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
