Good for Schwarzennegger for standing up for these special olympians.
From: ourplace-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ourplace-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Linda Gehres
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2017 12:22 PM
To: ourplace@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ourplace] Arnie pushes back on Internet troll; Special Olympics
supporter brings the muscle and stands up to repugnant comments
Arnie pushes back on Internet troll; Special Olympics supporter brings the
muscle and stands up to repugnant comments
Marissa Payne The Washington Post
<http://newspapers.web.ca/news/nr/en/The%20Toronto%20Star> The Toronto Star
, Mar. 27, 2017
Arnold Schwarzenegger turned an offensive comment about the Special Olympics
that someone left on his Facebook page into a "teachable moment" this week.
The comment came in response to a video the former bodybuilding champion
posted Thursday to his page congratulating the winners of the Special
Olympics World Games held in Austria, where Schwarzenegger is from.
Schwarzenegger appears in the video message that also features the text,
"These guys inspire me!"
The video has attracted more than 400,000 views and drawn hundreds of
comments, but not all of them were kind. One, in particular, referred to
Special Olympians using a derogatory term and questioned the need for the
Special Olympics at all.
"The Olympics are for the best athletes in the entire world to compete
against each other to determine who is the best," the individual wrote.
"Having r-----s competing is doing the opposite!"
Schwarzenegger posted his response hours later, noting, "As evil and stupid
as this comment is, I'm not going to delete it or ban you (yet) because it's
a teachable moment."
The former Republican governor of California continued: "You have two
possible paths ahead. Right now, I guarantee you that these athletes have
more courage, compassion, brains and skill - actually more of every positive
human quality than you.
"So take their path - you could learn from them, and try to challenge
yourself, to give back, to add something to the world. Or you can stay on
your path, and keep being a sad pitiful jealous internet troll who adds
nothing to the world but mocks anyone who does out of small-minded jealousy.
"I know that all you really want is attention, so let me be clear: If you
choose to keep going this way, no one will ever remember you."
Schwarzenegger has worked with the Special Olympics program for years.
The Special Olympics were founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the
mother of Schwarzenegger's former wife, Maria Shriver, and the couple's four
children are also active with the movement.
That the 69-year-old actor stood up to a hater is not a surprise.
He's fired back at critics before, including President Donald Trump, who in
January blamed Schwarzenegger for the low ratings of The New Celebrity
Apprentice, the latest version of reality show franchise originated by
Trump.
"Wow, the ratings are in and Arnold Schwarzenegger got 'swamped' (or
destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT," Trump said in a tweet
posted Jan. 6
