That slap; and the wisdom of a school teacher.

 

A friend of mine is a High School teacher in the Pioneer Valley area of Masschusetts.

He wrote the following on Facebook.  I so much like what he said

"I watched Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock several times. I understand the overwhelming urge to defend someone you love. I think Rock’s joke was cruel and publicly abusive in its own way. But Smith was wrong. Too often men handle their anger with violence, and it is directed at other men, at women and children. Smith sent a clear message about how we, men, should respond when insulted—with violence—when that is exactly what men need to stop doing. I’m certain many of my teenage boys will be watching this and cheering Smith on, and I’ll talk with them. I’ll try to tell them there were so many other ways he could have said “no” to Rock without hitting him, but I’m not sure my argument will convince them"