The Write Journey: April 2007 entries

When things happen like the Virginia Tech murders of this past Monday, the surreality of the act sends many of us reeling in despair while the weight of the universe and the harsh cruelty which is an unavoidable aspect of life crushes in upon us. Some cry that its a sign of the end of the world, while others seek answers that are closely tied into their own political agendas.

As horrible as this tragedy is, there have been others. The Bath School disaster of 1927 was a series of three bombings which resulted in 45 dead, 58 injured, most of whom were 2nd to 6th graders. I don't
why the public, like the troubled and terrifying souls who commit these acts, must contrast and compare such incidents with one another as if we all share the same twisted fascination as the killers for who can top who in misery and pain.

Outcries ranging from stricter gun control to arming every citizen are being argued across the country from digital chatrooms to barroom stools. Everyone has an opinion, a view, a "full-proof" cure for what ails the world. But in order to find the right answers, you first have to ask the right questions, and personally I don't think asking how to prevent such acts is the right question. Human beings are, at our core, fragile, emotional, and vulnerable creatures. If our inner psyche, our inner spirit, is malformed or discontent, so are we. A corrupt inner being corrupts our thoughts, fuels our anger, incites our rage. Like a wounded animal, we lash out at those we feel threatened by when we believe we are forced into a corner with no escape. And it seems that with every passing hour of every passing day in every passing year within every passing decade we're breeding a materialistic society built around values so lofty and goals so unrealistic that even the fairest of the fair, the richest of the rich, and the strongest of the strong are crashing and burning as they fall short of obtaining the unobtainable, the perfect life.

We have to find a way to break this vicious cycle, to stop applying aesthetic values to Life itself. Life in itself is a miracle beyond words, something that transcends beauty and monetary value. I imagine that takes forms that we've yet to even imagine. And every single item blessed with it, whether you are a person of Faith or not, deserves to be treasured for what it is, not restricted by what the human mind can conceive. We're all children of the wondrous universe in which we live, and in the grand scheme of things we are each just a small part of it all. Our kids need to know this and stop having to live up to standards that have nothing to do with love or happiness, or the enjoyment of being alive. I feel like we're all trapped in all trapped in a toilet and as we swirl around at an ever increasing speed we're being drawn toward the drain leading straight to Hell and oblivion. I want to stand on the highest mountain and scream and scream and scream and scream until every human ear embraces my sorrow, my frustration, my anger, and my fear. I want a moment when every beating heart is in unison, when every human my, body and soul is linked as one so that we truly understand, just for one fleeting second, that none of us are alone.

Maybe then we'll be able to ask the only question that really matters, and will be able to seek out the ultimate answers. The question, is simply "Why?"

- GBB

Words are the vocal or written expression of our thoughts, our ideals, our emotions. They are a means of painting mental pictures that can often be more vivid than what we see with our eyes. Words can impart the greatest love and affection, but they also can be used to batter and bruise, to deal a nasty wound like a knife between the ribs. Because words have depth and meaning, and because we humans are creatures ruled by emotion and often defined by our own sense of self worth, words are often a more brutal weapon than any other man can devise.

We live in a world in conflict, where the freedom of speech is in jeopardy from the tides of political correctness. The more sensitive are about what we say, going far over the boundaries of common sense in an attempt to avoid offending anyone, the louder and more blatant those who would push freedom of speech well past its breaking point become. It's as if we live in a society of intolerants hiding behind the mask of liberalism, or a world full of conservative chameleons who, were they to show their true colors, are in fact more liberal minded than the proudest liberal. It seems as if no one is truly committed to their own publicly expressed beliefs.

Don Imus, long time radio talk show host and "shock jock," made racially insensitive comments about the Rutgers University Womens' Basketball Team, who, against all odds, made the finals of this year's NCAA tournament. Their achievement had been applauded by many, and the women were lifted to the status of icons and role models for women everywhere, be they black, white, etc.

But Imus, in "joking" with his producer on air April 4th, referred to the women as a bunch of "nappy-headed hos". He since apologized multiple times, proclaiming that he is not a bad person, but said a stupid thing he now regrets. The public outrage has been growing at an exponential rate since, and both his CBS radio station and MSNBC, who simulcasts the show on cable, have suspended Imus for two weeks. In addition, it's just been announced that MSNBC has dropped Imus' show altogether, and given the growing number of sponsors dropping out of the show, I suspect his radio career may die a painful and sudden death very soon. Many people are calling for Imus' head on a platter, while others cry foul, using the excuse of free speech as a crutch to lean on in support of Imus' right to spout such comments without censure.

As I see it, freedom of speech is a right, a privilege, and a responsibility. Speech is about the expression of ideals and beliefs, the right to have whatever opinion you wish to hold. The US Constitution says I have the right to bear arms. This does not, however, give me the right to use them to harm or kill my neighbor. In the same way, freedom of speech doesn't mean that we have the right to use words to denigrate others. Of course this happens every day, but normally it occurs in a heated argument or another anger-fueled situation, or comes from the mouth of comedians whose job is to express social and political commentary in a cutting, but humorous fashion. But Imus had no personal confrontation with the women of Rutgers. The team isn't a political entity in which he had some issue with. And Imus is not a professional comedian. As far as I can see, there was no justifiable reason for him to pick on these beautiful, smart, proud women for any other reason than the mere fact that he felt he could get away with it. After all, they didn't represent his target demographic, and in his mind, most of his audience would laugh along with him at his poor jest. Yes, he has since expressed regret for his comments, but that came after the storm of controversy erupted around him once his comments reached beyond his tiny universe.

Honestly, I don't think the important question is whether or not Imus should be fired, nor whether he deserves a second chance given how many others have gotten away with similar comments in the past. And if Imus is indeed protected under the laws governing free speech, then so is the public at large who are speaking out against him, and it's they who ultimate pay his salary, not the other way around. Frankly I could care less whether Imus stays or goes. But I want to see a world where hate is no longer a part of our vernacular, where we don't have to wait until the populace decides which injustices are intolerable, and which aren't worth the slightest concern. When are we going to reach the day when we actually care as much, if not more, for others as we do for ourselves?

I don't resent Imus, or hold any malice toward him. He's entitled to be whoever he wishes, to believe whatever he chooses. And I don't want to live in a world where the right to believe whatever you wish. But I DO want to live in a world where hate is not accepted, where maliciousness, be it expressed in physical or verbal form, isn't tolerated by the masses. The reason people like Don Imus, Michael Richards, and Mel Gibson have publicly expressed such hateful, hurtful ideals so publicly is because they know that for the most part, though in subtler ways, these very thoughts are on the minds and lay unspoken on the tongues of far too many people, and until that has been driven from the world, the words will continue to flow.

Right now, I don't feel rage, nor the desire for justice from Imus or any of his ilk. I just feel sadness and disappointment because in the 21st century, decades removed from a time of severe racial strife, we're still fighting the same fight over and over again.

- GBB