Meta #Metta; or, If You Want World Peace, Pay Your Parking Tickets
Paul Harvey
It's official: Ron Artest (forward for the Los Angeles Lakers) has changed his name to Metta World Peace. I do not find it quite as clever as the 1970s classic change of Lloyd Free, who proclaimed himself "all-world," to "World B. Free," but it's certainly more effective than Prince changing his name to something that no one could say, and then changing it back.
"Metta is going to be the first name and it means like friendship, love and kindness," Artest told Stephen A. Smith on 710 ESPNLA earlier this month. "World Peace is going to be the last name, so everybody can get ready to buy their World Peace jerseys."
Hidden in this story, however, is a far more important moral, and indeed a lesson for us all:
"Artest's initial request to change his name last month was delayed because of a failure to pay an outstanding parking ticket."
"Metta is going to be the first name and it means like friendship, love and kindness," Artest told Stephen A. Smith on 710 ESPNLA earlier this month. "World Peace is going to be the last name, so everybody can get ready to buy their World Peace jerseys."
Hidden in this story, however, is a far more important moral, and indeed a lesson for us all:
"Artest's initial request to change his name last month was delayed because of a failure to pay an outstanding parking ticket."
No word yet on whether Matt Sutton was involved in getting that parking situation rectified as quickly as it was.
Live long and prosper, Metta. And let us all remember that lesson about life's priorities. Pay your parking tickets, and then you may exercise your rights of religious freedom. (Might add, it also helps to avoid going into the stands to punch fans of the opposing team; just saying).
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