Never Forget | Page 1

Never Forget

By: Jack Greiner on November 13, 2018 on graydon.law

This post is admittedly out of my lane. It’s not about a legal issue or the law even. But I can’t stop watching this clip from the November 10 broadcast of Saturday Night Live.

As many readers likely know, in the November 3 broadcast of SNL, Pete Davidson made a dumb joke about Republican Congressional candidate Lt. Commander Dan Crenshaw’s eye patch. Never a great idea to make fun of a person’s missing eye, but especially given that Crenshaw lost the eye to an IED while on active duty in Afghanistan. Davidson was, to put it mildly, ripped on social media, and any number of outlets.

But the guy who had the real beef – Lt. Com. Crenshaw took it in stride. So much so, that he appeared on the November 10 broadcast to accept Davidson’s apology. I watched the very first broadcast of SNL in October of 1975 and I’ve watched it off and on ever since. This may be my favorite moment for a number of reasons:

1. Davidson’s apology was sincere. I’m sure he was under pressure to do it, but there was no “if I offended anyone” qualifications. He said he made a poor choice and he took full responsibility; 2. It was funny. Lt. Com. Crenshaw has tremendous timing. When his cell phone ring tone played an Ariana Grande song and he asked Davidson “do you know her?” I almost fell off my chair. Davidson recently broke up with her following a well- publicized engagement. 3. It was illuminating. Crenshaw finished his appearance on a more serious note, and in the process reminded us that Davidson’s father, a firefighter, died on 9/11.

This was a fantastic reminder that people make mistakes – big ones – but we can be gracious and forgiving.

SNL could have summarily fired Davidson I suppose. But we would have missed that moment. And we’d be worse off if we had.