News: Outbursts

First it was Mel Gibson's drunken comments about Jews. Now it's Michael Richards' tirade against two black hecklers.

Is our culture becoming so crass and impolite that people think they can spew all sorts of stuff in public and not get called on it? Is talk so cheap that any insult or profanity you throw out can be nullified the morning after with a quick press conference apology? At least Gibson could say he was drunk when he made his rant (a fact no one disputes) - "Kramer" was just being abrasive.

For the record, I'm racist, like nearly everyone else. It's only natural for me (and, of course, most other people) to prejudge others based on how they look and act. The essential thing to keep in mind, however, is that we are all based on the same blueprint; we all laugh, we all cry, we all live, and we all die.