A year ago, the Southern Baptist Convention issued a resolution urging churches and parents “to investigate their public schools to determine, among other things, whether they are endangering children in their care by collaboration with homosexual advocates.” The resolution stopped short of demanding that all Southern Baptists pull their children out of public school. This year, “exit strategy” advocates are pushing for a mass pull-out. Their ultimate desire is to end public education in America.
Those promoting the exit strategy include Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler, who claims that “atrocities” occur non-stop in public schools. World Net Daily, Jonah Goldberg, Dr. Laura Schlessinger and conservative pundits across the nation have also joined the posse, demonstrating that the idea is more GOP than Baptist.
Dr. Bruce Shortt, who helped draft the resolution, claims the idea is to start “a new public school system.” Yet there is nothing public about the system they propose. Americans are supposed to trust individual churches to create private Christian schools that anyone and everyone can afford. “Public” in this sense only means that the schools would be open to students who do not attend church there.
Not all Southern Baptists agree with the exit strategy; after all, plurality of opinion is a hallmark of the Baptist faith. Robert Parham of the Baptist Center for Ethics says, “The anti-public education agenda fits nicely with the anti-women, anti-science, anti-Disney, anti-everything ideology within the SBC. That agenda runs counter to the best of the goodwill tradition with Baptist life that seeks the welfare of the public square.”
I have no argument with people who want to remove their children from the public school system. My own children have been educated outside the public system for many years. We are not running from evolution, homosexuality or even drugs in the schools. Rather, education is a matter of personal freedom in our family. My children love the opportunities they have to learn “outside the box.” They have taken charge of their own education, seeking new opportunities to learn and grow. They have learned in private schools, at home, on the road, in student-lead collaboratives, at the library, through tutors and over the Internet. In America, parents already have the freedom to teach and train their children however they see fit.
That’s not the problem. The problem is that for some fundamentalists, focusing on their own children is not enough. They want to remove the right of all American children to receive a free local education.
As exit strategy advocate Voddie Baucham recently wrote in his blog, “I want to bankrupt the American educational establishment one student at a time.”
Baucham and his ilk claim that the public school system cannot be reformed. “We cannot mend it; we must end it. If the system loses enough money it will have to be scrapped.”
Their hope is to strip away enough per-student funding that the public school system will collapse. They pretend to be concerned for the children, painting a picture of public schools so toxic that registering a child there is tantamount to child abuse. Exit strategy advocates use phrases like “Pharaoh’s school system,” and “children rendered unto Caesar” to evoke strong emotions.
Baptist parents are encouraged to place their children in private Baptists schools if they can afford it, and if not – then homeschool. No one mentions the cost of homeschooling. Even if you dig most of your curriculum from the free bin at McKay’s Used Books, the cost of having at least one parent at home full time is tremendous.
If the souls of children were number one on the Baptist agenda, the churches would be focused on adding more educational options, not sabotaging the options we have now. Just imagine if church activists took the millions spent opposing abortion, homosexuality and public school, and simply funneled it into free Christian schools. Imagine if any child who wanted a Christian education could walk into the church and – at no cost – receive twelve years in math, history, science, language studies and Bible. Provide a superior education at no cost, and students will flock to the church in droves.
In fact, the church could reach children even earlier by offering free daycare to the community’s children. With free Christian daycare available to all, the majority of area children would learn to pray before they learned to ride a bicycle. They would grow up believing in God. They would be far more likely to attend church and identify with Christ as adults. A recent study by the Barna Group indicates that children under 14 are three times more likely to accept Christ than adults. If the church really wanted to bring people to Christ, free daycares and free schools are the surest path to achieve that goal.
“We can’t do that,” some are already grumbling. “It might encourage women to join the work force!” In fact, churches around the country have shut down existing daycare programs for just this reason. They do not want to be responsible for encouraging the “selfishness” of women. Isn’t it interesting how women are characterized as selfish for obtaining honest employment – while men are considered selfish when they don’t?
As for the Baptist/GOP hope that pulling out kids will bankrupt the system, their logic is flawed. Although Southern Baptist wealth is growing, many members will find themselves unable to afford private schools. It is doubtful that all Southern Baptist mothers will drop their careers to homeschool.
