Ole Miss Football Players and The Code

Members of the Ole Miss football team disrupted a play this past week by laughing at the actors and cat-calling inappropriate remarks and slurs as the play went on.  The play, entitled The Laramie Project, deals with the story of a gay man, Matthew Shephard, who was murdered in Wyoming.  Many people around the country would not be surprised that this happened at Ole Miss, which has a heritage of racism and narrow minded thinking.  That is too bad, because while it did happen at Ole Miss, it could have happened anywhere.  The larger issue is not that there were a few people who misbehaved, it is that there were not others who stood up to the behavior.  The Code says, “I will respect the dignity of every human being, and will not be abusive or dehumanizing of another…”   On many occasions the best way to “respect the dignity” of others is to stand publicly with them against those who do not.  How does this situation apply to you, your team, your school?