Irony

The irony of two of the big stories this morning is fascinating. The British teacher who allowed her students to name a teddy bear "Mohammed" was released from jail, and Don Imus returned to the airwaves.

Although there's a big difference between spending a few days in what must have been a hellish jail in Sudan and getting what amounts to a paid vacation, both stories were about punishment for the most egregious sins in today's world; the sin of giving offense.

Both cases were, I believe, unintentional acts that caused a firestorm among the offended. The teacher had no idea she would be jailed and have her very life threatened when her students named a teddy bear after the founder of Islam. Imus thought he was being hip or relevant by making a statement about the women's basketball team that would have passed without notice if uttered by, say, Chris Rock.

It is a strange world where offending someone, even without realizing you were being offensive, is the most unforgivable sin. It's a strange world where people can get away with almost anything, up to and including murder, if they have a good enough rationalization. But get away with giving offense to an aggrieved group? You are forever painted with the scarlet letter, not "A", but "R"(racist) or "B"(bigot).

Be careful what you say, especially in public. The thought police are everywhere.