hidden image

Bob’s Banter by Robert Clements Will and Gandhi at the Oscars..!

Robert Clements Robert Clements
04 Apr 2022
Will Smith slaps Chris

A resounding slap indeed. A punch heard all round the world. One that revealed not a broken jaw or black eye, but showed ever so clearly, that you can take a man off the streets, but you can’t take the streets out of the man.
Will Smith revealed himself: An ugly revelation!
As a youngster, when his grandmother found a notebook of his lyrics, which he described as containing "all his little curse words", she wrote him a note on a page in the book, which read, "Dear Willard, truly intelligent people do not have to use words like this to express themselves. Please show the world that you're as smart as we think you are". Smith said this influenced his decision not to use profanity in his music.
But his decision didn’t change how he was deep inside.
And that is very important. When the Father of our Nation, introduced non-violence to the world, he spent a long, long time working on himself. It was because he worked on himself, he was able to take any insult thrown at him, and keep his mind focused on the idea of ‘turning the other cheek’.
What an opportunity lost for Will. He, the six footer that he is, could have taken those giant strides to the front of the hall, stood by Chris Rock, and then using powerful, impactful words, told Chris and the rest of the world how needed it was to have compassion on someone’s illness and not make a joke about it.
The world would have loved him for it, realizing, the Will they knew in reel life was even bigger in real life.
But he blew it.
He blew it, because his mask was off and he showed his true colours.
In our country, we have many Will Smith’s. Many politicians who speak gently and convincingly to the poor, and thereby get votes, then use the same tongue to slander and cut down men and women who worship differently.
You can’t unite and also divide, because though you may have some cheering for you, the world will consider you a hypocrite.
After this Oscar incident, let us as a country start becoming proud again of a simple man with simple tastes, who had simplicity both in his heart and outward appearance, using those same simple methods to win a victory over the overdressed Englishman!
Tell America, what our Gandhiji would have done, and even as they put their heads down in shame, will them not to say, ‘Then why have you started honouring his assassin?”
Because it’s time we emulate and glorify the one man who stands tall in the world arena, one who would have got his point across with his arms around Chris Rock’s shoulder and not a fist at his face..!

bobsbanter@gmail.com   

Recent Posts

A democracy must distinguish between an armed insurgent and a questioning citizen. Calling critics, students, academics or activists "Dimaagi Naxals" is unacceptable. Strength lies not in silencing di
apicture Dr Martin Valiyaparambil VC
24 Aug 2026
As I watched, I could not help remembering the interview I did with your father, NKP Salve, for Jain TV in the 1990s. Goswami, I presume, was then still "studying for some time in a Jesuit-run school,
apicture A. J. Philip
24 Aug 2026
After years in abeyance, Justice Sunday returns at a moment of profound national crisis. From poverty and exclusion to attacks on minorities and environmental destruction, the Church is called to recl
apicture Cedric Prakash
24 Aug 2026
Israel has transformed from the biblical David into a heavily armed Goliath. Self-defence cannot justify occupation, mass displacement and civilian suffering. The world must find the courage to act.
apicture P. A. Chacko
24 Aug 2026
Pellet guns were fired at protesting students, and nobody can say who ordered it. The issue has transcended one incident. Power remains concentrated, but responsibility is endlessly dispersed.
apicture Oliver D'Souza
24 Aug 2026
Beneath India's boasts of growth and power, a deeper restlessness is spreading. Jobs vanish, institutions weaken, citizens move, dissent is silenced, and trust collapses; the CJP's rise reflects this
apicture Thomas Menamparampil
24 Aug 2026
Sanatan borders bruised me In caste societies. Left Ideologies crushed me In European societies. Sharia societies Erased my skin.
apicture Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
24 Aug 2026
Unity is beautiful, but only when united around what is right. Otherwise, unity merely allows everyone to become lost without feeling lonely.
apicture Robert Clements
24 Aug 2026
Bengal once welcomed missionaries who built schools, hospitals and presses, enriching the region's education, healthcare and reform. Today, priests are told to leave their parishes. The irony is devas
apicture CM Paul
17 Aug 2026
With Christians constituting barely 2.3 per cent of India's population, the charge of mass forced conversion defies logic. Yet anti-conversion laws pivot charity into "allurement," suspicion and crime
apicture Chhotebhai
17 Aug 2026