VIOLENCE ET.AL
It's been a long time since I've posted anything here and it's about time that changes.
So... without adieu, I find myself compelled to address one of the current hot topics in today's press and social media. That topic burst forth when the Actor Will Smith slapped/assaulted Comedian Chris Rock live on TV during the Academy of Motion Pictures Oscar extravaganza recently.
Now I'm going to assume anyone reading this is probably familiar with this organization, this annual Television event, the individuals cited and the incident itself. If not... Google it :) If so, I have one 2-part question for you following this personal disclosure:
My disclosure is that I do not support violence in itself. I do not however ignore the reality that violence takes different forms, and is not totally right or wrong absent circumstances surrounding it. Violence in itself has various definitions despite it's politically correct form over-generalized today. The idea that there is a fixed litmus test for violence seems preposterous."
My question about this incident is first, given the totality of the circumstance we've come to know concerning this incident, was the comment made by Chris Rock any less an assault on Jada Pinkett Smith personally in the verbal sense? AND second, If we all want a non-violent society, when are we going to stop supporting those who spew out hurtful language under the guise of 'Comedy?' In the instant case, such a statement may be acceptable in a small venue where anyone if free to get up and leave when the comedian breaches boundaries, BUT when the assaultive verbiage is posed in front of a somewhat caged audience, immediately directed at a specific individual and beamed to million of viewers, it seems a bit excessive.
It's sometimes suggested that violence/assault is sometimes necessary for change to occur. Can we at least hope that this one incident can spur an examination of assaultive language/statements as well?
