Malice at the Palace

I am doing a two part blog on forgiveness, and the reason its two parts is really because its a long and it might be more tolerable to read in two sections. 

For those of you who are basketball fans, November 19, 2004 should ring a bell.  That was the night that the game known as Malice at the Palace took place.  A brawl took place between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons, which lead to suspensions, fines, and people acquiring criminal records.  This event has scared basketball along with the teams and players that were involved for years to come.  One interesting fact is that one of the instigators of the brawl, years later changed his name to Meta World Peace.  There happened to be another basketball brawl that took place in 1972 between The Ohio State University and the Golden Gophers of Minnesota at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.  As I read about this incident from one of the players involved, there are several issues and ideas that came to mind. 

             

The first issue is violence in sports and how it is either celebrated or demonized.  This debate is more applicable to more than just hockey.   How far does one take fighting, and whose job is in to enforce the rules, especially the unwritten ones.  Other sports are also have violence issues.  Football is based on running people over and making tackles.  Some would argue that the violence of the sport is leading to serious health issues later in life. We can proclaim that we do not condone it but showing highlight after highlight of the latest fight or hard hit may say otherwise.  After the Malice at the Palace, ESPN and every other sports outlet showed highlights and discuss ramifications of the event.  So where is the line in the sand of supporting and condoning violence?

           

 Another issue that comes up with such brawls is the issue of punishment.  Where do we draw the line and how does one go about giving out punishment.  I think that punishment is a wrong way to go about things because its aim is often is to make an example of someone or a group of people.  I think that we can learn from other peoples wrongs, but making an example out of them is not the best way to go about things.  I do think that people should face some sort of “punishment,” but it’s the end goal that’s should be kept in mind.  Does punishment just lead to condemnation and shame, or does it allow for growth maturity and reconciliation.  If punishment does not lead and allow for reconciliation, its not worth doing, because when we often shame people and make examples out of them, it often leads down a dark road where healing and forgiveness can not be fully given or received.  It is more because I have to and not because I want to.  

 Now that we set up some of the problems, whats the solution and how to live it out.  That is the net blog post