I don't usually use this blog for political commentary, however since this issue involves an amazing group of Adventure Girls, here goes.
Cheers to the Rutgers women's championship basketball team! This exemplary team of young women; aspiring doctors, lawyers, and psychologists, among others, and their coach, have this week borne the very public denigration of sexism and racism with a grace and dignity that sets an example for us all.
This event has opened a dialog that swept the country. The man who made the comments, a radio personality, was fired from his job.
I was touched and impressed with the articulate statements made by many, but most specifically the girls coach; Vivian Stringer. That there is a separation between forgiveness and consequence and there is a difference between a single mistake and a pattern of behavior.
" At some point you have to stand up and say enough is enough" said Ms. Stringer.
And we did.
Among my friends, especially those who are artists and musicians, there was a lot of discomfort around the issue of freedom of speech. Here is my opinion: in a democracy we are guaranteed freedom of speech, but we are not guaranteed the right to incite hatred or to oppress. I do not think that by any stretch of the imagination we can describe these men's slurs as artistic expression, social commentary or even social observation. To me this does not fall under freedom of speech. We did not as a government attempt to take away his right to express himself. We, as a people, said we are no longer interested in paying to hear him speak.
To be paid large sums of money to use the federally regulated air ways (subsidized with tax dollars) is a privilege, not a right and there are consequences to all actions. The fact that this man did not recognize as the words came out of his mouth, that he had made a grievous mistake, that he did not stop the other commentator but joined in with comments whose only purpose was to demean and oppress, indicates that he cannot be trusted to censure himself, or to adequately predict the consequences of his own behavior.
The good has come out of these events is the dialog I mentioned. Parents, please talk with your children, daughters and sons. Teachers, please open discussion with your students. The fact that this man is three generations older than the rap artists who also use these same words indicates how pervasive this language has become in our society and I think it frightened us. While these comments were extreme in their carelessness, denigration and oppression, we are all human and therefore capable of being unkind, saying unkind things once in a while. I know I have and it's a good time to look inward and ask how we want to live in the world.
Girls, I will not repeat the words they used because I think it gives them life - I will say we are not those words.
We are daughters, sisters and mothers of all shapes, sizes and colors. We are artists, teachers, doctors and lawyers, nurses, dancers, carpenters, scientists, clerks and librarians, writers, musicians, managers, meter readers, coaches and athletes. We make the world go round. And we have the ability in this country to speak for the girls and women in other countries who can't.
There is a time to stand up and say enough is enough.