Should Isaiah Washington have been fired from Grey's Anatomy?

No

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by Diane Stacey

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There is a lot of heated debate surrounding the firing of Isaiah Washington from Grey's Anatomy. T.R. Knight, while not directly involved in the conversation between his cast members, initiated what seems to be a global feud on the subject of sexual discrimination. In the end, the show's creator decided to reward T.R. Knight and fire Isaiah Washington. While I am not sure how others felt about this, it has really left a bad impression of those responsible for these acts.

It seems to me that the issue most people have against the actor portraying Dr. Preston Burke is merely the fact that a black male was on the speaking end of a remark which part of the community felt was demeaning toward a gay white male. The majority of complaints of this nature seem to come from race related conversations. An example is the recent situation with Don Imus. It is unfortunate that people can't seem to separate those complaints from this issue. I have actually heard people say that if it was a white person talking race, they would have been fired, so let's make an example of this black man. That truly is unfair.

In my experience, one person can't be held accountable for what people perceive as the actions or behavior of an entire group. I feel embarrassed for these people and hope that they will never have to endure the punishment for a group they belong to. I also hope they are never on the judging end against something I was thought to have said.

It would be wonderful if we could come together as a community and rid ourselves of the issues that separate us. Does it really matter that we have differences? It is our differences that make life interesting. Does it matter in a country founded on principles, like freedom of speech, that we condemn someone for what they say?

When I was growing up, we used to use the words "fag" or "faggot" occasionally in conversations. It had nothing to do with sexual preference, but was generally more about someone's behavior. It implied that someone was very different from the norm or that they had said or done something that hurt us. It is hard not to worry about accidentally using one of these words in modern times, only because we are becoming a very judgmental and punishing society.

It is my personal opinion that there were definitely some wrongs created in this whole situation. While I don't condone the use of derogatory terms when speaking to or about others, I also wasn't there to participate in the conversation. It is easy to take things out of context when you aren't present. This is why hearsay is not allowed in a court of law, because it is one person interpreting what another intended.

It bothers me that T.R. Knight was rewarded for his sketchy, unethical behavior. He used a situation in which he was not a participant, to announce his own sexual preference and confirm that he was gay. It is possible that he felt compromised in wanting to be honest about who he is, yet possibly afraid of how others would react. It seemed to cushion the blow for him to some extent to make his announcement in conjunction with pointing the finger of blame at someone else. He thereby shifted the attention from himself to Isaiah Washington. The issue wasn't the fact that T.R. was gay, it was that Isaiah was an evil villain.

If I were in charge at the network or of Grey's Anatomy, I would have taken a step back and looked at some things that weren't taken into consideration. Mr. Knight should have been reprimanded for creating mass hysteria over something he was not a direct participant of. He took inside information to the media and started an external feud that separated the fans of Grey's Anatomy. In general, business matters should be handled internally to see if they can be resolved before involved outsiders. Especially in the performing arts, the executives should consider what is in the best interests of all. It will be interesting to see if T.R.'s actions result in the failure of this next season. This is the kind of thing that can make or break a successful series.

It is interesting as well to learn that Isaiah Washington was hired for a role on the remake of the Bionic Woman. I've read postings on the network's message boards which say the Bionic Woman had a large gay fan base, who would not watch the new series if Isaiah was on it. It isn't really a matter of which group or groups feel they own the fan rights to a show. It is merely an opportunity for a man who has apologized to have a fresh start.

In addition, Mr. Washington was asked to complete several objectives to make amends with the gay community. To my knowledge, he did everything he was asked to do. Our country is based on forgiveness and acceptance. Even after war, we still reach out to help others. In this instance, it didn't seem to matter that Isaiah complied and completed his mission. He was still ostracized from his community.

The cast should be private with their views and perceptions about their cast mates. If the creator and producers can't understand that they are making decisions that could end their show, then the best thing we can do is watch another network.

In the end, I feel badly that someone was hurt, whether it was by words or actions. I also feel that Grey's Anatomy seems to have a lot of controversy surrounding the interpersonal relationships of its cast. As a fan of television and someone enjoys watching a good program, I can honestly say that I don't want to be thinking about the politics and bad publicity as it takes away from being present with the characters on the show. My favorite character was Dr. Preston Burke, and I am not sure how you can move forward in the show by acting like a man with that kind of integrity could just walk away. I don't know Isaiah Washington, or whether he has the same integrity of his character Dr. Burke, but I do know he deserved a second chance.

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