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‘The Interview’ should offend all

The simplistic reduction of the Sony Pictures debacle to an issue of creative freedom misses the point. Imagine, were the North Koreans to release a major motion picture about a fanciful attempt to assassinate the president of the United States, how would Americans react?

Satirical or not, issues of creative expression aside, and regardless of our view of North Korea as an evil monster, “The Interview” is not only in bad taste and manners, it sends a message of hostility, further fouling the waters of international relations and diplomacy.

Apparently, what’s happened to our sense of propriety in this country is what’s happened to the rest of our values, dignity, our civility as a people. Crass behavior continues to reveal a national character rife with arrogance and ignorance perpetuating the globally recognized, impudent images of the Ugly American.

Phillip Sawatzky

Spokane

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