My "open letter" to Matee Ajavon and the women of the Rutger's Basketball Team.
Dear Ms. Ajavon,
Congratulations on a wonderful basketball season and to your overwhelming success. I'm sorry it has been overshadowed by this controversy.
A year or so ago the phrase "Speaking Truth to Power" was coined to praise those who dare to tell the truth to the established power, regardless of their personal risk. While I am uncertain who actually used the phrase first, Arianna Huffington used it often to heap accolades on those who dared to carry the anti-war message to the current administration and its enablers.Speaking Truth to Power. Words can have great power.
Sadly, today I'm watching a whole new twist on the speaking truth paradigm. I call it "Handing Power to Idiots."
You see words only have the power of the speaker. And that power is limited by the courage, integrity and moral authority of the speaker.
Does Don Imus have moral authority? Does he have integrity? Has he shown great courage?
He is, as I wrote yesterday in my blog, the real "nappy headed ho" in this story. Imus is an egomaniac who sells his celebrity to curry gifts and favors, money and fame from the rich and powerful.
So when I hear you say, "This has scarred me for life," I am deeply saddened.
Matee, I'm certainly in no position to tell you how you should feel, but I must tell you that Don Imus could call me anything imaginable, any name in the book and I wouldn't be scarred for 1 second. Because I would never give Don Imus that much power.
For Don Imus to scar me I would have to respect him. I would have to look to the I-man for my moral compass. I would actually have to give a rat's ass what he says. And I don't.
I fear that you and your Rutger's teammates are handing Don Imus way more power than he deserves.
I can't tell you what to do or how to act or react. I'm on your side regardless of any decisions you might make.
But, would you like my opinion? If you really want to hurt Don Imus then tell him the truth. Here, speaking the truth could rob him of any power.
Stand up and say, "Who the hell cares what Don Imus says? He is an idiot. I'm going to give him all the time and thought and respect he deserves.... none."
I feel there is one very interesting side note to all this. Years from now everyone will remember the 2007 Rutger's women's basketball team, not just for their great season, for also the courage you've shown today.
You have my best wishes for all your future success.
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