[Swinging Johnson]

Kanye West is guilty of everything that has been previously said about him. I am in complete and total agreement. He is a glory hound who cannot bear to cede the limelight to anyone else. However, it would be intellectually dishonest to ignore his subsequent apologies. Furthermore, he honored a committment to appear on Jay Leno's inaugural show by not only performing but addressing the topic before he performed. Does that absolve him of his lunatic behavior and his god complex? Of course not. However, it does demonstrate his intestinal fortitude to take responsibility which is so conspicuously absent in today's society. He blamed no one but himself and understood the gravity of his antics and the consequences which resulted.

Kanye West has been and will continue to be castigated for his outlandish behavior. I, for one, am heartened that his peers in the music industry have not made excuses or rationalized his actions. Yet, the first step toward redemption is accepting responsibility for one's actions. We've all played the fool gentlemen, however only few of us have had a public audience to witness any of our own indiscretions.