Chicago Cubs Investigate Fan For Alleged White Supremacist Gesture

The rise of white supremacy in the United States over the last couple of years has led to increased sensitivity in the way people talk and the way people communicate. Gestures that used to be harmless ways to signal to people without talking can now land you in a heap of trouble, even if you didn’t mean them in a bad context. That’s exactly what has happened to the “OK” gesture where you make a circle with your index finger and thumb while holding your other three fingers in the air. According to the anti-defamation league, this is now a symbol of white supremacy.

A Chicago Cubs fan made this gesture on TV during a segment by broadcaster Doug Glanville. It’s important to note that the fan had the “OK” sign upside down which means he probably meant it as part of the “made you look” game where you punch your friend if he’s caught gazing at your hand. The Cubs didn’t interpret it this way and are now considering banning the fan for life.

“An individual seated behind Mr. Glanville used what appears to be an offensive hand gesture that is associated with racism,” Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney said according to TMZ. “Such ignorant and repulsive behavior is not tolerated at Wrigley Field. We are reviewing the incident thoroughly because no one should be subjected to this type of offensive behavior. Any derogatory conduct should be reported immediately to our ballpark staff. Any individual behaving in this manner will not only be removed from the ballpark, but will be permanently banned from Wrigley Field.”

What do you think about this story? Are the Cubs overreacting or are they right to investigate this fan’s actions?