McKinnon interview

[mightyrooster]

I missed everything this week due to yet another death in the family so we've been busy with funeral arrangements and visitors etc. When I read your post I thought it must have been some silly drunk bogan. Today Phil Rothfield has published the photo of 2 young 'ladies', very well groomed, roughly the same age as Alex and his girlfriend, with big smiles and waving their tasteless sign around grabbing all the attention they could possibly get. I hope they see themselves and become ashamed and maybe one day they will understand the repercussions of their actions but I doubt this very much. Some people are just too arrogant to be told anything and think they are above behaving in a way that is mindful and respectful of others. You can chuck the current national captain into that category too. I can't even type his name he offends me so much. When he retires and moves on, I just might start taking an interest in rep footy again. What also makes me sick inside is the amount of so called Knights supporters saying they are sick of Alex and his 'story' and regret donating money now to his cause. What a sad world some people choose to live in.

Condolences to your family RWB. We've had a few deaths in ours the past few months as well. I think for us anyway, it's a sign of us all growing older. It's the sad cycle of life.

As for Alex I am still repulsed by the attitudes of so many people. I read that Rothfield column and I agree with him wholeheartedly There are so many people out there who do not truly appreciate the life he has been dealt. Too many people wrapped up in their own self importance to stop and consider what this young man has been through and will continue to go through. Smith's week from hell is nothing compared to what Alex has to deal with on a daily basis.

[redwhiteblue]

Condolences to your family RWB. We've had a few deaths in ours the past few months as well. I think for us anyway, it's a sign of us all growing older. It's the sad cycle of life.

As for Alex I am still repulsed by the attitudes of so many people. I read that Rothfield column and I agree with him wholeheartedly There are so many people out there who do not truly appreciate the life he has been dealt. Too many people wrapped up in their own self importance to stop and consider what this young man has been through and will continue to go through. Smith's week from hell is nothing compared to what Alex has to deal with on a daily basis.

Condolences to your family as well from ours MR. 4 funerals and counting for us this year and it's only half over. So many childhood memories of older cousins, aunties, uncles etc who used to babysit me drifting away. I guess I can't expect them to live forever if I am going to be 48 myself in a few weeks.

Yes I found myself agreeing with Phil's column too and I don't even normally read that section of the paper. Smith's so called 'week from hell' is of his own making and the garbage spouted from his own mouth. If he were that conscious of his public image, he should choose his words more carefully. This 'heat of the moment' rubbish and 'defending his players' excuse does not wash with me. I grew up watching the likes of Mick Cronin and much later Craig Fitzgibbon of course and these men managed to lead by example, play toughly, win every accolade at the highest level, but still manage to leave a legacy of good sportsmanship like behaviour as their reputation.

[Guest]

I actually thought Alex and his family came across pretty badly in my opinion. No doubt they are suffering terribly and their lives have been changed. Their blaming of Cameron Smith was very misguided from my perspective. Smith did not know the seriousness and permanent nature of McKinnon's injuries. Does demonizing Cameron Smith change anything? Did he pick up the guy and drop him on his head? Smith behaved the same way NRL captains behave every week. In fact is McKinnon not a hypocrite based on the footage of him celebrating after breaking the jaw of Jordan McLean?

When I heard Alex's father saying he could never forgive Cameron Smith I saw a father trying to rationalize and alleviate his terrible pain, albeit in a misguided and emotional manner. I imagine as time goes on he might change.

In my view Channel 9 played the McKinnon family and got what they wanted. To me both Alex, his girlfriend and his parents struck me as uneducated people who have chosen Smith to be the main source/point of hatred for what has happened.

[redwhiteblue]

[QUOTE=Teriyaki Chicken Boy;n611002]

When I heard Alex's father saying he could never forgive Cameron Smith I saw a father trying to rationalize and alleviate his terrible pain, albeit in a misguided and emotional manner. I imagine as time goes on he might change.

/QUOTE]
I hope so too TCB. It's still very fresh in their very public lives for them and from my own personal experiences with traumatic events, it can take a few years for those painful feelings to finally shift. Everyone is wired differently so we all have to live to our own timetables and what I call 'spiritual bodyclocks'. When those awful feelings do shift, it can be very liberating and freeing. I wish nothing but for all parties concerned to have freedom from this situation. Hanging onto anger and not having the ability to forgive one day can be just as destructive as the cause in the first place. That's why people have so many health problems too as the mind and the heart are connected. Very few people know how to say sorry these days though.

[Guest]

[QUOTE=redwhiteblue;n611016]

When I heard Alex's father saying he could never forgive Cameron Smith I saw a father trying to rationalize and alleviate his terrible pain, albeit in a misguided and emotional manner. I imagine as time goes on he might change.

/QUOTE]
I hope so too TCB. It's still very fresh in their very public lives for them and from my own personal experiences with traumatic events, it can take a few years for those painful feelings to finally shift. Everyone is wired differently so we all have to live to our own timetables and what I call 'spiritual bodyclocks'. When those awful feelings do shift, it can be very liberating and freeing. I wish nothing but for all parties concerned to have freedom from this situation. Hanging onto anger and not having the ability to forgive one day can be just as destructive as the cause in the first place. That's why people have so many health problems too as the mind and the heart are connected. Very few people know how to say sorry these days though.

It is so hard to imagine what that family is going through but I agree with you about forgiveness RWB. I'm no fan of Cameron Smith in any way and I despise the way Melbourne have ruined the game with their dirty wrestling tactics. For me though it is just very harsh to make Smith the fall guy.

Of course once again the media have exploited and sensationalized a human tragedy for their own gain.

Smith is screwed because he will never look like a reasonable guy when he has been set up as the bad guy and a hero quadriplegic is the good guy. It is a lose/lose situation for him imo.

[redwhiteblue]

[QUOTE=Teriyaki Chicken Boy;n611019]

It is so hard to imagine what that family is going through but I agree with you about forgiveness RWB. I'm no fan of Cameron Smith in any way and I despise the way Melbourne have ruined the game with their dirty wrestling tactics. For me though it is just very harsh to make Smith the fall guy.

Of course once again the media have exploited and sensationalized a human tragedy for their own gain.

Smith is screwed because he will never look like a reasonable guy when he has been set up as the bad guy and a hero quadriplegic is the good guy. It is a lose/lose situation for him imo.

I have no time for modern media and if that makes me an old fashioned oddity, then so be it. My life is so peaceful without all that dysfunctional sensationalism shoved in my face all the time. I guess this proves my theory that words can hurt more than physical pain. They are carrying their pain and anger, not about the injury, but the inflammatory comments, because that is what hurt them more. It's like when you are in a relationship where there is no physical violence, but mental anguish, and that can cause lifelong pain also and be just as unhealthy. Emotional abuse it's called and I my guess this is what the McKinnons are going through now. By confronting Alex with the actual footage of what was said, of course he is going to react the way he did. What human on the planet would not? Like I said, its still so fresh in their minds so its up to them if they choose to forgive or not. I posted in another thread that holding onto anger is like drinking poison but expecting the other person to die.