Thanks very much for posting. This article hits a lot of truths and should make many uncomfortable with the actions of their fellow "'Muricans". I wouldn't wish this situation on anyone and it's heartbreaking to this young lady be bullied and attacked like so many other prominent African American females....

Anyway, I recommend everyone taking a look at the article.

Phelps gets zero criticism and poor Gabby gets dumped on.

very curious to see if anyone would try to make a big deal out of it. Of course they didn't!

I feel so sorry for our girls in Rio winning medals in our name only to be attacked for it.

Douglas' treatment was beyond shameful

Remember in 2012 there was a huge deal made about her hair style? Good grief, she's an amazing athlete, but that can't be what these cretins focus on. Gotta find fault, no matter how bogus.

other African Americans. Most white people honestly don't know much about ethnic hair to begin with.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/02/gabby-douglas-takes-two-olympic-golds-and-hair-criticism.html

WRT hand over her heart, I'm sorry an Olympic champion has to even deal with it. She's spectacular, as all our women were.

and were criticizing her hair from a different angle. But, actually, I don't think we can divorce the influence of racism and misogyny from the criticisms of her hair, even from members of her own community. I think we're, most all of us, influenced by prejudices, expectations, and stereotypes about beauty, and those do in some way play into the issue of black women's hair.

As for the flag salute issue, I agree with Casey Cipriani at bustle.com:

She should be CELEBRATED for her abilities, not this garbage being spewed at her.

In 2012, McKayla Maroney got vilified and smeared for making a frown and smirk on the podium for a 10th of a second. And she's white.
One of the Russian female gymnasts in the past has been attacked for her attitude and demeanor. Again, she's white.

It may have more to do with gender. And the expectations that society puts on each gender and their behavior. Men may have more latitude to express their disappointments and frustrations without being criticized for it.

What an insult to that poor kid!

Phelps has over 20 of the things, let this young lady have her night.

People fucking suck.

... to her chest during the anthem aren't necessarily all racists.

I'm sure that many of them are just overly-judgmental freaks. I call them "Nancy Grace types."

I'm white. I attended an Ohio State game a few years ago with my brother, and I kept hearing some woman behind us yelling "take off your cap" during the national anthem. I wondered who the heck kept interrupting the anthem with such yelling, so I eventually turned around and realized that she was looking toward me and my brother. I then looked at him and saw that his OSU cap was still on his head (although he held his hand to his chest).

The woman was red-faced over it! She was seated about 10 rows behind us, so it's possible that people near her suffered some hearing damage. I mentioned it to my brother, and he replied that he didn't give a shit what that crazy woman wanted him to do.

My niece's father-in-law, a retired CEO, used to actually snatch caps off people's heads in restaurants! My niece's husband was embarrassed by it as a child.

There's some unbearably judgmental people around.

... aggression like this that don't get the benefit of the doubt when its aimed at an other.

My brother knew the "rule" too.

His eyes are extremely sensitive to light from a genetic condition that causes vision loss that's similar to macular degeneration, so the cap served a function for him (in addition to sunglasses). He keeps the curtains closed in his apartment most of the time, especially if it's sunny outside.

MLB players (of all colors) don't always follow it either. I started paying closer attention after the incident with my brother.