When you live your life in a public spotlight you expect people to have opinions. I have been in broadcasting for 35 years and I have certainly had my share of critics. I appreciate people who have an opinion about what we do at the radio station. Especially if it is something that we can do better, or something that we should have done better. That makes us more useful as a broadcast outlet.

The sad fact is that you can't be all things to all people so you have to be the best you can be for as many as you can. I for one am grateful that so many of you tune in our radio station everyday and give us the opportunity to inform, entertain and enlighten you.  Despite our best efforts we do have our detractors. As I mentioned I love hearing about how we can make the station better, but sometimes the criticisms are very personal in nature and just plain wrong.

It was just such a scenario that Jennifer Livingston of WKBT TV had to address this morning. The viewer in question did not complain about the way the TV station covered news, or that they had information wrong. The viewer blatantly attacked Jennifer personally. He called her fat. That is wrong. It is bullying.

I guess the viewer felt that because Jennifer was on TV she no longer had feelings and he no longer needed to respect them. That viewer is a sad, sad, sad example of what we call being a human. Jennifer's wonderful response was very refreshing. She was very candid and honest and open but most of all very human.

What is my point? It is this, we are all human. The lady on the TV, the guy on the radio, the man at the drive thru, the store clerk, the waiter, the teacher, the secretary, the person just trying to get by and live their life. We are no where near perfect. For someone to point out shortcomings that we are painfully aware of is just not right. Somewhere we lost the ability to respect one another and it is time we brought that  part of human decency back as the rule and not the exception.

Our children learn by watching more than they do by listening. They see how we really are and how really act. If we act with venom in our hearts, they learn that hatred is okay. It's not. It never will be. I invite your comments, the good and the not so good, especially if it will help me do my job for the betterment of your radio listening experience. I hope you will show this video to your children so they can see that even grownups can be bullied and bullies. Jennifer thank you for sharing your story, there are a lot of us in the media that can really appreciate the shoes that you're wearing.

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