By: Donald V. Watkins
Copyrighted and Published on April 3, 2022
Will Smith committed a violent black-on-black crime on national TV during the 2022 Oscars program. Smith trespassed onto the stage, without an invitation to do so, and committed a violent assault and battery on co-host Chris Rock. Afterwards, Smith continued his assault in front of the world telling Rock (twice) in loud and profane language to "Keep my wife's name out of your fuc---- mouth."
Chris Rock handled Smith's violent assault and battery with class and grace. To his credit, Rock did not fight back. Rock simply rose above Will Smith's felony assault and battery upon him.
Now, I am beginning to understand why violent crime is a growing phenomenon in Los Angeles. Smith committed a felonious assault on National TV, without any fear of law enforcement consequences.
There is NO EXCUSE for Smith's violent criminal behavior! I condemn it, without hesitation or reservation.
Will Smith does not get a pass from me for his violent crime simply because he is a rich, black, Hollywood celebrity. Smith has now defined himself as a violent criminal who is roaming free in Hollywood.
Smith Disrespected All of Us
With his felonious assault and battery, Will Smith disrespected the faith and trust the family of Richard Williams bestowed upon him to portray the greatest tennis coach in history in the movie, "King Richard," which is based upon Richard Williams life. The world will now remember Will Smith's slap more than the movie that honors Richard Williams' decades-long work in coaching Venus and Serena Williams into the two greatest tennis stars in the history of the sport.
Richard Williams, his former wife, and the Williams children are wonderful, law-abiding human beings. As a celebrity family, they never brought disgrace upon themselves. They certainly did not not deserve the dishonor and disgrace Will Smith brought to their family name.
Smith also disrespected Chris Rock by making him a victim of violent black-on-black crime on national TV. Some people seek to excuse Smith's felonious conduct by focusing on the "G.I. Jane" joke Chris Rock made about Smith's wife Jada Pinkett, who suffers from alopecia (a non-life threatening dermatological disease that causes hair loss).
Smith and Pinkett both must realize that she is a successful Hollywood movie star and a widely-recognized "public figure." Whether the Smiths like it, or not, Jada's celebrity status makes her fair game for PG-rated jokes from comedians and others.
Smith also disrespected black America by perpetuating the negative stereotype that too many whites around the world have about black Americans -- that we have a propensity for violence in settling disputes among ourselves. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are the most non-violent race of people on the planet. For centuries, African-Americans have tolerated all forms of physical abuse from many perpetrators, without resorting to violence. However, you would not know this historical fact from Will Smith's unprovoked violent attack on Chris Rock.
Smith humiliated the Oscars program executives who asked him to leave the ceremony immediately after he committed his violent crime in plain view of the world. Smith would not leave the program. These gutless executives should have had security promptly and forcibly escort Smith from the program after the incident, but they did not.
By failing to eject Smith from the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tacitly condoned his violent behavior. In contrast, if a college or professional athlete had slapped another athlete during a game, he/she would have been ejected immediately.
Yet, Will Smith was allowed to stay in the audience and come on stage again to accept his "Best Actor" award for "King Richard." Afterwards, Smith was smiling, dancing, and partying with his award in hand. The Hollywood crowd had apparently forgiven him.
Finally, Will Smith disrespected all Americans who believe in law and order. Violence is NEVER the answer to any perceived verbal insult. Only thugs answer perceived verbal insults with violence.
Will Smith Must Be Punished for His Violent Crime
Will Smith must be severely punished for his violent conduct. The district attorney for Los Angeles County must prosecute Smith for his felonious assault and battery on Chris Rock. If the current district attorney lacks the balls to do so, he should resign from office so that a real prosecutor can handle the case.
To restore its credibility and integrity, the Academy must impose strong sanctions upon Will Smith. He is the first and only member of the Academy to commit a felonious assault and battery on a program host on the premises during the televised ceremony. The Academy's proverbial "slap" must be harder than the one Smith gave Rock. The Academy must show that criminal conduct will never be tolerated in its presence.
The Academy should take back Smith's Oscar award and ban his future participation in all of the Academy activities for a period of at least three years. Smith needs to fully understand the consequences of his violent actions. Chris Rock was NOT the only victim of Smith's violent crime. We all were.
This is not the time for the Hollywood crowd to exhibit its traditional weakness as "bleeding heart liberals." If a white actor had slapped Chris Rock under the same circumstances, every civil rights and media group in the world would be demanding the same or greater sanctions, including a swift criminal prosecution for the perpetrator.
Will Smith committed his violent crime, alone and unprovoked. None of us bears any responsibility to help a Hollywood multi-millionaire mitigate the blowback from his thoughtless, reckless, violent, criminal actions at the Oscars.
Finally, I do not want to hear any black person try to blame Will Smith's embarrassing and violent conduct on white racism. Don't even go there.
