“Go now you are forgiven”
dispatch
recently anointed jeopardy host mike richards’ apology tour has just begun. he is taking time to seek forgiveness for past transgressions.
when you are not the right type of person, societal forces such as the media and social media will come after you. in jeopardy’s case, even mr. richards’ co-host, mayim bialik, was the subject of a “hit piece.”
mr. richards does have issues. “bad comedy” appears to be a significant source of his errors. comedy fails often are offensive.
richards’ apologized “it is humbling to confront a terribly embarrassing moment of misjudgment, thoughtlessness, and insensitivity from nearly a decade ago,” he said. “looking back now, there is no excuse, of course, for the comments i made on this podcast and i am deeply sorry.” “the podcast was intended to be a series of irreverent conversations between longtime friends who had a history of joking around. even with the passage of time, it’s more than clear that my attempts to be funny and provocative were not acceptable, and i have removed the episodes. my responsibilities today as a father, husband, and a public personality who speaks to many people through my role on television means I have substantial and serious obligations as a role model, and i intend to live up to them.” decider.com
life is about mistakes.
the famous torah passage best addresses the need for humanity to over come them: “but to cain and to his offering he did not turn, and it annoyed cain exceedingly, and his countenance fell. and the lord said to cain, “why are you annoyed, and why has your countenance fallen? is it not so that if you improve, it will be forgiven you? if you do not improve, however, at the entrance, sin is lying, and to you is its longing, but you can rule over it.” genesis 4:4-7
in essence, the master of universe laid out the pathway towards forgiveness: “improve.”
“mr. richards, i would like to take to take “improvement” for $500.00.”
i would say “what is mr. richards’ apology?” his apology is confusing. did he know at the time that he made his jokes that they were offensive? is he saying he was a bad comedian? his statement also fails to discuss whether, since the time of “bad comedy,” that he has improved. he states that he wishes to improve. only time will tell.
the torah explicitly provides mechanisms for individuals to address sin. as individuals, we must be open to others seeking forgiveness. we all need some from time to time.
mr. richards, when you finish the last lap of your apology tour, i would ask of you one favor. there are many “ordinary” people who have not been afforded forgiveness. instead, powerful institutions and forces have destroyed their lives. please be a voice for those individual who, like you, need a second chance.
be well!!
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POST SCRIPT: since publishing this post, mr. richards has resigned his position as host.
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