away with your inner lawyer.
it's all a dirty business -- talking trash for a living, and making a victim of someone for one's own gain. I still say the first is folly, while the second is evil.
But Imus has apologized. Is anyone big enough to accept it?
***
Is anyone big enough to accept an apology? To extend a forgiveness? To stop punishing the offender, to reach out a hand to restore the offender, as well as the offended?
A week ago was Good Friday. A thief on his left and right, the Man who went about doing good hung beaten half to death, awaiting, eduring the other half.
"Forgive them, Father," he said of those who spit on him as he dragged a heavy cross to the hill of execution on a dump outside the city gates; of those who drove spikes through his hands and feet; those who gambled amongst themselves for possession of the garment they had just torn from his body; those who would run a spear into is gut to make sure he was dead. "The know not what they do."
To the thief who admitted his guilt, he said, "Today you will be with me in paradise."
As an example, this pretty much binds all of us -- offender and offended -- to forgive all of us -- repentent and future-repentent.
Who is it that seeks to keep the wounds open, to stoke unforgiveness, to capitalize upon the misfortune of others? No, not just lawyers. Perhaps there is a little lawyer in all of us. When Shakespeare said, "Kill them all," maybe that's what he meant.
Can anyone forgive? Of course they can. Most would. I believe if Mr. Imus were to meet face to face those who were the butt of his remarks, and in true contrition offer an apology and seek forgiveness, he'd get it. And the offended would embrace the offender and each would be strengthened, because every wrong forgiven is like another girder to strengthen the bridge to heaven; it's another stone in the wall around the Great City.
But don't look for that on the news. CNN wouldn't be there to capture myopic images that can be distorted by spin doctors and talking heads for the benefit of... of whom? Who benefits? Hatred and bigotry are big business. Big, dirty, business.
Remember Reginald Denny? Mr. Denny was the trucker who was yanked from his cab in LA during the "Rodney King Riots" and beaten severely, his offense being the wrong color in the wrong place at the wrong time.
In what must be one of contemporary history's classic moments of Justice, his beating was also captured on videotape. Only instead of political operatives organizing a riot to exploit that videotape, the rule of law was observered.
The record will show that in the courtroom, Mr. Denny approached and embraced those men on trial for beating him. One of the young men's mothers was quoted as saying, "My son did wrong. He deserves to be brought to justice."
I don't know where CNN or the LA Times or Al Gore or "Reverend" Al or anyone else was that day, but I know that healing took place. Something in me was healed and strengethened just hearing about it.
But Imus has apologized. Is anyone big enough to accept it?
***
Is anyone big enough to accept an apology? To extend a forgiveness? To stop punishing the offender, to reach out a hand to restore the offender, as well as the offended?
A week ago was Good Friday. A thief on his left and right, the Man who went about doing good hung beaten half to death, awaiting, eduring the other half.
"Forgive them, Father," he said of those who spit on him as he dragged a heavy cross to the hill of execution on a dump outside the city gates; of those who drove spikes through his hands and feet; those who gambled amongst themselves for possession of the garment they had just torn from his body; those who would run a spear into is gut to make sure he was dead. "The know not what they do."
To the thief who admitted his guilt, he said, "Today you will be with me in paradise."
As an example, this pretty much binds all of us -- offender and offended -- to forgive all of us -- repentent and future-repentent.
Who is it that seeks to keep the wounds open, to stoke unforgiveness, to capitalize upon the misfortune of others? No, not just lawyers. Perhaps there is a little lawyer in all of us. When Shakespeare said, "Kill them all," maybe that's what he meant.
Can anyone forgive? Of course they can. Most would. I believe if Mr. Imus were to meet face to face those who were the butt of his remarks, and in true contrition offer an apology and seek forgiveness, he'd get it. And the offended would embrace the offender and each would be strengthened, because every wrong forgiven is like another girder to strengthen the bridge to heaven; it's another stone in the wall around the Great City.
But don't look for that on the news. CNN wouldn't be there to capture myopic images that can be distorted by spin doctors and talking heads for the benefit of... of whom? Who benefits? Hatred and bigotry are big business. Big, dirty, business.
Remember Reginald Denny? Mr. Denny was the trucker who was yanked from his cab in LA during the "Rodney King Riots" and beaten severely, his offense being the wrong color in the wrong place at the wrong time.
In what must be one of contemporary history's classic moments of Justice, his beating was also captured on videotape. Only instead of political operatives organizing a riot to exploit that videotape, the rule of law was observered.
The record will show that in the courtroom, Mr. Denny approached and embraced those men on trial for beating him. One of the young men's mothers was quoted as saying, "My son did wrong. He deserves to be brought to justice."
I don't know where CNN or the LA Times or Al Gore or "Reverend" Al or anyone else was that day, but I know that healing took place. Something in me was healed and strengethened just hearing about it.
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