Sharon Stone is, by most accounts, an intelligent woman. But her comments regarding the recent earthquake in China make her seem like a blond headed bimbo. Here’s what she said:

”I’m not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don’t think anyone should be unkind to anyone else,” Stone said Thursday during a Cannes Film Festival red-carpet interview with Hong Kong’s Cable Entertainment News. ”And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that karma? When you’re not nice that the bad things happen to you?” (Source: The New York Times)

What was she thinking? I’m sure that the majority of the 68 thousand people that were killed, the many thousands more that were injured or and the 5 million Chinese people left homeless had nothing to do with China’s policy on Tibet. So how does Karma factor into it for those people? I’d like to hear Sharon Stone answer that question but after hours calls to her office by the New York Times were not returned.

On a personal note, I was horrified and stunned after hearing about the devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake in China . I even felt guilty about publishing my experience of the recent 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Japan. It seems so insignificant and trivial now and my thoughts surrounding the China earthquake have yet to include the concept of Karmic retribution, until now….

Unfortunately these type of comments by celebrities and politicians are not uncommon. Remember when the United States re-named French Fries to “Freedom Fries” in protest over France’s lack of support of the war in Iraq or when religious leaders claimed the Hurricane Katrina was the result of God’s wrath upon the sinners and homosexuals in New Orleans?

Here is a Japanese proverb that I think Sharon Stone, and others like her, should take into account before espousing their personal views to the media:

“Iwanu ga hana”

The literal translation of this Japanese Kotowaza or proverb is “Not-speaking is the flower.” The English equivalent would be to say that some things are better left unsaid or “Silence is golden”.

UPDATE: CNN is reporting (5/29/08) that Sharon Stone made the follwing statement regarding her previous comments:

“Due to my inappropriate words and acts during the interview, I feel deeply sorry and sad about hurting Chinese people,” Stone said in the statement. “I am willing to take part in the relief work of China’s earthquake, and wholly devote myself to helping affected Chinese people.”

Not very heartfelt if you ask me….she is willing to take part in relief work but WILL she and will the Chinese accept her help?

Kotowaza Source: Nihon no Kotowaza