David Letterman's Shameful Remarks

Recently, an indicator of our country's further social division reared it’s ugly head. David Letterman, a comedian of some note, made some rather horrific remarks in regards to Sarah Palin’s daughter.

The disgraceful attempt at humor came during the opening monologue of the “Late Show” when he made the statement that Mrs. Palin’s 14-year-old daughter Willow had been raped at a baseball game by Alex Rodriguez, a baseball player.

I am not the biggest fan of Mrs. Palin, but I am a human and a father. Such horrendous and disgusting vitriol would anger me if it had been said about the Obama girls or any other individual’s children. To brutally attack someone’s family with such words for the purported purposes of humor is an abhorrent act. This is not levity or good-natured ribbing, this is cruel and vicious degradation.

What further angers me about this situation is the fact that it is apparently up for debate as to the “merits” of the statements themselves. As though these remarks made in supposed “jest” have any business being uttered over the airwaves and sent into our homes by someone whom we have invited into them. As though the comments were well within the standards of basic Human Decency. As though it is acceptable to attack an individual’s family due to their difference from yourself in any way.

The repulsive issue has prompted some to state that Letterman was simply making a joke, or that as an entertainer, he has free license and carte blanche to say whatever he pleases about anyone. I fully support Freedom of Speech, but there is a line of respect and decency that should not be crossed when performing for such a broad swath of the public. To say such things in private is still reprehensible, but it is in private, and the damage done is minimal and self-punishing. To say such things in public, before a live studio audience, and with the reasonable expectation to be heard by millions is a blatant and irresponsible disregard for one’s own Humanity and Society’s basic principles of conduct.

Mr. Letterman, for all his seniority in television, and as a father, should have known better and refrained from such low and classless behavior.

The CBS apple, it would seem, has fallen very far from the Murrow Tree…


H/T: Gateway Pundit

UPDATE: I was apparently in error when I reported that Mr. Letterman had said that Willow, Sarah Palin's 14 year old daughter had been raped at a baseball game. He said that her daughter (allegedly referring to 18-19 year old Bristol) had been "knocked up".

I apologize for the shoddy reporting and will do better in the future. That having been said, I still feel it to be in poor taste to make such jokes about someone's family. Class by example is sorely lacking as it is in this country...