From the Desk

When someone hurls an insult at you, whether jokingly or in a serious manner, you probably get defensive or send an equally insulting phrase right back at the offender.

Though this seems to be the immediate response of most people in our generation, one person, a 13-year-old girl, chose to rise above the immaturity when she responded to a rude — and downright mean — tweet directed toward her.

This girl is Mo’ne Davis. She generally makes headlines because of her unbelievable pitching ability in the sport of baseball — not softball, by the way. But this time, her humility rather than her athletic prowess has put her in the news.

About a week ago, a college baseball player tweeted something in response to Disney Channel making a movie about Davis, calling her an inappropriate name and mocking her for her performance in the Little League World Series. He was promptly kicked off his college team.

Only a couple days later, Davis asked the school to reinstate the player.

“It hurt on my part, but he hurt even more,” Davis said in a “Sports Center” interview. “If it was me, I would want to take that back. I know how hard he’s worked. Why not give him a second chance?”

I would be impressed by any person that could respond in a similar manner. A response like this from a 13-year-old girl, who had every right to be hurt and angry with the player, is even more impressive.

Davis could have answered with a quick hit to the player’s pride, sarcastically asking him to show the thousands of articles praising him for his talent.

She could have called him out for having nothing better to do than to spend his time crafting such an immature tweet.

She could have yelled back in anger with equally rude, or possibly even more offensive, words.

But she did not do any of those things.

Commentators and writers across the nation have fuel for all kinds of responses through this situation. They have written about how Davis, and women in general, should not have to endure such ridicule. They have written about whether the player should actually be allowed back on the team. What so many of these people miss, though, is the idea that we should be learning from a girl who is much younger than most of us.

At 13 years old, Davis understands the concept of forgiveness — a concept most adults cannot fully grasp or put into practice. Rather than wanting the player to have to suffer for his inappropriate behavior, Davis rose above the idea perpetuated among our generation that people have to get what they deserve.

It is time for us to start realizing, like Davis already has, that every time someone offends us, it is not necessary for that person to also suffer simply because we did.

Next time someone says something rude to you, next time someone hurts you, next time someone mocks you, keep your mouth shut, and let your actions and decision to forgive, rather than your emotionally charged words, speak for you.

BROWN is the editor-in-chief