We can expect to see a continued trend of homeschool growth, but it will be offset by the continuing trend of public school growth. Just consider how many public schools are filled to capacity and overflowing into trailers and temporary buildings. Only a mass exodus of Baptist children would register on the radar – and in that case schools would downsize, not close. Fewer students require fewer teachers, fewer administrators, fewer buildings, fewer textbooks, and so on. In fact, if student numbers fall while tax revenue remains the same, it could actually help the public school system. More dollars per student would be available to educate those who remain.
The late Rev. Jerry Falwell once said, "I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools.” He did not live to see such a day. The public school system outlived Falwell, and it will outlive this plot as well.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Thumbs up, thumbs down
THUMBS UP to all readers who grow their own vegetables. I admire your hard work and tenacity. Your labors benefit not only those who enjoy the sweet, succulent produce of your garden – but also the rest of us who share this planet. Every juicy, ripe tomato and fat zucchini you carry to the supper table arrives there without the consumption of fossil fuels which contribute to smog and deplete the ozone. Those of us who lack a green thumb can do our part by purchasing more locally-grown produce.
THUMBS DOWN to those who waste thousands of gallons of water on shrubbery during the worst drought Georgia has faced in decades. The blueberry crop is devastated and cattlemen are struggling feed their herds. Our flower gardens can stand to suffer a few days a week. Buy some mulch; it prevents evaporation.
THUMBS UP to everyone who celebrated Independence Day responsibly. Officials responded to the drought fire risk by limiting the height of fireworks displays, while American patriotism roared full steam ahead. The support for Lance Cpl. Will Chambers’ family was especially moving.
THUMBS DOWN to local churches that used Independence Day and/or Memorial Day as an excuse to bring political agendas into the church. Patriotism is good and proper – but the stock slideshow a Republican-affiliated “prayer” group sent out for churches to show on Sunday morning was not proper. Aside from the fact that it is illegal for non-profits to engage in party politics, the content itself was inappropriate. Tanks and rocket-launchers should not be splashed across the sanctuary walls coupled with music and text designed to instill feelings of triumph. The faces of victims are decidedly absent from these deceptive displays. Some politicians pretend that American soldiers are in Iraq by invitation, opposed only by a handful of insurgents. Yet even this week, a Marine testified in a court-martial that his unit routinely beat Iraqi civilians when told to “crank up the violence.” Marines executed the wounded to avoid offering them medical care. Shooting an unarmed Iraqi man and planting an AK-47 near his body was a standard procedure in a venue where “all Iraqi men are considered insurgents.”
THUMBS UP to Wes and Scott Smith at Northwest Georgia Bank for giving Catoosa County the beautiful new amphitheatre at Benton Place. Last year it seemed half the county wanted to burn the Colonnade, and I wondered how Catoosa would ever regain some kind of cultural credibility. It’s wonderful to see local business step up to the plate. Thanks also to the unnamed individuals who worked behind the scenes to make this happen – including Georgia prison crews.
THUMBS DOWN to the Catoosa County Commissioners for their unilateral decision to advertise for a county Fire Chief and combine two or three local fire departments into one -- without consulting those departments. Good thing they still know how to back-peddle and utter “Nothing is set in stone.” Apparently their standard operating procedure is to make decisions without consulting those who are affected by the decision. The fire department faux pas is just another example of this isolationist mentality. It was bad enough when the commission threw away $19,000 for a fire study that yielded the same results Chief Chuck Gass and Chief Bruce Ballew had already worked together to provide. Do we really need to add insult to injury by putting out an ad for a new fire chief? Personally, I don’t think the commission will find better leadership than we have now.
THUMBS UP to Whitfield and Catoosa County law enforcement for protecting our children. It is wonderful to see the sheriffs of neighboring counties working together. Thank you for arresting the 1890’s Days attacker and also cleaning up Stephenson’s Park. We know that creeps lurk where children play, awaiting an opportune moment to make their move. Safe parks and safe festivals require the vigilance of citizens and law enforcement alike.
THUMBS DOWN to the slack attitude of officials in surrounding counties. Corruption has become a regular scandal in these parts. One police officer was arrested for false statements regarding a murder, while another officer was fired after explosives were reportedly found in his locker. An off-duty officer, and city police chief and a judge have all made recent news for driving drunk. Those who are trusted with enforcing the law should also remember to obey the law.
THUMBS DOWN to those who waste thousands of gallons of water on shrubbery during the worst drought Georgia has faced in decades. The blueberry crop is devastated and cattlemen are struggling feed their herds. Our flower gardens can stand to suffer a few days a week. Buy some mulch; it prevents evaporation.
