Jackson Mahomes’ arrest isn’t about football. And the victim deserves grace, too | Opinion

My colleague Toriano Porter just wrote a highly sympathetic piece about Jackson Mahomes’ arrest, saying as he has before that the young man deserves grace and needs counseling.

He also wrote that this arrest, and the behavior that preceded it, should in no way reflect on that young man’s famous brother, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

I agree with all of that; don’t all of us, famous and not, have relatives whose actions and decisions we would have vetoed if asked?

And I do have to wonder how many of the Chiefs fans tweeting about how unfair Toriano was being to both Mahomes brothers had taken the time to read what he actually wrote, which was that “the older Mahomes cannot be held responsible for anything his younger sibling does.”

In this case, that “anything” involves three felony counts of aggravated sexual battery and a misdemeanor count of battery, the latter involving accusations that he repeatedly shoved a 19-year-old waiter.

I would like to add one thing to what Toriano said, though, which is that the 40-year-old Overland Park restaurant owner who accused Jackson Mahomes of grabbing her by the neck and kissing her “out of nowhere” is not having a great week, either.

Standing up for your right not to be grabbed will reliably win you a generous helping of abuse from the many who will assume, with or without video evidence, that you, dear lady, are just trying to cash in.

Accuse the brother of this town’s most beloved sports icon and you are without any doubt going to be vilified on a whole other level.

If we really believe that we all get to decide if and when we’re touched — we do, right? — then the woman who has stepped forward anyway deserves some grace, too.