OPINION Past tweets can harm a person’s reputation

Can we ever move on from old tweets?

Imani Warren, Reporter|November 9, 2018

Kelvin Pena feeds a deer (Photo from CurlyNikki.com)

How could anyone move on when their past constantly follows them?

The Internet, especially the Twitter community, has taken on the responsibility of “canceling” celebrities when they find controversial tweets. “Canceling” is where you unfollow, stop supporting, or discredit a creator’s work because of their history. But, where do we draw the line?

Recently, Kelvin Pena (better known as “Brother Nature”) was caught up in his past. Tweets surfaced of Pena being anti-black and offensive. Too often we see public figure’s past being brought up and coming back to haunt them. Luckily, Kelvin Pena made an apology for his tweets that he made at 11 and 12 years old by posting on Twitter, “I started using twitter when I was 12 years old, I was very impressionable and was seeking attention. I am sorry to all of the people that I offended and have let down. I apologize for 12-year-old Kelvin and take total responsibility for my words.

But, why is it that it seems like stories similar to these happen so often with many celebrities and Internet stars? People do need to take responsibility for their actions, but why go digging and searching for a way to ruin someone’s career and good name? I’m not saying that all people who have been “canceled” don’t deserve it, but again, where do we  draw the line? When do we learn to accept an apology and move on?

The public gets too caught up on trying to be offended by so many things, and be politically correct to notice when an apology is genuine and heartfelt. Pena is a great example of a public figure who is truly sorry for his actions.

“Everyone changes, everyone learns, and everyone makes mistakes. That’s why I spread so much positivity with the platform I was given, to be a role model for the kids,” he later said in in his Twitter post.

These types of celebrities need to be held accountable for their actions and know that they will affect them always, but we also need to know when to accept an apology and move on.