THUMBS UP to everyone who celebrated Independence Day responsibly. Officials responded to the drought fire risk by limiting the height of fireworks displays, while American patriotism roared full steam ahead. The support for Lance Cpl. Will Chambers’ family was especially moving.
THUMBS DOWN to local churches that used Independence Day and/or Memorial Day as an excuse to bring political agendas into the church. Patriotism is good and proper – but the stock slideshow a Republican-affiliated “prayer” group sent out for churches to show on Sunday morning was not proper. Aside from the fact that it is illegal for non-profits to engage in party politics, the content itself was inappropriate. Tanks and rocket-launchers should not be splashed across the sanctuary walls coupled with music and text designed to instill feelings of triumph. The faces of victims are decidedly absent from these deceptive displays. Some politicians pretend that American soldiers are in Iraq by invitation, opposed only by a handful of insurgents. Yet even this week, a Marine testified in a court-martial that his unit routinely beat Iraqi civilians when told to “crank up the violence.” Marines executed the wounded to avoid offering them medical care. Shooting an unarmed Iraqi man and planting an AK-47 near his body was a standard procedure in a venue where “all Iraqi men are considered insurgents.”
THUMBS UP to Wes and Scott Smith at Northwest Georgia Bank for giving Catoosa County the beautiful new amphitheatre at Benton Place. Last year it seemed half the county wanted to burn the Colonnade, and I wondered how Catoosa would ever regain some kind of cultural credibility. It’s wonderful to see local business step up to the plate. Thanks also to the unnamed individuals who worked behind the scenes to make this happen – including Georgia prison crews.
THUMBS DOWN to the Catoosa County Commissioners for their unilateral decision to advertise for a county Fire Chief and combine two or three local fire departments into one -- without consulting those departments. Good thing they still know how to back-peddle and utter “Nothing is set in stone.” Apparently their standard operating procedure is to make decisions without consulting those who are affected by the decision. The fire department faux pas is just another example of this isolationist mentality. It was bad enough when the commission threw away $19,000 for a fire study that yielded the same results Chief Chuck Gass and Chief Bruce Ballew had already worked together to provide. Do we really need to add insult to injury by putting out an ad for a new fire chief? Personally, I don’t think the commission will find better leadership than we have now.
THUMBS UP to Whitfield and Catoosa County law enforcement for protecting our children. It is wonderful to see the sheriffs of neighboring counties working together. Thank you for arresting the 1890’s Days attacker and also cleaning up Stephenson’s Park. We know that creeps lurk where children play, awaiting an opportune moment to make their move. Safe parks and safe festivals require the vigilance of citizens and law enforcement alike.
THUMBS DOWN to the slack attitude of officials in surrounding counties. Corruption has become a regular scandal in these parts. One police officer was arrested for false statements regarding a murder, while another officer was fired after explosives were reportedly found in his locker. An off-duty officer, and city police chief and a judge have all made recent news for driving drunk. Those who are trusted with enforcing the law should also remember to obey the law.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
A few good men
It isn’t that America lacks good men. It’s that our current culture does not know how to recognize them. Over the past week I have received several emails from Chris Benoit fans angrily defending the wrestler turned murderer. They all say the same thing – Yeah, he killed his wife and child, but Chris Benoit was a good man. They offer evidence to support their claim: “I met him once and he gave me his autograph.” “He was always smiling,” says another.
Many people do not understand the difference between polite and good. Mass murderer Jeffrey Dhamer was always described as polite, but that does not make him a good man. There is more to being a good man than knowing how to nod and smile. A good man does not take lives; a good man saves lives.
Liviu Lebrescu was such a man. He was a Romanian holocaust survivor who went on to become a highly honored professor. Normally he taught college students aeronautical engineering, but on April 16th of this year, he taught us all how a good man should react to terrorism. As the Virginia Tech killer approached Liviu Lebrescu’s classroom in Norris Hall, the professor blocked the doorway with his own body while his students climbed out the windows. He laid down his life so that others might live. Liviu Lebrescu was a good man.
Most good men will never step into the worldwide spotlight as Liviu Lebrescu did with that split-second decision. Most good men are good simply because they do what is right day after day. They change diapers, check homework, and help strangers stranded on the highway. They work to support their children, whether they live together or not. They pay their taxes and their bills. They thank the drive-through attendant. They leave good tips. They treat women with respect. A good man does these things even when no one is watching.
