Kristen King // Staff Writer
When asked for their opinions on matters in the world, combat fighters face more criticism than encouragement mainly because of what they do for a living.
Before and after every fight, these athletes go through a series of interviews where they’re asked about their upcoming fight or favorite movie to watch during spare time. Some people want to hear what they have to say, but others are not too keen on the idea of fighters expressing themselves outside of the ring or cage.
These fighters subject themselves to a ton of brain damage throughout their careers because of these sports. But, this does not mean that they cannot form a coherent opinion because of a possible disability.
Peter Edouard, a junior studying health services administration, believes these fighters should still be treated normal as opposed to a handicap despite how much head trauma they endure.
“Obviously, after a bunch of hits to the head, the cognitive ability will start to decrease, but it does so over a period of time. They aren’t hindered straightaway, therefore they can still make their own decisions,” said Edouard.
Fighter opinion has been disregarded for quite some time now, but it recently skyrocketed to an insurmountable level during and after the presidential election. When fighters were asked who they intended on voting for, those who decided on the Republican Party candidate were shot down with denunciations like “He’s been hit way too many times in the head to think clearly.”
How could this be the general reaction when a fighter chooses to express themselves? Shouldn’t we praise them for being forthright instead of quiet because they’ve accepted the fact that their occupation is what they’re solely judged on?
It is unfair to these fighters and an insult to those who genuinely wanted to hear from these men and women. They should not be seen in this stereotypical light that they cannot think for themselves because they’ve been hit too hard or often in the head.
Kassandra Casanova, a freshman majoring in interdisciplinary studies, knows far too well the negative stigma surrounding the idea of fighters expressing themselves. For about a year, Casanova trained in boxing as a hobby and exposed herself to being hit in the head.
“Any time people feel like they don’t want to be opposed, they try to shun you and say things like, ‘you box so you must have brain damage,’” said Casanova. “I think the problem here is that immature people don’t want to deal with opposition so they blame it on anything they can.”
Unfortunately for fighters, it is a lot easier to blame it on the fact that there is a high likelihood that they have some form of brain damage. Casanova, however, believes that people should still listen to them because these men and women still have the right to express themselves.
“Just because they don’t pertain to your own values or beliefs doesn’t mean they have to be discounted.”
At the end of the day, fighters are people just like you and me. If we were to be silenced or censored for our own beliefs, it would likely be an infuriating experience that you or anyone else should not have to go through.
So, the next time that a fighter expresses themselves, listen. They could be saying something worthwhile.
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