Political Speaker coming to SKC facility [?]

Discussion in 'Sporting Kansas City' started by KopRules, Dec 17, 2019.

  1. KopRules

    KopRules Member+

    May 31, 2011
    Beautiful South KC
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City

    Attached Files:

  2. Buzz Killington

    Buzz Killington Member+

    Oct 6, 2002
    Lee's Summit
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Just going to say that if they're open to letting anyone reserve the event space at Pinnacle they're being neutral which is the key point in that which they'd need to adhere. Those other provisions wouldn't apply to this event.
     
  3. KopRules

    KopRules Member+

    May 31, 2011
    Beautiful South KC
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Fair enough. I remain open to ideas and action Buzz. Something more constructive than citing FIFA's #SayNoToRacism campaign would probably be appreciated. Feel free to jump in at any time.
     
  4. Buzz Killington

    Buzz Killington Member+

    Oct 6, 2002
    Lee's Summit
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #29 Buzz Killington, Dec 18, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2019
    Why? While I may tend to lean left of center and don't agree with her views she's allowed to have them. The team is allowed to rent out the facility to people who are willing to pay for it (they even advertise the ability to book events on the website). And at this point if I was guessing, I'd guess it's less about SKC's ownership's personal leanings and more about someone just needing a venue to host an event and choosing to rent out Pinnacle as the site of the event. If you don't like it you're more than welcome to let that be known, put together a counter protest to the event, etc.
     
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  5. KopRules

    KopRules Member+

    May 31, 2011
    Beautiful South KC
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Because we criticize the club to make it better, not tear it down. Thats why.

    Its up to us to decide what we are willing to live with. Up to us to decide whether we're cool with the club merely not violating the law. This is all a woefully low standard for an entity which regularly invokes "Community", and phrases like "We Together" in its marketing messages.

    Personally, I can't pat myself on the back when the club permits an anti-hate tifo on a Saturday, but then solicits speech which legitimates hate and bigotry on a Monday.

    At least, thats my answer why.

    Also, if you have any info supporting your charitable rendition of how this CO transaction has played itself out, please share. My suspicion is that SKC knew booking this event was going to lead to CO's appearance in KCK, but I got nothing to support that... just phone calls and a couple of emails that are totally unacknowledged.
     
  6. Buzz Killington

    Buzz Killington Member+

    Oct 6, 2002
    Lee's Summit
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't have any proof one way or the other on how this event came about, I'm just using Occam's razor. Instead of having some motive to specifically bring in Owens, the simple explanation is that the organizing group went through the proper channels to rent the great hall out for their event as any organization can do.
     
  7. KopRules

    KopRules Member+

    May 31, 2011
    Beautiful South KC
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Dont conflate what Ive stated Buzz. I never said the club had any “motive to specifically bring in Owens.” What I said was that I *suspect* that in the course of booking this particular political campaign SKC knew or had reason to know that it would lead to Owens speaking in KCK. I’ve been totally fair to the club throughout this whole thread and I really don’t appreciate you jacking my words.
     
  8. Buzz Killington

    Buzz Killington Member+

    Oct 6, 2002
    Lee's Summit
    Club:
    Kansas City Wizards
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think you need to chill out a bit. My apologies for twisting your words. My point still stands, the simplest explanation is that this group went through all the proper channels to reserve (presumably) the great hall and there wasn’t any specific reason for the Pinnacle staff to deny renting the space when they booked it.
     
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  9. vividox

    vividox Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 10, 2005
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Speculation either way is kind of pointless. Let's try to stick to facts here.
     
  10. KopRules

    KopRules Member+

    May 31, 2011
    Beautiful South KC
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Ive brought facts and stood on those facts. When I speculate, I express that I am speculating. What I don't know, I make clear that I don't know.
     
  11. Inca Roads

    Inca Roads Member+

    Nov 22, 2012
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Unless I misread, didn't they rent the space to a campaigning politician, who happened to include Candace in their rally? It seems generally benign to me from an ownership perspective.

