The Imus saga

By Alun Thomas

The Don Imus saga is a touchy issue which I barely feel qualified to comment on. Although I tried to ignore it when I discovered he had been fired I felt a deep sense of resentment. Imus' radio show never interested me, I had watched it on MSNBC in the early morning hours from time to time and was bored by the content, the political atmosphere not suited to my tastes. But the ill fated comment made by Imus was enough to cost him his job, regardless of the quality of his show. A man who had made his living in radio for over forty years made a scapegoat because of three words, 'nappy headed hos'. A man vilifed by a gullible world who turned the other way when deep down they may have taken his side, only they didn't want to appear racist or insensitive. I say what Howard Stern suugested Imus tell his detractors, 'F--K you'.

In a radio interview the Reverend Jesse Jackson stated he is not looking to meddle with free speech only watch the vile comments. Usually free speech consists of vulgarity whether you like it or not. If Imus used his free speech while joking about the Rutgers womens basketball team in Jacksons terms then it is unclear what he would say. What Imus did is say something most people at work do everyday, only he is under a national microscope. In various jobs I've had I've heard some of the most vile and unwelcome racial epithets known to man and even been on the other end of some due to my nationality. No I'm not black, but I'm not American and this has been used against me by some people at the end of their rope in an easy attempt to verbally abuse me. Did I care? No. I just used Howard Stern's ethic.

It does rile me that everyone was quick to step away from Imus. Nobody wants to be associated with a perceived racist and CBS made this apparent in dumping his syndicated morning show. Was it to appease Jackson, Al Sharpton and Rutgers? Wasn't the suspension enough? The worst aspect of this incident is how serious we have all become. An obviously misdirected comment creating such a firestorm? People up in arms, decrying what low moral standards still exist in this country. One of the more idiotic retorts to Imus came from ESPN anchor Stuart Scott who said when blacks use the terms 'hos' or 'bitches' it's mostly in loving terms. Who is he fooling? A guy calls his wife or girlfriend a bitch and it's considered affection? Imus says it and he's hung out to dry?

What's glossed over is Imus' charity work that has raised some forty million dollars since 1990. Like him or not that's a sizable amount of change. I'm also sure it went to help black children as well. Now that he has been socially murdered Imus needs to come out firing, regardless of what he has done, or how old and beaten he looks. When will somebody stand up for real freedom of speech? I don't care if it had been a black radio host ridiculing a white team, I just don't care. It doesn't mean anything because most people black and white are struggling to survive everyday of their lives, working and sacrificing their lives to deplorable conditions. Yet the media and it's cronies want us to believe this incident is the most valid issue in the United States. No it isn't. Right now a US soldier has just been blown to bits in Iraq. Do you think he cared? Or his family did?

It's never ending and senseless, the whole thing. Nobody has the ability to just ignore things. Instead they need powerplays to force their own agenda's. Jackson and Sharpton are guilty as are all the piss poor sympathizers out there running to the defence of the poor little Rutgers basketball team. Nobody wants to be seen as taking sides. So what's wrong with being indifferent? It's alright to be offended for a few minutes. Then just laugh it off and go back to sleep. Nobody would be any the wiser. Now if only Imus would stand up for himself I might then be able to sleep. When you have no room to defend yourself against a group ot terrorists in their own rights then maybe it really is all over.

4/19/07