Guest Appearances
What I Loved
1) Rosie O'Donnell said something that really resonated with me, "...you don't need to airbrush away the truth for us anymore, we can handle the reality..." I need not provide the context in which she sad this, for the comment by itself is pretty powerful. After stopping to take a minute to consider her remark, I thought about how, in history, we've come such a long way. There was a time in our American past, where we, the people, were kept from being presented the reality of things. Both the media and political figures have a history of lying to us. A newspaper story in 1898 that wrongly reported about the explosion of the ship U.S.S. Maine and the impact the airbrushing of truth had on war against Spain. One of our presidents delivering a lie to us regarding WPD in Iraq. Oh, how the airbrushing away of truth has certainly dusted over reality. But, now...today...we can handle the reality. This epiphany then led me to consider the evolution of reality shows. We can not only handle reality, we can't get enough of it. Raw. Real. Potent. We thirst for the reality of things. Have you ever wanted to know the reality of something so bad, regardless of how much it would inevitably hurt you? That, my friends, is the hunt for something real. No airbrushing away of anything anymore. And that is undoubtedly bittersweet. One quick comment made by Rosie, but one that delivered a flood of meaning to me. I wonder--can I be the only one that experienced that "click"?
2) Whoopi and Nicole were seated with a two guests, one of whom was the mother of a child who had a past medical history of uncontrollable, constant seizures. But, the topic wasn't about this unfortunate medical condition...it was about Charlotte's Web hemp oil and the positive effect it has had on this mother's child. Eliminating the seizures, to be exact. Whoopi facilitated discussion for the most part and passionately remarked on how state legislatures, unlike Colorado's, prevent natural remedies like this (with low levels of THC) from being available to aid and possibly cure medical conditions, such as seizures that destroy children. Another woman, who I consider brave, was seated in the audience and shared a similar story about her child seizing. She, however, was not able to administer the hemp oil to her child, therefore allowing the condition to worsen. She provided video footage of her child, whose health was deteriorating. It brought tears to my eyes. And then Whoopi stridently argued that something must be done to see that laws change, so that the other 49 states can join Colorado and help preserve the health and futures of more children.
What I Didn't Like
I rewatched Grisham's interview and although I agree with the majority opinion that sexual predators are bad news and keeping them away from children is absolutely in favor of the best interests of children, I do not agree that he should have been criticized as heavily as he was. He made a couple good points, in my opinion. Fact: our judicial and penal systems are in need of some clean-up. Fact: many pedophiles realize at a young age, puberty or perhaps prepubescent, that they are the "animal within" who feels the urge to prey on young children. But, let's say you have the following scenario, as Grisham said, where a man has had too much to drink and goes online surfing the web. Let's say that man stumbles, in a drunken stupor, on naked photos of a female. Let's say that female is 16 years old. Is there a difference between the criminality of that scenario and let's say one in which a man goes online all hours of the day sober, seeking and searching for photos of 5 year old girls? I think anyone would say there is indeed a difference. I am not saying that doesn't make scenario A just and proper. I am just saying there is a difference. Grisham said in the interview that he has no sympathy for "real" pedophiles, who should indeed be locked up. My position, which doesn't exactly align with Rosie's, is that the cases should be viewed differently and result in various penalties depending on the circumstances of the crimes. I am not saying the man in Grisham's scenario is innocent. But, in this day and age of modern technology and cyber-exchange of information and images, laws need be relevant and just. And most importantly, when it comes to children and technology, parents and guardians need be more concerned and with-it. Parents innocently posting photos of their babies in bath tubs or daughters in short shorts, or in their bikinis on the beach, are certainly contributing to the sea of images that float in cyber space. A sea that can instantly serve as a sexual predator's cesspool.
Wrap-Up
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