News of the Restless

Like, for example, this horrid headline of yours:

“Hugo Chavez-Loving Boxer Edwin Valero Kills Wife, Hangs Himself in Jail”

There is so much wrong with this picture, and no, I’m not talking about the late El Inca’s chest tattoo. You could have made the headline simpler and more accurate at the same time by shortening it down to “Boxer Edwin Valero Kills Wife, Hangs Himself in Jail”. His support for his president (who, need I remind you, is democratically elected, and exceptionally peaceful) has nothing to do with this tragedy at all. And to throw that in the headline there, as you Miami New Times twits irresponsibly did, is to suggest erroneously that his politics are the root cause of violent crime.

So. If Edwin Valero’s politics aren’t the cause of his violent behavior and precipitous jailhouse suicide, what is? Well, here’s something that might offer some clues. Watch the video. It’s about a pro wrestler named Chris Benoit, who sustained numerous concussions (and brain damage) as a result of head-hits in the ring. Like Valero, he suffered a drastic change in personality, which led to problems with addiction. He became increasingly violent and erratic. His condition deteriorated rapidly, literally within months. And in the end, he wound up killing his wife and disabled son before taking his own life.

Brain damage (there’s even a medical term for this specific type) was found to be the likeliest cause of all the violence and tragedy that ended Chris Benoit’s career and life. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Edwin Valero’s case panned out the same. Both men made a professional career out of hitting and being hit. And hits to the head are common in both sports, as are head injuries and even fatalities. I’m old enough to remember what happened to Korean boxer Duk Koo Kim:

Duk Koo Kim, KO’d by Ray “Boom-Boom” Mancini, 1982. Kim died of brain injuries four days later.

But somehow, I never hear anyone mentioning Chris Benoit’s politics. Or Duk Koo Kim’s. So why pick on Edwin Valero? Just because of a flag tattoo with a president’s face?

The anti-Chavista media really have lost their fucking marbles. Way to discredit yourselves, guys. And way to make cheap points on a tragedy which is athletic and personal, not political. Have you no shame?