Speak Freely... But Carry A Big Apology

Mark Halperin has been suspended indefinitely by MSNBC for calling President Obama a "dick" live on air.  The suspension came just hours after Halperin, a top editor for Time and a regular on "Morning Joe," profusely apologized for the remark, which came during Thursday's "Morning Joe" broadcast.  - Huffington Post

Okay, so Halperin was in bad form to be so crass on the air.  I'll even agree with this one. 

Though I do wonder why he was the only one suspended.  Scarborough and co-host Mika Brzezinski assured Halperin that he could speak freely and anticipated a controversial remark. Halperin said: "I thought he was kind of a dick yesterday."  Scarborough was in disbelief over Halperin's comment and quickly directed his attention off-camera, saying, "Delay that. Delay that. What are you doing?"  They asked for it, and they got it.  Halperin should have known better, but he was completely and totally encouraged by the other kids on the playground.  Sucks for him that he's the only one to get the time-out.

Lately, however, there has been an awful lot of statements being made that everyone comes back and 'apologizes' for - losing all their credibility in my book the second they lick the balls of the press in an attempt to sanitize their words.  Why bother to be a blowhard and build up your reputation for controversy if you're just going to turn around with your hands up in the air and a pathetically sorry look on your face? 

Please.

Tracy Morgan thinks he's being funny talking about how he'd stab his son if he ever found out he was gay.  Then it's "Oh, hey, I didn't mean to be offensive!"  Then get off the stage, you're bringing down every other comic who works hard at being so. 

In January of 2010, Keith Olbermann described Massachusetts Senator-Elect Scott Brown as "an irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, ex-nude model, tea-bagging supporter of violence against women and against politicians with whom he disagrees." His apology?  "I may have been over the top recently.  Sorry about that."  He wasn't sorry at all, he got the ratings he wanted.

Glenn Beck is apologizing for something every other day, I don't know how he ever gets anything else done. 

And let's not even get started on Weinergate.  How sad that he had to leave his congressional position because he got caught playing looky-lu with his phone.  If everyone, men and women alike, in this country were fired or forced into resignation for such things, the unemployment numbers would be through the roof.

Funny, the media keeps yammering on about how our upcoming generations are desensitized to things like violence, sex, racism, etc.  Maybe they need to desensitize themselves a bit.  Our country has always been full of colorful language that people use in all forms - we can whitewash it all we want to, make people claim to be sorry about saying such things out loud, but it doesn't change their thoughts.

Frankly, I'd rather hear what they really think.  At least then the cards are on the table and I know who I'm dealing with.  And I can respect their bluntness that much more.  Sure, I may disagree with what's being said, but when they own it, it holds the power they wanted in the first place.  Diluting it makes the entire thing a waste of everyone's time.

(c) Kymberlie Ingalls, June 30th 2011