GN Commentary: June 17, 2009 - Letterman—How Low Can You Go?

How low can you go? As low as society continues to permit and tolerate! For the moral good of our country and communities and our families, let's clean up our language and our "jokes".

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Video Transcript

In the words of David Letterman, Sarah Palin's daughter was "knocked up" in the seventh inning of a Yankees game by one of the players.  This was the essence of a "joke" by him on his late night show last week. How low can you go??? 

He made this crass remark after Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her fourteen year-old daughter attended a baseball game while in New York. Politicians regularly are ripe for being targeted with off color jokes, but this disgusting remark about a teenager being raped or molested was too much! 

Letterman attempted an apology, but continued to joke about it as he spoke, which brought any supposed remorse into question.  Governor Palin saw the entire episode as a slam against women and particularly young ladies.  She has called on him to apologize to all women for his disgusting remarks.  Others have also asked for him to resign or be fired. Letterman gave a further apology Monday evening and though Governor Palin accepted it, most consider it too late because of the damage he has already caused.  A rally calling for his firing or resignation was scheduled yesterday at the CBS studios.

How sad it is when these degrading putdowns take place at all!  David Letterman isn't the only one to have stooped so low.  People in and out of the spotlight routinely make vicious, slanderous remarks about others as well.

We are admonished to put filthiness, foolish talking and coarse jesting out of our lives (Ephesians 5:3-4).  Joking can be fun, but it is in poor taste to "joke" about the statutory rape of young girl. How low can you go??

Your speech needs to be always with grace and tasteful so that it is not dirty, degrading or low down (Colossians 4:6).

How low can you go?  As low as society continues to permit and tolerate!  For the moral good of our country and communities and our families, let's clean up our language and our "jokes".

For GN Magazine, I'm Gary Antion.