    I'd rather Candace not show up, and I'm not excited by a politician who thinks she is a good representation of the values of America, but I too am having difficulty seeing where I should stick my head into all of this. I'm just hoping nothing happens or is said at the event that tarnishes SKC in any way, and chances are good nothing like that will really happen.
     
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  12. kckicker23

    kckicker23 Member

    Jun 10, 2003
    KC
    Allowing a political event in the space is totally fine. It's possible to read a violation of FIFA statutes into it (specifically 15.c from what was posted), but since FIFA themselves only really cares about those statutes as and when it benefits them, it's not really worth any energy pursuing.

    However, allowing a political event that features Candace Owens is bad. Full stop. There is not a reasonable explanation for hosting an islamophobe, anti-vaxxer, white nationalist apologist. These are the facts. SKC either knows them and chose to host her anyway, or chose to not research who would be part of this event. If it's the second option, then the only reasonable thing to do is to deny the event if she is part of it.

    These are not issues of legality. These are issues of what's the right thing to do, and how our choices are reflections of our values. If Candace Owens wants to have a rally in KCK, there's nothing to legally stop her from doing so. But giving her a platform? Any organization that chooses to do that must deal with the ramifications of what that means.
     
    KopRules repped this.
  13. KopRules

    KopRules Member+

    May 31, 2011
    Beautiful South KC
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Same guy who misstates my words then starts lecturing me about it. Got it.
     
  14. KopRules

    KopRules Member+

    May 31, 2011
    Beautiful South KC
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    You didnt misread anything. This is the reason I stated that "Sporting KC" contracted with a campaign who is the "host" of the event. The event being a speaker working to raise funds for the campaign. My point all along is that SKC, given its community based marketing focus and top flight sponsors dealing in public health (CMH), have made a really poor decision. At no point in time have I ever stated that they aren't legally well within their rights to rent out event space.

    My question is really this: are you okay with it? And if you are okay with Candice Owens, are you okay with [insert name of wayward speaker who is even worse than Owens].

    Btw, I equate "being okay with it" same as not doing anything about it.
     
  15. KopRules

    KopRules Member+

    May 31, 2011
    Beautiful South KC
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Thank you for this entire post. Highlighting this particular passage because its a nuance which I have clearly done a poor job of articulating in this thread. However, I don't necessary know that they "chose not to research," but there IS a clear presumption that SKC is totally indifferent at best. This is a presumption that SKC should be able to rebut if they choose to do so and have facts on their side. Unfortunately, they certainly haven't said anything rebutting this presumption to date.
     
  16. Inca Roads

    Inca Roads Member+

    Nov 22, 2012
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Honestly, as I've thought about this thread over the last day or so, I probably am okay with it.

    Here's part of why. Pinnacle doesn't seem to host public events at all. I find no schedule of events, no promotion of events, nothing. If I google search this event, it's pretty much dead space after linking to this thread and to the discussions on reddit it has spawned. No promotion, no connection.

    If I start seeing ads stating "Sporting KC and Pinnacle host an event for Candace Owens to support X candidate," I'll have a problem. If literally the only connection I can make between this small, private fundraiser for a GOP person and the team I support is this thread and your work, I have to be honest and say that no, this is not creating a reflection on my team and no, this is not abusing the trust supporters put in the team.

    I am reasonably left-leaning, to be clear, but I don't love the current trend of platform-denial or shouting-down that is often employed. There are times and places to do that. But a kooky Trumpfluffer coming to back up a local Republican candidate at a private dinner? That's not over the line for me.

    Anyways. I could really use some transfer rumors about now. This is a valid, important discussion here but boy do I want to talk soccer.
     
    Buzz Killington repped this.
  17. kckicker23

    kckicker23 Member

    Jun 10, 2003
    KC
    To not really get into anything else of what you said, which on this forum it's difficult to take too much issue with, I do think it's important to say: It is impossibly generous to describe Candace Owens as "kooky." She represents a dangerous element of our society that is only growing in strength, awareness, and proximity to positions of power. Acquiescing to her presence out of some deference to avoiding the difficult but important work of denying platforms to people who deserve to be denied is just appeasing that dangerous element in the blind hope that it won't get stronger, or come back to bite you. As I said, we as individuals and SKC as an organization have a choice here. What we choose speaks volumes.
     