Chris Benoit enjoyed the spotlight. In the ring or in front of a cheering crowd, he wore his assumed persona. He was, after all, an actor. In the world of wrestling, he played “the good guy.” To those of us who are not avid wrestling fans, a “good guy” wrestler is a bit of a contradiction. How can anyone who engages in the sadistic, gratuitous violence showcased by modern wrestling be considered “good”? In the ring, he pretended to hurt people. At home, he really did hurt people. He hurt the very people he was supposed to love and protect. Finally, he killed them.
A man demonstrates his true character in private – away from TV cameras and cheering fans, or (in the case of more ordinary men) away from church friends and work colleagues. At home, a man shows who he really is. A good man is honest. A good man is gentle with women and children. He is responsible. He can be trusted.
My grandfather was such a man. Even if you knew Herchel Babb, you probably did not know about his military service before reading it in the obituary last week. He served in the Asiatic-Pacific theatre in WWII. Papaw rarely mentioned his service, and he certainly did not expect others to praise him for it or to give him special privileges or accolades. He never seemed to feel that civilians owed him something. He served not for personal glory, but because it was the right thing to do.
Papaw understood that a person can honor the troops and the veterans even when they do not agree with the President or the war. In fact, Papaw did not always agree with the Commander in Chief he served. He lamented the loss of life in Hiroshima, and speculated that the Allies would have been victorious soon enough without the devastation of the atom bombs.
My grandfather also felt uneasy about the bombing of Baghdad. He could say so without any sense of disloyalty, because he understood the difference between politics and patriotism. Today that line has been obscured. War hawks preach that anyone who opposes the war is a coward or a terrorist, and that you cannot be a good American without being a Republican. Anyone who disagrees with the status quo is branded as a traitor. We have forgotten what the founding fathers understood so well: Open dissent is only possible in a free country, and a free country is only possible where open dissent is allowed to flourish.
Papaw never preached a sermon – but perhaps his life was a sermon in itself. He loved his wife and delighted in his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He spent his youth scrimping and saving while he built a business with his brother Jack. As their sons grew up, they were welcomed into the business. Illness forced Papaw to retire before I joined the family business, but he was thrilled to see the younger generation coming in. That was always his desire. He wasn’t building a fortune for himself; he was building a legacy for future generations. Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” On June 30th, we held my grandfather’s hands as his breath came slower and slower, till his body at last lay still. The world lost a good man.
Ultimately, we look to Jesus Christ as the perfect example of a good man. Like the other good men I’ve mentioned, Jesus was strong but gentle. He could not tolerate injustice. Jesus courageously challenged the leaders of his day. He used his great power to help the young, the weak and the sick – not to force his will on others.
Jesus did not seek accolades, even though no one deserved them more. Although he was Lord of Lord and King of Kings, Jesus knelt on the dirty floor to wash his disciples’ feet. He did not miss a beat when he came to the feet of Judas, who he knew would betray him that very night. He loved and he served, knowing that in the end the task before him would cost him his very life.
Yet even Jesus, for all his goodness, shied away from being called good. “Who are you calling good?” he asked. “Only God is good.” Perhaps you know a man like this. I’ve got one at my house. All the Christian marriage books say that men want praise. Wives are instructed to compliment and openly admire them. But I found that when I put that advice into action, my good man cringed. He said that he was only human, and did not want to be put on a pedestal.
A good man is humble. He does not demand that others honor him for doing what is right. He doesn’t do it for glory. He does it because that’s just who he is.
Many people do not understand the difference between polite and good. Mass murderer Jeffrey Dhamer was always described as polite, but that does not make him a good man. There is more to being a good man than knowing how to nod and smile. A good man does not take lives; a good man saves lives.
Liviu Lebrescu was such a man. He was a Romanian holocaust survivor who went on to become a highly honored professor. Normally he taught college students aeronautical engineering, but on April 16th of this year, he taught us all how a good man should react to terrorism. As the Virginia Tech killer approached Liviu Lebrescu’s classroom in Norris Hall, the professor blocked the doorway with his own body while his students climbed out the windows. He laid down his life so that others might live. Liviu Lebrescu was a good man.
Most good men will never step into the worldwide spotlight as Liviu Lebrescu did with that split-second decision. Most good men are good simply because they do what is right day after day. They change diapers, check homework, and help strangers stranded on the highway. They work to support their children, whether they live together or not. They pay their taxes and their bills. They thank the drive-through attendant. They leave good tips. They treat women with respect. A good man does these things even when no one is watching.
