SLAPGATE

A censorship controversy has reared its ugly head and we have the Oscars to thank for it.

When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars the event was seen around the World.

Comments were fast and furious across all social media sites.

Some took Will’s side; others took Chris’ side and most couldn’t have cared less.

But ‘Slapgate’ should have started, or restarted, a debate on the role of censorship in America.

We have lived with the puritan rules for so long that many did not even question ABC’s decision to cut the audio portion of the 3 or 4 second altercation.

Had they not done so American television viewers would have been subjected to bad words.

Oh the humanity!

By the way, no other country cut the audio!

If you listen closely, you will hear George Carlin laughing hysterically in his grave.

No one can blame ABC for their move since federal rules prohibit the broadcasting of obscene indecent and profane content on radio or TV.

The words in the statute are known to every living soul on the planet and have been used by every living soul on the planet, including the people who wrote the statute in the first place.

And if one is to say that we are protecting our children by hiding those words from them I would point to book bans and note they increased sales of the targeted items.

Banning anything makes the desire for it that much stronger just as surely as absence makes the heart grow fonder!

In America we have banned prostitution because it is dirty and can spread disease.

It is also controlled by ‘the mob’ whoever they are, and we must try to cut off their funds.

In Amsterdam they chose a different route to control ‘the oldest profession,’ Red Light Districts.

If that particular activity tickles your fancy, you can have your fanny tickled, or whatever the two of you decide, in the privacy of a clean controlled environment. (And by the way, it is taxed so the government takes on the role of pimp, if you will.)

There are also Red-Light District Tours which “Tripadvisor” gives a 4.5 out of 5 rating!

We also have a higher rate of incarcerating drug users than most other civilized countries in the world.

Countries such as Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Switzerland all operate overdose-prevention centers where lives are routinely saved.

New York City proudly operates its own center where it saved averted at least 59 overdoses in its first 3 months of operation!

But for the most part we imprison drug users and in the end society is not truly served.

Many will end up using again and eventually die.

Instead of facing the problem appear to choose the east way out.

The sooner they die, the better for the living. 

But it is not true, nor is it humane, especially when there are proven ways to help drug users ‘kick the habit!’

If we really wanted to censor obscenities we would go after the gun massacres that take the lives of innocent men, women, and children.

But we choose to offer thoughts and prayers rather than ideas and action.

We say, “It is too soon to discuss gun violence,” or “It is not the right time to talk about gun control.”

And more people die.

That is the real obscenity in America, not curse words!

Reality!

Yes, Will did slap Chris.

Yes, Chris did react by saying, “He slapped the shit out of me.”

And yes, Will did reply, “Keep my wife’s name off your fucking lips!”

And you know what happened then?

Everybody calmed down and the show continued.

Nobody ran out of the auditorium to find a prostitute.

Nobody slid into the alley to ‘shoot up.’

And no man, woman, or child was killed! 

But thankfully Americans across the country were spared the awful audible life-shattering verbal attack between two men in tuxedoes in the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles, California.

Bravo, censors, America is safe from bad words once again.

Oh, and to the two participants in ‘Slapgate’ I offer my sincerest thoughts and prayers!