September 16, 2009
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A post of someone else’s thought that explains why I care about the famous outbursts of this past week.
Brad Hirschfield, Rabbi, President of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, sums up my thoughts on the matter pretty well. Observe:
“All of these stories are rooted in the same basic fact: speakers who think it’s all about them. And if it isn’t about them, they seem to think it must be about some other individual who is even more important than they are. Apparently though, it’s beyond any of the offenders’ ability to appreciate that civility is about all of us.
Civility is about creating a culture of mutual respect, not simply making sure that the biggest celebrity in the room has their moment.”
Hirschfield sums up what I feel is wrong with their apologies:
“…West doesn’t understand that what he did was wrong, threatening and self-centered. He simply acknowledged that his completely narcissistic behavior cut into another celebrity’s moment of self-centeredness!”
He goes to say the same about Williams (Ms. Williams, having nobody famous to whom to apologize, has yet to properly acknowledge the implications of threatening a line judge with bodily harm. Like Mr. West, Ms. Williams fails to understand that it doesn’t matter how much pressure she was under, it’s not about her!)
and Wilson (He just doesn’t get it. Wilson doesn’t appreciate that House rules which ban screaming out things like, “You lie!” are not simply about protecting the man at the mic, they are about creating a culture which encourages the free exchange of ideas. When that culture goes off the rails we all suffer and that’s why Joe Wilson owes his colleagues and the nation an apology).
But, JC, why do you care? Peep:
Normally, I would say something to myself like, “They want you to talk about it. Don’t give that to them.” But I think this is a little different. Why do I think it’s different? I bet you can think of something that happened to you within the last 90 days that made you feel like Ms. Swift. It’s my feeling that, before long, people that we actually deal with everyday will think that this behavior is acceptable. Act a fool, give an insincere apology and all is forgiven!
Fuck that. Don’t be a fool and follow the golden rule.
