OPINION:
Moral grandstanding is now a competitive sport (“Nexstar and Sinclair bring Jimmy Kimmel’s show back on local TV stations, ending boycotts,” Web, Sept. 26). Everyone is eager to prove their virtue — not by living it but by pointing out the supposed failings of others. Actual character is optional; outrage is enough.
No belief system is required. Just call out the villains and fools of the day and watch the applause roll in. The beauty of it is how cheap it is: no sacrifice, no effort, no virtue of your own. By dragging down others, you raise yourself up.
If you really want to turbocharge your moral standing, you don’t have to do it alone. Join a chorus of like-minded scolds. Their collective nodding assures you that your sanctimony isn’t just noise but it’s also making a difference — or at least feels like it is.
In the end, moral grandstanding isn’t virtue; it’s performance art for the self-absorbed.
SCOTT THOMPSON
Bloomington, Indiana
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