11-04-07 Sunday Scribblings: Money

This ends up being a timely prompt to me. Because something that made the headlines this week is rooted in the love of money, and how it is the root of all evil.

I am a fan of Duane “Dog” Chapman. I didn’t want to be. I thought the show was going to be some macho crap piece. Then one day, I got caught up in a marathon. And I fell in love with the show.

Dog has had his troubles. Served time in prison. Came out vowing to change his life and help others change theirs. And he has. He looks out for others, whether it is family, friends, the innocents or, yes, even the criminals. I don’t think I have seen an episode yet where he hasn’t offered himself and his resources to help these people he has to track down. He is open, and shows his rough edges. He is human.

For those who haven’t heard his son, SON, flesh and blood, sold a tape to the National Enquirer for a lot of money of a private phone conversation in which Dog repeatedly uses a racial slur. Do I like the word? No. Do I hear the word every day? Yes. Someone somewhere will use the word. It is unavoidable. But the people who generally use the word do it in privacy of a personal conversation. They are not broadcasting it. Dog’s son sold a private conversation to make his father look bad and has potentially ruined the lives of many, many people who work on the show, his family being a large portion of it.

Dog has profusely apologized, has reached out to make amends. He should be allowed to, and it should go away. His show should continue because it does a lot of good. A&E television should not pull it. Al Sharpton and his band of salivating media whores should let this one go for what it was.

I know there is a huge movement to rid the world of this word. I applaud it. I detest the word. Unfortunately, I know it will never go away. But it should not be used in public by anyone. Not in music, movies, literature. However, if two people are in a private conversation and it is spoken, that is another matter.

Freedom of speech and expression are being suppressed in the world because of all of the “politically correct” police. I am not a PC person. I am a caring individual who speaks her mind. I find humor in places that others may think is wrong. But I am an individual. I hate having to couch things in public because I might offend someone. I think our society is not so much worried about what it may do to someone to hear these things as much as how much they can exploit and profit from someone being a human being and occasionally sticking their foot in their mouth.

“You said what? You did what? Well I find that offensive and I am going to sue you for a lot of money.”

We are all different. Even when we are alike, we are still different somehow. This world should celebrate our differences instead of using them as cannon fodder to blow others out of the water. Wars are fought because of it. People are killed because of it. Riots, gang wars, robbery, beatings. All of these hurtful things are because one is different from another, and they cannot resolve to accept that.

I guess this isn’t as totally about money as it should be. But money plays a big part in the dividing lines. Money cannot buy happiness. Its old, its trite, and its true. You may buy something with your money that makes you happy, but it is fleeting. Unless you become at peace with the world and your surroundings, and the people you share it with, you will not know real happiness. Ever.