Forget sticks and stones
Only words matter today, apparently:
Friday night, Steve Lyons makes an ill-advised joke in good fun with his broadcast partner, and gets fired. Saturday, Miami players use their cleats and helmets as weapons, and get only a one-game suspension.
Call me kooky, but shouldn’t we have a little more tolerance for words and ideas and jokes, and little less for assault and battery with a deadly weapon?
Not on your life. Flesh wounds eventually heal. But cruel words cut straight to the heart, where they fester for all eternity.
At least, that’s what we’re told to believe, usually by the same people who quote Matthew 7:1 and manage to miss the rest of the chapter.
Brad »
22 October 2006 · 10:53 am
“At least, that’s what we’re told to believe, usually by the same people who quote Matthew 7:1 and manage to miss the rest of the chapter.”
Amen, brother!
McGehee »
22 October 2006 · 12:18 pm
But cruel words cut straight to the heart, where they fester for all eternity.
In that case, I’m about 35 years late staging my schoolyard massacre.
Mister Snitch! »
22 October 2006 · 2:30 pm
A broken arm can heal, a broken reputation might not. I’ve seen this principle in action, defended clients (PR work) who had been slandered for ‘business reasons’ (nasty stuff). The public retains doubt, no matter what you do. The stain never quite comes out.
Most people lead very private lives, and have no concept of the impact of ugly words. Imagine a front page story appeared in which you were portrayed as having raped a child. (Assuming you’re not a woman… this blog has already discussed our double standards in that regard.) Even if you’re exonerated in court, the damage is done.
I think at one time, one might have preferred the slander. Communications didn’t penetrate to all corners (seemingly) of the planet, whereas your broken arm might not set right, develop infections, and cause you pain the rest of your life. Today’s communications are especially pervasive (stuff stays on the net forever, and anyone who wants to troll for slime will find SOMEthing, somewhere), while today’s medicine for repairing sticks-and-stones injuries are pretty effective.
In a sense, ‘Matthew‘ was ahead of his time. We ought to do some serious contemplation before we launch accusations, which is so easily done these days.
I’ve already had my run-in here with Christians anxious to judge, one of whom actually asked me “Is it “OK” for me to judge you if you abort a female fetus?”. Why ask me? You guys have The Book.
Anyway, this is off-point. The situation you’re describing is just a typically cowardly broadcast corporation covering its ass. They’re not trying to protect anyone except themselves. Here what we’re dealing with a creeping McCarthyism called ‘political correctness’, administered this time by the left. The fact that this stuff is effective makes these censors increasingly bolder, so that now no newspaper dares to issue even a mild criticism of Islam, and many things that should be publicly discussed are taboo. Not sex – you can say ‘fuck’ all you like (thanks, Howard Stern). You can trash Christianity all day long, at least on the Coasts. But to even imply that Black America’s problems aren’t entriely the result of racism? (See, don’t you feel goosebumps already? And I haven’t even made that accusation – I merely said IF it were made.)
Long comment, huh. It’s a residual of being a former blogger. Happens sometimes.
John Salmon »
22 October 2006 · 3:59 pm
Mr. Snitch-You’ve gone former on us?
As more than a few people have pointed out, the network suits probably had wanted to dump Lyons (who isn’t dumb, but tends to a goofy, high school kid style enthusiasm) for a while. When your position is tenuous, never hand your opponents a sword.
Why they kept McCarver and dumped Lyons is an even greater mystery.
Mister Snitch! »
24 October 2006 · 9:33 am
“Former” Well, I haven’t ‘blogged’ in months, and it’d s regular, ongoing activity. I may return to it in some form, but saying ‘on hiatus’ sounds a little pretentious and begs the question, ‘how long’? Which I can’t answer. Hence… former.
And no doubt, had the network really wanted to keep Lyons, they’d have found a way. Quite right, this incident might just have been a convenient ‘out’ for them.