Chris Benoit enjoyed the spotlight. In the ring or in front of a cheering crowd, he wore his assumed persona. He was, after all, an actor. In the world of wrestling, he played “the good guy.” To those of us who are not avid wrestling fans, a “good guy” wrestler is a bit of a contradiction. How can anyone who engages in the sadistic, gratuitous violence showcased by modern wrestling be considered “good”? In the ring, he pretended to hurt people. At home, he really did hurt people. He hurt the very people he was supposed to love and protect. Finally, he killed them.
A man demonstrates his true character in private – away from TV cameras and cheering fans, or (in the case of more ordinary men) away from church friends and work colleagues. At home, a man shows who he really is. A good man is honest. A good man is gentle with women and children. He is responsible. He can be trusted.
My grandfather was such a man. Even if you knew Herchel Babb, you probably did not know about his military service before reading it in the obituary last week. He served in the Asiatic-Pacific theatre in WWII. Papaw rarely mentioned his service, and he certainly did not expect others to praise him for it or to give him special privileges or accolades. He never seemed to feel that civilians owed him something. He served not for personal glory, but because it was the right thing to do.
Papaw understood that a person can honor the troops and the veterans even when they do not agree with the President or the war. In fact, Papaw did not always agree with the Commander in Chief he served. He lamented the loss of life in Hiroshima, and speculated that the Allies would have been victorious soon enough without the devastation of the atom bombs.
My grandfather also felt uneasy about the bombing of Baghdad. He could say so without any sense of disloyalty, because he understood the difference between politics and patriotism. Today that line has been obscured. War hawks preach that anyone who opposes the war is a coward or a terrorist, and that you cannot be a good American without being a Republican. Anyone who disagrees with the status quo is branded as a traitor. We have forgotten what the founding fathers understood so well: Open dissent is only possible in a free country, and a free country is only possible where open dissent is allowed to flourish.
Papaw never preached a sermon – but perhaps his life was a sermon in itself. He loved his wife and delighted in his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He spent his youth scrimping and saving while he built a business with his brother Jack. As their sons grew up, they were welcomed into the business. Illness forced Papaw to retire before I joined the family business, but he was thrilled to see the younger generation coming in. That was always his desire. He wasn’t building a fortune for himself; he was building a legacy for future generations. Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” On June 30th, we held my grandfather’s hands as his breath came slower and slower, till his body at last lay still. The world lost a good man.
Ultimately, we look to Jesus Christ as the perfect example of a good man. Like the other good men I’ve mentioned, Jesus was strong but gentle. He could not tolerate injustice. Jesus courageously challenged the leaders of his day. He used his great power to help the young, the weak and the sick – not to force his will on others.
Jesus did not seek accolades, even though no one deserved them more. Although he was Lord of Lord and King of Kings, Jesus knelt on the dirty floor to wash his disciples’ feet. He did not miss a beat when he came to the feet of Judas, who he knew would betray him that very night. He loved and he served, knowing that in the end the task before him would cost him his very life.
Yet even Jesus, for all his goodness, shied away from being called good. “Who are you calling good?” he asked. “Only God is good.” Perhaps you know a man like this. I’ve got one at my house. All the Christian marriage books say that men want praise. Wives are instructed to compliment and openly admire them. But I found that when I put that advice into action, my good man cringed. He said that he was only human, and did not want to be put on a pedestal.
A good man is humble. He does not demand that others honor him for doing what is right. He doesn’t do it for glory. He does it because that’s just who he is.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Fans still worship Woman-killer
It seems fitting that she was known simply as “Woman.” She was smart, she was funny, she was successful, and she was beautiful. Yet Nancy Benoit died simply because she was a woman.
That’s not shocking, really. It happens to approximately 1,200 women per year. Many times children, like Nancy’s seven-year-old son, are also killed. Frequently the killer kills himself afterward, so that should not shock us, either.
It is the fans that are shocking. In thousands of posts on dozens of sites, Chris Benoit fans are creating all sorts of conspiracy theories and excuses to justify or explain away the tragic murders he committed before hanging himself.
Some wrestling fans blame Nancy: “She’s not so innocent.” (Seeing as how she was hand-cuffed and strangled a day before her son was suffocated and two days before Chris Benoit’s hanging, she sounds fairly innocent to me.) “Maybe she cheated on him,” dozens of fans suggest, as if murder is a reasonable response to infidelity. Interestingly, no one suggests that he may have been cheating on her, or the more obvious conclusion, that he was an abusive megalomaniac with a lust for violence.
