The Raiders’ Head Coach, Tom Cable is in hot water for allegedly punching one of his assistants. Police are investigating. Legal action is imminent. Am I the only one left in the Napa Valley who thinks a timely punch in the snoot is an honorable thing and should be encouraged?

In our attempt to build a gentler, kinder nation based upon law and dedicated to the proposition that all violence is bad we’ve lost one of society's greatest champions of justice--the old fashioned punch in the snoot.

Remember “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?” Never was there a kinder more decent man than Mr. Smith. He trekked off to Washington clad only in idealism, determined to fight for the underdog as he exposed corruption in the Washington establishment.

Frank Capra’s young Senator was the embodiment of the mythological American Hero. A walking, Boy Scout Oath, he was young, innocent, honest -- without airs, or a hint of duplicity. Raised in the west and unsullied by Big City turpitude he was an American Don Quixote willing to tilt against the windmills of corruption that were s ullying the sacred halls of Congress.

The handsome, soft spoken Senator (played Jimmy Stewart) was as pure as young Arthur when he extracted Excalibur from the stone. Indeed, the humble, agrarian upbringing is an imperative of dragon slaying myths--from David, to Joan of Arc, to Lincoln. Only the pure of heart are worthy to exorcise the demons that threaten to engulf us with their cancerous sophistry. ‘Twas always thus.

As in all dragon-slaying myths, even the purest of hearts must undergo a rigorous baptism of fire. Various trials are set before the untested youth. As he travels the road to his inevitable meeting with evil incarnate, he must be physically courageous and morally straight to prove himself worthy. Should he pass his physical trials and subtle tests of character, then the inevitable denouement occurs. Good inevitably triumphs over evil and the world is a gentler, kinder. safer place.

In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington the freshman Senator is confronted by a host of trials that test his character.

The final straw is when a photographer takes a picture (the details are unimportant), publishes it in the Newspaper and all of Washington is given to believe that the lie told by the photo, is true.

How does the valiant young hero handle this particular test of fire? Does he sue? Does he write the FPPC? No. He slams down the paper in disbelief and searches out the offending photographer. Upon finding him, with nary a word of explanation, he delivers an old fashioned punch in snoot.

In the world of the nineteen thirties, that was the only honorable reaction for a man of character. Had the young hero (metaphorically) turned the other cheek, he would not have passed that character test--and would have been unworthy to smite the villainous dragon at the end of the movie.

Now, non-violence is a good thing. Would that we were good enough to follow the Man’s teachings and always turn the other cheek. And bullying is never on. But it turns out that in this imperfect world, filled as it is with treacherous dragons and two-faced monsters, turning the other cheek isn’t always the answer. It can actually encourage boorish behavior, by giving the false impression that inappropriate behavior will have no consequences.


Law suits ain’t the answer either. Is there nothing available between ignoring the transgression and using laser guided bombs? Would not evil doers and purveyors of falsehoods tread somewhat differently were they subject to the occasional punch in the snoot?

Apparently other societies think so. From Afghanistan, to Rwanda, to China—90% of the world’s population reacts to certain insults with physical retaliation. Why? Because they are less civilized than we are? How arrogant. They do it because it oils the wheels of society. It works.

Besides. We applaud when a woman slaps a man across the face when he gets "fresh" with her. Why should we have a double standard for men? Shouldn't they be allowed to retaliate physically, just like women, when one crosses an inappropriate line?

From the beginning of time, man has known that some things are best answered with a quick right cross. Can you really say something about my mother, wife or daughters without instant physical retaliation ?

Honor is a tricky thing. As Mr. Guliver found with the Liliputions, when taken to extremes, countries can go to war over which end to crack and egg. Still…

I have no idea what happened in that coaches meeting. But unless Coach Cable sucker punched his assistant from behind, my guess is he had it coming.

We’re just too politically correct to admit it.