The month of April has brought us not only showers but also a tsunami of
social and media disasters. There have been three back-to-back news issues
that don't seem to quit. (The Imus Word Story, The Duke Lacrosse Rape Story
and The Virginia Tech Slaughter Story).
Although in different places at different times, they are all related.
They are all similarly the fault and result of pathological human
relationships and interaction — a sort of omnipresent national mental
illness that dominates our thinking.
They all deal with the inability of people to respect and communicate
properly with one another.
Lets take a look at these three misbehaviors in both chronological order and
degree of seriousness.
THE IMUS FIASCO
Yes, he sure did use a bad two-letter word. He used a slur that
unfortunately is used tens of millions of times daily in this country. The
three musketeers (The Media, Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson) swam in like
pirrhannas and devoured the talk show host's flesh and left a carcass. Many
wonder if Sharpton and Jackson will use some of their attack monies to
support the many kids with cancer at the Imus ranch.
Imus has apologized.
THE LYNCHING OF THE DUKE LACROSSE TEAM
Three Duke lacrosse players were charged with rape. The same three
Musketeers whipped the town into a rage and a self serving DA went into
action. After a year of torture and hell for the players, team, coach,
university, administration, parents and friends, the players were
exonerated.
There is still no apology from the three stooges or the girl who falsely
charged rape — in spite of the fact that this is a far more serious
incident.
THE VIRGINIA TECH SLAUGHTER
An alleged mentally ill student shot and killed over 30 students and wounded
at least 15 more on the campus of Virginia Tech.
The student felt isolated and tormented. He ranted and raved excessively
over the same complaints many persons have. The university health system and
the campus and local security systems failed. Had the gun shop owner been a
little more diligent or asked a few more questions the tragedy might have
been prevented. How many college students need or buy a gun in the uplifting
spring of the year?
To the great credit of the Korean community they blamed no one from outside
their group. They did not play the victim card. They gathered together to
grieve, cry, worship and pray for the slain or injured students and their
families. Their leaders offered assistance in any way they could.
THE MESSAGE
All three of these events might easily have been prevented with simple
respect, understanding, tolerance and better communication.
•
Story one should teach us to speak more kindly to and about one another.
•
Story two should teach us not to falsely accuse or blame one another.
•
Story three should teach us to act more compassionately and respectfully
to others. We need to stop the epidemic of bullying! We also need to be more
alert and observant to disasters in the near-boiling stage and not assume
they will cool off without intervention.
And most of all, these simple and basic courtesies should apply not only to
persons we deem outside of our own racial, ethnic, economic or political
groups — but to those within our own groups as well. Let us all drop the
nasty and inciting words. Let us daily show a little more respect to
everyone.
Editor's Note: Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D., wrote this week's commentary