Imagine the outrage if a professional wrestler broke into a home here in north Georgia and slaughtered a woman and child. We would condemn the murderer and demand change in the industry. But our society still views women as belonging to their husbands, and children as belonging to their parents. Thus Benoit fans talk about the “mistakes” he made with his “own” family. They mourn the three victims as if they were hit by a meteor or died together in a car crash. They talk about them playing together in the afterlife. They write “Rest in peace, Chris Benoit.”
Most disturbing are the attempts by fans and wrestling promoters alike to eulogize Chris Benoit as a hero and a really good man. Good men don’t kill people. They certainly don’t kill women and children. Many fans feel they knew Benoit from his TV or ring appearances and claim the Canadian Crippler “wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Chillingly, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) responded to the killings by airing a 3-hour tribute to the dead wrestler. After the public found out that Benoit himself was the killer, WWE vowed not to talk about Benoit again. It is telling that no tribute is planned for his victim Nancy Benoit, who was also a WWE star known as Woman or Fallen Angel.
The excuses offered for the murderer’s behavior are myriad. Some blame “roid rage.” Federal agents raided his doctor’s office and made over a dozen arrests, as if steroid use had suddenly come to light. It hardly takes a toxicologist to recognize that these entertainers are using anabolic steroids and have been for many years. As terrible as steroid use is, it does not explain a man handcuffing and strangling his wife one day, smothering his son the next day, and on the third day taking the coward’s retreat by hanging himself.
Here’s another item steroids cannot explain: the accolades offered by fellow wrestlers. For example, Stone Cold Steve Austin declared after learning of the deaths that he had nothing but respect for Chris Benoit.
Perhaps Austin’s ex-wife Debra Williams can explain it. “The domestic and drug abuse is out of hand in the WWE,” she said in a recent interview with Fox 31 news. According to Fox, Debra and Nancy led similar lives. Both went to the police seeking protection from their own husbands. Both lived in fear and both filed for divorce after repeated attacks. In Debra William’s case, Austin coerced her to write a letter to the authorities stating that the complaint was a mistake. Austin was put on probation for one year, and Debra was placed under a court gag order that prevented her from going public about the drugs, alcohol and domestic abuse so prevalent in the world of wresting. Nancy also withdrew her complaint, and remained with her abuser until he killed her on Friday, June 22nd.
“Why do they stay?” misinformed people ask, implying that battered women can just leave if they do not like being abused. It is a misguided question, which can be answered in three words: They don’t stay. Half of all marriages end in divorce, after all. The number of women who intentionally stay with abusive men for the rest of their lives is a fairly small number.
Leaving an abuser is not easy -- particularly when a woman faces losing her children, her home, her financial stability, and quite possibly her life. Every week the news is filled with stories of men who would rather kill their wives than watch them walk out the door. In fact, the majority of spouse murders take place during separation and divorce. Some men take “till death do us part” to a whole new level. Each year, more Americans die at the hands of husbands or boyfriends than fighting in Iraq.
Wrestling fans are accustomed to suspending belief when a steroid-enhanced maniac lands an elbow on the slick, shiny abdomen of another wrestler. Apparently they are equally willing to suspend belief when the facts (Chris Benoit is a murderer who doesn’t deserve a tribute) diverge from their altered reality (Chris Benoit is a saint, a hero, and a good man.)
WWE producers surely see reality. They know that their actors are not gods. They know that they are strung out on booze and steroids. Rather than condemning steroid use among athletes, the WWE has maintained that steroids could not possibly be responsible.
They know that domestic violence is rampant among their ranks. The slaying of Nancy Benoit presented an excellent opportunity to mourn her passing and highlight the problem of domestic violence in America. Imagine the impact! Wrestling fans could have been presented with warning signs, help-lines, and prevention guidelines. WWE bypassed an unprecedented opportunity to save women’s lives by talking about what one man did to one Woman. Instead, they glorified the monster.
That’s not shocking, really. It happens to approximately 1,200 women per year. Many times children, like Nancy’s seven-year-old son, are also killed. Frequently the killer kills himself afterward, so that should not shock us, either.
It is the fans that are shocking. In thousands of posts on dozens of sites, Chris Benoit fans are creating all sorts of conspiracy theories and excuses to justify or explain away the tragic murders he committed before hanging himself.