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  18. vividox

    vividox Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 10, 2005
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    [takes off mod cap]

    Yeah, as much as I agree with the stance that a private event isn't a big deal, I'm not a fan of fence-walking when it comes to anti-vaxxers or far right politics. When your beliefs put people's lives in danger or outright calls for the exportation/exploitation/extermination of minorities, that belief does not deserve a platform, end of discussion.
     
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  19. KopRules

    KopRules Member+

    May 31, 2011
    Beautiful South KC
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    @kckicker23 and @vividox is it okay with you guys if I cut and paste your exact words (Post #42 and #43) in their entirety and send to SKC Communications? If no, I 100% respect your wishes and will not do so. Thanks in advance for considering.
     
  20. vividox

    vividox Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 10, 2005
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
  21. kckicker23

    kckicker23 Member

    Jun 10, 2003
    KC
    Absolutely. Let us know if/when you hear back from them.
     
  22. KopRules

    KopRules Member+

    May 31, 2011
    Beautiful South KC
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    I dont think you're saying Im fabricating anything, but I really dont know you're saying by emphasizing "this thread" and my "work".

    Facts:
    There's an event.
    SKC is taking in money for that event.
    SKC's headquarters (one of 'em) is the venue for the event.
    A person who legitimates antisemitism (among other things) will be addressing ticket holders at the event.
    Its a private fundraiser, for public office, at a venue funded by public dollars.

    Speculation:
    That the event is "small." (*You speculating)
    If we cool w/ this, next time maybe SKC can go thru a third party and set up David Duke to come to KCK. (*Me speculating)
     
  23. KopRules

    KopRules Member+

    May 31, 2011
    Beautiful South KC
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    #48 KopRules, Dec 19, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2019
    "GOP Dynamos"
    "Join Forces to Bring the Fight For Freedom to the Congressional 3rd District"
    "Candice Owens LIVE as the Pinnacle National Development Center"

    (I like how we are looking for a "Figh" here. Also, on the first ad I posted yesterday, if you pay enough money, you get to meet Candace in person before the show. Perhaps you can share some more fighting tips in private).

    https://www.adrienneforkansas.com/candace_owens_splash?splash=1

    upload_2019-12-19_13-50-40.png
     
  24. KopRules

    KopRules Member+

    May 31, 2011
    Beautiful South KC
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    IF what you say is true, the fact that Pinnacle doesn't 'seem to host public events at all,' makes selecting this particular event and event space more troublesome, than if Pinnacle were a place which regularly hosted events (public or private).
     
  25. Inca Roads

    Inca Roads Member+

    Nov 22, 2012
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    I'm not disparaging you by emphasizing those--mostly pointing out that you are pretty literally the sole voice bringing this to the public. The event isn't being publicly promoted or anything. That's all I'm saying. That you are mostly the only reason anyone who wasn't expressly invited even knows about this, at this point. It's actually very impressive. Sorry if it came off snide.

    I suppose I'm speculating about the size, yeah. But I do know the hall can't hold any more than 500 people, and unless this is actually a rally and not just a regular GOP "wine and dine a bunch of rich white people," I figure it would be notably smaller than that.

    Anyways. My issue is that we are attacking the venue because their vetted and approved guest is bringing a less reputable personality along with. So the concern is that we feel the venue should step in and keep their paying customer from bringing a divisive speaker (I'll admit, I only know her as a Trumpy fangirl, anti-vaxx nut, and "I know a black person who agrees with me, so my views aren't racist" token personality). At this point, I see it as an indictment against the politician who invited her, not the venue.

    I'm concerned because I don't love the idea of a venue policing the guests--at what point does it become "David Duke is going to attend your event, so we're shutting it down" even if he isn't anything other than an attendee? I think the heat should rightfully fall on this bit candidate getting a PragerU mouthpiece as their hypester. But maybe that just doesn't work anymore and we do need to true and lock them out of the venue. I just don't love infringing on speech/assembly, even if I disastrously disagree with what's being said.

    Probably just my old naivety at play.
     

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