Dear Gayle...

I just don't understand. I watched your interview with Lisa Leslie regarding Kobe Bryant's legacy and I couldn't believe what I saw. I watched it over and over and over again. I watched Snoop's horrid response to you and there's nothing I could say. I was upset about it too. I watched Snoop over and over again. Then I saw Susan Rice's response and Lil Boosie's response to you and Rose McGowan's response to Snoop. Then it hit me. And it hit me hard. It's appalling that after 7,500 generations of human existence, we still have not learned to respect the dead. When a man or woman dies, they leave behind everyone and everything they've ever known. And those left behind, specifically their families are standing in their own tears mourning the death of their loved one. And in Kobe Bryant's case, the world is mourning with Kobe's wife and three remaining daughters. This is the reason the interview was so inappropriate. This is the reason why so many are upset. I watched your response to Snoop saying that you didn't know that the clip had aired and that it was presented out of context by the network but I'm sorry Ms. King, we need more. We need a real apology to Mr. Bryant's family, to everyone who plays professional basketball, to his friends, and to the entire world who is grieving his loss. You can't blame it on the network. You asked the questions. But you know what, I can't blame you either.

It appears that in recent years it has become the norm to present the negative accounts of a persons career rather than the positive. Hell, we can't make a movie about Dr. Martin Luther King without insinuating that he had affairs. We can't talk about Mike Tyson without talking about Desiree Washington. It appears that the focus of our society on sexual misconduct has tarnished Sports, Hollywood, America's educational institutions, the US Military, the Congress of the United States, and even three out of the last five Presidents of the United States. It's a plague that permeates every conversation. And now, it extends past mortality even as family's grieve their loved ones.

It's time to lift up Kobe's family. It's time to celebrate his life and his accomplishments. It's time to recognize how he affected the NBA, the WNBA, and this world as a whole. It's time to talk about what kind of friend he was, what kind of husband he was, and what kind of father he was. How many championship games did he play in? How many Hall of Fame NBA players did he play with? How many did he play against? How much did he contribute to charity? What was his favorite food? What was his favorite color? What was his favorite movie? Who did he look up to as a basketball player?... Jordan of course. What was his favorite restaurant? What was his favorite city? How many points did he score over his NBA career? What records does he hold? Come to think of it, this is a pretty good list of interview questions, Ms. King...

And one more thing... for whoever may be reading this letter. We all have to leave this world some day... Let's take a moment to understand what it means to rest in peace. Peace for the dead. Peace for the loved ones left behind... And healing for us all.