Mama Always Told Me

There are several things that my ma taught me that, to this day, are staples of being a mature adult:

1.  Always say "Please" and "Thank you."
2.  Cover your mouth when you cough.
3.  Never wear white after Labor Day.
4.  Always give up your seat on the bus for someone older than you.
5.  Never interrupt an elder/authority figure when they are speaking.

Representative Joe Wilson, whether he was correct or incorrect on his assessment of President Obama and his health care plan, was wrong for interrupting an authority figure.  My ma taught me that there can be a time and place to speak your mind.  She also told me it is never necessary to be rude to get your point across.  And, in all honesty, it shouldn't really matter whether President Obama is lying or not, the fact of the matter is that based SOLELY on the grounds of human decency and manners, he was wrong for yelling out like that.

Now, to his credit, Rep. Wilson DID call and personally apologize to President Obama (just like my ma would make me do), and, by all appearances, was genuninely sorry FOR INTERRUPTING.  If I got in trouble for interrupting a teacher, I had to go and apologize to the teacher, I did not have to stand in front of the entire school and apologize to them.  Retribution had been made to the offended party.  The entire school, while they may have been outraged that I interrupted and disagreed with what I said, were not the ones who I disrespected.  The offense was between me and the teacher.

But it appears, that we "mature" adults need to take everything to the next level.  Yesterday morning I heard a comment made by someone, whom up until that moment I actually admired, that literally made me ill.

"Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that racial politics played a role in South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson's outburst during President Obama's speech to Congress last week..."

Sigh...

Seriously?

I mean, COME ON!

Even Rep Wilson's wife thought the interruption was wrong, but racial? 

SERIOUSLY?

I am not about to even HINT that there have not been some racially motivated comments made to and against President Obama.  There have been.  And the people who have made them are WRONG and STUPID and just flat out immature.  BUT to even insinuate that what Rep Wilson did was racially motivated?

Really?

At least RNC Chair Michael Steele (who, if you don't know, is African-American) said that former President Carter if flat out wrong.  And I agree (as well as every person I've talked to about this).  And it turns out that as of last night, so does the White House.

But I'm sure that there are folks out there who agree with former President Carter.  Which, I suppose, is their right.  But I have a couple of questions for those people:

• Was Kanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift's speech racially motivated??  
• Does Serena Williams secretly harbor some hatred toward all people Asian, hence her tirade on the line judge?

People make stupid choices.  Sometimes people act out of anger and frustration.  But not every choice or comment is racially motivated.

"Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool - how much worse lying lips to a ruler!"

Proverbs 17:7