wish people dead. This is where the celebrity, professional athlete or public figure would be best advised to call his or her agent or a friend and vent over the phone privately. Do not tweet or post on Facebook or at least think about what you’re about to type because once you hit “send,” “enter,” or “tweet,” it’s out there and it’s fair game for reaction because there will be plenty. In addition, your team, your agent, your family, your friends and anyone close to you will have to deal with the fallout, not just you.
Too often, we see silly tweets or Facebook posts and once they’re in the public domain, it’s hard for people to forget them. You can delete your tweets, but remember, someone can make a screengrab thanks to mobiles and tablets so people won’t forget.
So if you’re an agent, sit your client down and tell him/her to think twice before shooting from the hip.
Here are a few examples of what has been said on Twitter after the Zimmerman verdict.
Here’s Victor Cruz of the New York Football Giants saying the hood will take care of Zimmerman. Not a good tweet.
That was followed by a pair of Marcus Vick tweets. Marcus is the brother of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and the head of his brother’s foundation. This does not help matters.
And Roddy White, the wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, had the tweet that will most likely be deleted, but most certainly be remembered for wishing death upon the Zimmerman trial jurors.
It’s best to be like Tracy Martin, the father of the deceased Trayvon who thanked everyone for their support and urged people to channel their energy towards the positive.
It’s best for everyone to calm down and let cooler heads prevail. The reaction on social media down the lines has been ugly and rather vicious. It’s time to pull together, not be divided.
