Don’t forget opinions are just that

Published 12:27 am Sunday, February 19, 2012

There is a good chance I will get suspended for this.

I don’t care.

I have an opinion. I am thankful for each and every person who reads my opinion. But opinions are becoming more and more difficult to write. At one time, freedom-lovers would say, “Although I disagree with what you say, I will fight to the death your write to say it.”

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No more.

The latest to get the hammer was CNN political reporter Roland Martin, who was suspended for two weeks after tweeting about a Super Bowl advertisement that featured soccer star David Beckham in his underwear. Martin said, via Twitter, “Ain’t no real bruhs going to H&M to buy some damn David Beckham underwear!… If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him!”

The worldwide gay community became outraged and demanded his firing. CNN, far from the conservative bastion of journalism, suspended the host, calling his remarks “regrettable and offensive.”

The suspension was regrettable and offensive.

Whom did his tweet really harm? It harmed people whose sole goal in life is to scan and scour news and social media sites to find something to offend them. What a miserable way to go through life.

As a school child with a weight problem, electric-socket hair and a patched eye, I heard it all. Did it hurt at times? Sure. But I repeated to myself, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.”

Did I like being called fat, four-eyes and ugly? Certainly not. But I did not let it rule my world and my life. I shook it off as an asinine opinion from an asinine person. I never demanded suspensions or expulsions of those who said those things. I learned to laugh at them. If anything, it strengthened my resolve for life’s challenges.

I love having an opinion. I love the folks who agree and respect the ones who don’t. But as someone who makes a living opinioning, I wonder how much longer the free expression of opinions will continue? Is it worth the hassle to communicate freely?

So here is my opinion: Get over it. Get a life. Stop being offended. Find a backbone. Laugh. Sticks and stones, remember?

It was nice knowing y’all. The dog and I are planning a trip during my upcoming suspension.