Tools

No, not the kind one uses to fix things--rather, some folks that need to be fixed.

Yes, three instances of "toolery" in the last week that demands a figurative bending-over-the-knee paddling. First, at last week's President Obama congressional address on health care, South Carolina Representative Joe Nelson shouts out "Liar!" at the president during the address. Then, late Saturday, women's tennis star Serena Williams goes on an explative-addled tirade during her loss to Kim Clijsters--where during her outburst Williams told a lineswoman she was lucky that Williams was not "shoving this ball down your throat". And then to top it off on Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West not only interrupts award winner Taylor Swift's acceptance speech, but takes the mike and tells the world that she didn't deserve the award and that Beyonce did--and then just walks off.

Yeah, the triple-threat of classiness (insert sarcasm here). Parents--and I don't care what color you are or what culture you come from--if you wonder why there's a general respect problem in the good 'ol USA, there's three examples front and center for you. Even Rodney Dangerfield got more respect than the president, the lineswoman and Taylor Swift got on the butt end this past week. And, there's no excuse for any of these examples. Self-centered, self-serving, narcississtic and immature all of them. Now to be fair, Rep. Nelson and Williams have apologized. As of this writing, West has not.

And, truth be told, it's West's stunt that bothers me the most--and more to the point, the laughter reaction his toolery incited from several folks. Yes, there were those that actually thought that the look on Taylor Swift's face after getting dissed was hilarious. To those, I addressed last night--and I'll address again--this: would you think that kind of stuff was funny if it happened to you? Or one of your relatives? Or your close friend(s)? Or your crew or posse?

Yeah, that's what I thought. One person I asked last night via Facebook--who said she laughed her @$$ off--all of a sudden got more of a somber tone and said she would have let West ""have it". Another also got serious, and said she just couldn't believe that West would actually amble up there and do what he did. In both instances, when these people thought about it, West's stunt wasn't funny anymore--when they thought about it hitting closer to home. Ergo, thinking beyond one's own eyeballs. Another person countered that Swift should have stuck up for herself--"represent" was the word they used. Well, I say it is West who needs to "represent"! You're a star, Mr. West, and if you're really that good of an artist beyond your niche, you don't need stunts like that to pump up your sales, buck. Another person--who was firmly in West's corner--compared West to boxing legend Muhummad Ali--both known for their bold bravado. I FIRMLY disagree. Ali was a "showman". West is just a "show off". Ali was known as much for him humanitarian efforts both at home (his hometown of Louisville, KY) and abroad as he was for him bravado and controversial views. But even the West supporter I just referred to admitted that West behaves like a dick. In my opinion, supporting behavior like West's is nothing beyond immature, and that's being kind.

But now back to the bigger picture: what do we do about these kind of outbursts of disrespect where disrespect is not deserved? Well, that's up to each individual--and that's the great thing about our country! Folks like West, Serena and Rep. Wilson have the right of free speech, but so do those that can't and won't stand for their respective tripe of the tongue and will lash back. Rep. Wilson, Williams and West showed they could dish it out--now it's time to see if they can take it. And, for those of you who support any of the three said offenders, remember this: they don't lash out, there's no consquential response. They threw the figurative first punch, and if you don't throw that punch, there's no response. What about that do you NOT understand?

Now, on positive notes, Beyonce showed the class that West did not when, after she won her award at the VMAs, gave the stage to Swift so that Swift could have her moment that West deprived her of earlier in the show. Plus, as I mentioned before, both Williams and Rep. Wilson did apologize for their outbursts. Good starts if those apologies are sincere.

But if they're not, it's time to put "tools" in their place. And that's calling them out for the immature and/or self-serving behavior they choose to exhibit.