I saw this interview between TV3’s John Campbell and Eliota Sapolu — the Samoan rugby centre who faced a judiciary hearing following his angry tweets accusing an IRB ref of bias and racist decisions during the South African/Samoan pool game in the Rugby World Cup.
It’s a fabulous interview which impressed me very much. See what you think.
Click to watch the interview at 3news.co.nz
Apparently he is a lawyer. Go figure i guess.
Isn’t he awesome?
I thought he spoke like a seasoned pro and didn’t get rattled by the curly questions. He even managed to pull off the Holocaust reference in a way that made sense when normally it makes the speaker look ridiculous.
He’ll go far in life. Definitely one to watch.
I’m really glad he’s a straight shooter as these issues have to be discussed. However, like Hone Harawira, I think the way he’s spoken has hit his own foot. As the proverb says, “The wise make knowledge acceptable” and anyone alienated by insults usually won’t listen to the profoundest of pearls.
Everyone i’ve spoken to has observed that he impressed – they have all willingly and easily (in their own minds) placed his anger in context. Nothing wrong with that. I tend to think (and its only opinion) – that we have far too many people purporting to be wise and “making knowledge acceptable”. We have a Prime Minister who supports all points of views and yet doesnt – all at once. I am wondering when NZ slipped down the rabbithole with poor old Alice.
We’re about to enter a phase of the Election Cycle where there will be a truckload of people seeking to “make knowledge acceptable” – and they will all have us think they are wise im sure.
We need more Eliota’s I reckon.
Here’s the result of the IRB disciplinary hearing: a suspended six months suspension (say it quickly three times) accompanied by a good behaviour bond/gag order: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/fan-central/5790322/Samoan-tweeter-Sapolu-gets-suspended-ban
Fair enough, I guess. I can’t argue with the ’empathy’ prescription — it’s my word of the year for 2011, remember?