What did they say...?

I have spent just about 15 years either hosting a talk radio show in various formats from my early days as a one man band-doing it all -from producing, selling, taping, editing, promoting and cleaning the office to the upper echelons of entertainment at the Oprah Radio Channel as both host and producer of programs featuring Dr. Mehmet Oz, Jean Chatzky and everything in between. I took two things to heart when I began flooding the airwaves with my voice and commentary, two concepts that I keep in mind before I ever give the thumbs up to go live on the air. First the old saying of "Before you say a word you are its master, after you say a word you are its slave" meaning of course that with having a great platform to reach people from the bedrooms to the boardrooms carries with it a great deal of responsibility. I am responsible for what comes out of my trap- period end of story. That is true off air as well but for the purposes of this diatribe lets stick to being in the public arena. Secondly it was that troubadour of truth, the guy that some say was a really bad ass (rumored for years to be a Marine Corps sniper) before he was a ....hmmm good ass..the late great Fred "Mr." Rodgers he of the great sweaters and Presbyterian demeanor. Mr. Rodgers is quoted as saying "The space between the host of the show and the viewers (or listeners) is a sacred space and should be treated as such." I like that concept. I have an opportunity to be a part of millions of peoples lives via radio, television, speaking, books and consulting. I hold that what I am bringing to you is for your highest good-and mine too. Unfortunately not all that sit behind the microphone, take up space on television or in commentary feel the same way and its usually some sort of human tragedy that brings out their inner ...asshole. Now to be fair-we all have an inner asshole...and hopefully an outer one as well to take care of natures business. The inner asshole is that nasty dark place that loves to see others in misery, uses human suffering to advance their own beliefs or give platform to the worst inside them. We all have it. We don't all acknowledge it and even some seem not to have the filter to stop the inner asshole from getting out... it was either a) removed at birth or b) they were encouraged to much and paid to much to keep opening their mouth and insert their foot..and too many times its those with the most sway that have have the most say.

Take comedian Gilbert Gottfried who used his "tweet" to say "I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, 'They'll be another one floating by any minute now." and on the televised roast of Donald Trump "He changed so much of the New York skyline he could be the 20th hijacker from 9/11."  Boy that is just knee slapping humor huh? Radio talker Glenn Beck had his own take on the tsunami ravaged Japanese " I am not saying God created this earthquake but I am not saying he didn't. I don't care what you call it Gaia or Jesus or whatever but someone is sending them a message." The devout Mormon Beck seems to have corned the market on what or what not God is up to. This of course is not new phenomenon, as talking heads, pundits and others seem bent on letting us all know that the inner asshole is alive and well, knows no boundaries, political parties or gender. GOP Gov. Mike Huckabee is convinced that President Barack Obama grew up in Kenya and that affects his leadership of America and Democratic Congressman Mike Capuano of Mass. said "There is nothing wrong with throwing a cup of coffee at someone if you are doing it for human rights." Uh-huh...cream and sugar? TV evangelist Pat Robertson spouted that "the feminist agenda is not about equal rights it about a socialist, anti-political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." Well that explains everything from bad marriages, successful careers, Harry Potter and Ellen Degeneres all in one breath.

The First Amendment is the right to free speech...but its not free anymore because we pay for it one way or that other...and so do those that open their cake holes...Gottfried loses a lucrative contract..Beck loses more sponsors...Huckabee could lose an election..Capuano loses respect..and for some poor woman trying to find her way in the world Robertson who could lead a flock loses a sheep. We all lose with this type of unfettered rhetoric as it erodes our humanity and those who are really suffering. When Minnesota Viking Adrian Peterson compares playing in the NFL for a paltry $10.2 million a year to "modern day slavery because the owners want more from you" I wonder what the descendants of real slaves must think of his comments.

There is a an antidote to the inner asshole..its called "compassion"..and "awareness" and "respect." Concepts that have become less and less important as we hurtle along in the 21st century toward more natural "disasters" that will give those without a filter a chance to remind the rest of us that we do.