It seems that we have the beginning of an epidemic here in our country. Videos, text messages and even photos from several years earlier are being leaked to media outlets causing some hefty PR bills for a couple of high profile people. First there was the Brett Favre cellphotos of "Mr. Happy" and now some >3 year old videos made to entertain troops aboard ship during a deployment have cost a career Navy Captain his command.
Forget the whole argument about whether or not these leaked media bytes are inappropriate or harassment. No one can deny the pics/videos, etc are in poor taste and disgusting (as in the Brett Favre's pics). Let's focus on why the info is suddenly in the media now.
The Favre incident was over 2 years ago. Why are the claims, messages and photos coming out now? If Favre committed harassment or offended someone, then why the wait? Is someone looking to force him to take a much needed retirement? Was the hope for retirement due to total humiliation the primary goal?
What about Capt Honors' videos? They were leaked to the Virginian-Pilot Newspaper and have since gone viral. Capt Honors has now been relieved of his command over the USS Enterprise and any career advancement in the Navy has been effectively squashed. Is it simply a coincidence that the leaked videos contained "gay slurs" right after the repeal of "Don't Ask - Don't Tell"? Did Capt Honors step on the wrong toes and this is the "payback"? It seems that if someone was offended by the videos, they would not wait until 4 years later to make it an issue. Unless this was just the more opportune time to start the dripping.
We'll probably never know the answers to the questions unless the person leaking the information in either case comes forward. For now it is simply speculation. But the uproar over the Navy videos seems over the top and truly borders on politically correct insanity. I've seen much more offensive parodies on Saturday Night Live or even HBO. Have we just turned into a nation of "offended people"?
Face it - you can't speak your mind without self-censoring yourself. Heaven forbid you might get slapped upside the head with the "intolerant" label or worse yet, have the race card played against you. It's reached a point where you have to tiptoe around hoping that just your very presence doesn't offend someone. You could end up as the target of an over-zealous media looking for another soul to roast or even get called out by one of the Reverends who make a living on crying "offensive".
The next time someone leaks a video, text or pics, it would be nice if the media would shine the spotlight on the leaker - especially if the event is several years old and doesn't involve an actual crime (had to add that so no one would get on the self-righteous bandwagon). Before we destroy a reputation or career, let's see if there is an ulterior motive behind it. More often than not, I'm willing to bet there is.
In the meantime, let this be a lesson to all those who think it's cute to photograph one's manly bits or make offensive videos. If you don't want them to end up on YouTube or the cover of the National Enquirer, keep them to yourself or better yet, hit the delete key. You'll save yourself a lot of grief later.
No comments:
Post a Comment