To the Editor:
I want to refute Brian Chao's article, "No Justification for Zidane's Head-Butt." I don't claim to know the specifics of this case or to know what actually happened between the two soccer players, whether Zidane's sister and sick mother were insulted or not. As a general rule, it is not only justified, but admirable, to defend one's honor and the honor of one's family with force. It doesn't matter if there are billions of people watching, and if the consequences for defending honor include ejection from the World Cup or the disdain of pundits worldwide. One's family should be more important than a game or the opinions of other people.
There was a time when an insult hurled at someone's family was met with throwing down the gauntlet and an arrangement for a duel at dawn. Perhaps this was too extreme, but the pathetic state to which the concept of honor has sunk to today is even worse. It is highly lamentable that in today's society, nothing is worth fighting for. In school, it is taught that even self-defense is impermissible, since fighting back still constitutes fighting. There is no distinction between the aggressor and the defender, between right and wrong. In elementary school, there was a kid who tried to bully me, and one day I just punched him in the face and started a fight. I will never regret that, and I will always teach my children to do the same. Maybe when they grow up, they will have the courage to defend my honor against anyone who dares to sully it.