Some wrestling fans blame Nancy: “She’s not so innocent.” (Seeing as how she was hand-cuffed and strangled a day before her son was suffocated and two days before Chris Benoit’s hanging, she sounds fairly innocent to me.) “Maybe she cheated on him,” dozens of fans suggest, as if murder is a reasonable response to infidelity. Interestingly, no one suggests that he may have been cheating on her, or the more obvious conclusion, that he was an abusive megalomaniac with a lust for violence.
Imagine the outrage if a professional wrestler broke into a home here in north Georgia and slaughtered a woman and child. We would condemn the murderer and demand change in the industry. But our society still views women as belonging to their husbands, and children as belonging to their parents. Thus Benoit fans talk about the “mistakes” he made with his “own” family. They mourn the three victims as if they were hit by a meteor or died together in a car crash. They talk about them playing together in the afterlife. They write “Rest in peace, Chris Benoit.”
Most disturbing are the attempts by fans and wrestling promoters alike to eulogize Chris Benoit as a hero and a really good man. Good men don’t kill people. They certainly don’t kill women and children. Many fans feel they knew Benoit from his TV or ring appearances and claim the Canadian Crippler “wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Chillingly, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) responded to the killings by airing a 3-hour tribute to the dead wrestler. After the public found out that Benoit himself was the killer, WWE vowed not to talk about Benoit again. It is telling that no tribute is planned for his victim Nancy Benoit, who was also a WWE star known as Woman or Fallen Angel.
The excuses offered for the murderer’s behavior are myriad. Some blame “roid rage.” Federal agents raided his doctor’s office and made over a dozen arrests, as if steroid use had suddenly come to light. It hardly takes a toxicologist to recognize that these entertainers are using anabolic steroids and have been for many years. As terrible as steroid use is, it does not explain a man handcuffing and strangling his wife one day, smothering his son the next day, and on the third day taking the coward’s retreat by hanging himself.
Here’s another item steroids cannot explain: the accolades offered by fellow wrestlers. For example, Stone Cold Steve Austin declared after learning of the deaths that he had nothing but respect for Chris Benoit.
Perhaps Austin’s ex-wife Debra Williams can explain it. “The domestic and drug abuse is out of hand in the WWE,” she said in a recent interview with Fox 31 news. According to Fox, Debra and Nancy led similar lives. Both went to the police seeking protection from their own husbands. Both lived in fear and both filed for divorce after repeated attacks. In Debra William’s case, Austin coerced her to write a letter to the authorities stating that the complaint was a mistake. Austin was put on probation for one year, and Debra was placed under a court gag order that prevented her from going public about the drugs, alcohol and domestic abuse so prevalent in the world of wresting. Nancy also withdrew her complaint, and remained with her abuser until he killed her on Friday, June 22nd.
“Why do they stay?” misinformed people ask, implying that battered women can just leave if they do not like being abused. It is a misguided question, which can be answered in three words: They don’t stay. Half of all marriages end in divorce, after all. The number of women who intentionally stay with abusive men for the rest of their lives is a fairly small number.
Leaving an abuser is not easy -- particularly when a woman faces losing her children, her home, her financial stability, and quite possibly her life. Every week the news is filled with stories of men who would rather kill their wives than watch them walk out the door. In fact, the majority of spouse murders take place during separation and divorce. Some men take “till death do us part” to a whole new level. Each year, more Americans die at the hands of husbands or boyfriends than fighting in Iraq.
Wrestling fans are accustomed to suspending belief when a steroid-enhanced maniac lands an elbow on the slick, shiny abdomen of another wrestler. Apparently they are equally willing to suspend belief when the facts (Chris Benoit is a murderer who doesn’t deserve a tribute) diverge from their altered reality (Chris Benoit is a saint, a hero, and a good man.)
WWE producers surely see reality. They know that their actors are not gods. They know that they are strung out on booze and steroids. Rather than condemning steroid use among athletes, the WWE has maintained that steroids could not possibly be responsible.
They know that domestic violence is rampant among their ranks. The slaying of Nancy Benoit presented an excellent opportunity to mourn her passing and highlight the problem of domestic violence in America. Imagine the impact! Wrestling fans could have been presented with warning signs, help-lines, and prevention guidelines. WWE bypassed an unprecedented opportunity to save women’s lives by talking about what one man did to one Woman. Instead, they glorified the monster.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
