If there is to be a conversation, keep it going in the right direction

BULLDOGS

It’s just a symptom of our society, I guess.

It’s the Nancy-Grace-who’s-at-fault-rush-to-judgment culture we live in now.

It’s the way we react to bad news. Bad news like the news that hit Friday night and Saturday morning about Gonzaga basketball players Josh Heytvelt and Theo Davis arrested and booked into jail on drug charges.

And it’s never more evident than in this medium I have made my home.

The first wave hits. It’s a giant surge of anger, with a throw-the-bastards-out mentality. Then there is the inevitable backlash posted by those who want to show compassion, followed by another wave of venom, back-and-forth, up-and-down like a piece of wreckage from a plane crash at sea.

We’ve gone through this with the Gonzaga news this weekend. I’ve read everything you’ve posted on this site and Steve Bergum’s Gonzaga blog and a lot on the GU fan forums.

Most of it’s intelligent, thoughtful and appropriate. Some, not so much.

Those of you who have written we are judging the events too quickly, I agree with. Those of you who have written with passion about Gonzaga basketball, I understand. Those of you who have written urging patience and compassion, I applaud. Those of you who have written defending at least one of the young men, I admire your courage. And those of you who have written that we shouldn’t be surprised two 20-something men were pulled over and arrested for drugs, basketball players or not, boy are you right.

Where do we go from here?

A conversation about the arrests is still worth having. So is a conversation about Gonzaga’s basketball future. A conversation about selfishness – which driving around Cheney at midnight the night before a game, irregardless of what is in the car, certainly qualifies as – that’s worth conversing about as well. So is any other way you want to take this without getting chippy with each other.

Let’s continue. You can add your thoughts here. I’ll check in from time-to-time with my beliefs. I’ll make sure the posts stick to the issues and don’t become personal, but I’m not going to wield a ruler and slap your hands – unless you really cross the line and then I’ll swing with the might of ‘60s Catholic-school nun.