Don Imus - suspended

[Merlin]

Imus is well known for trying to be funny at the expense of others, it's called s-a-r-c-a-s-m. Does anyone remember a few years back when he was speaking at a dinner with the President? He told a lot of off color jokes that the President was obviously not happy with. He took a lot of crap for it.

So let me get this straight, some "kid" with his shorts down to his ankles, 30 pounds of gold around his neck, a hat with a gay ass straight bill crooked on his head, a gun he has no idea how to use, and virtually no singing talent what-so-ever gets up there and "sings" "kill all tha krackaz and tha cops cuz nigga z in da hauz! fux all dem napi hoz cuz muh gun iz loadedz" is okay? And it's okay for black comedians to say wtfever they want?

The second ANY white person says anything close to that, you think it's wrong? WOW...THAT is hypocritical.

I am not an Imus fan and in fact I think the guy is a stooge. But give me a break here, talk about making something out of nothing.

I have to put up with my religion being suppressed, I am supposed to be "tolerant", For being white I am supposed to apologize, I am middle class so that means my money is everyone's, My right to free speech is now censored, I have to be "compassionate" towards people who invade my country illegally and get more rights then I do, SHIT while I am at it, why don't I bend over and take it right up the ass!

Screw this man, Free Speech is guaranteed and whether or not you agree with whatever he said, he has a right to say that the hell ever he wants to and a right to suffer whatever consequences his EMPLOYER chooses to place on him.

Screw your "feelings", you racist bastards have been feeding off of this "kracker" for too damn long. It's time you grow some balls and suck it up just like the rest of us.

[pacfan]

How is your religion surpressed?

[Rastak]

is okay? And it's okay for black comedians to say wtfever they want?

The second ANY white person says anything close to that, you think it's wrong? WOW...THAT is hypocritical.

I completely understand what you are saying. However, the one side wasn't enslaved by this country for a few hundred years. Please, NEVER lose sight of that. Yes, the current generation isn't responsible for that. It wasn't but 50 years ago that this country was segragated. I'm in no way a bleeding heart liberal because I almost always vote conservative but I'll never discount the lingering effects of the blatent, unjust, disgusting way American citizens were treated for hundreds of years.

[the_idle_threat]

I agree that slavery was unjust and disgusting, but it was also 140 years ago. Nodody is alive today who was either a victim or an oppressor in that whole affair. There has to be some kind of statute of limitations on victimhood.

Furthermore, if you study American immigration and population history, you find that a large majority of the ancestors of today's white Americans came to the U.S. in the immigration boom between the 1860s and the 1920s. Even if a person were responsible for the acts of his or her ancestors (which I don't believe, btw), the ancestors of most white Americans in this country had nothing to do with American slavery. My Irish ancestors were busy fleeing the English, and my German ancestors were likely fleeing a combination of anti-Catholic govermental policies and economic depression. They all arrived in the 1870s-1880s.

So while I understand that something awful happened many years ago to a large group of people, I'm very ready to lose sight of it. The past can't be changed; the oppressors are all dead; many white Americans aren't even descendants of the oppressors; it's way past time to move on.

[pacfan]

I agree that slavery was unjust and disgusting, but it was also 140 years ago. Nodody is alive today who was either a victim or an oppressor in that whole affair. There has to be some kind of statute of limitations on victimhood.

Furthermore, if you study American immigration and population history, you find that a large majority of the ancestors of today's white Americans came to the U.S. in the immigration boom between the 1860s and the 1920s. Even if a person were responsible for the acts of his or her ancestors (which I don't believe, btw), the ancestors of most white Americans in this country had nothing to do with American slavery. My Irish ancestors were busy fleeing the English, and my German ancestors were likely fleeing a combination of anti-Catholic govermental policies and economic depression. They all arrived in the 1870s-1880s.

So while I understand that something awful happened many years ago to a large group of people, I'm very ready to lose sight of it. The past can't be changed; the oppressors are all dead; many white Americans aren't even descendants of the oppressors; it's way past time to move on.

Wow, thats pretty impressive.

The entire civil rights struggle of the 1960's should be forgotten as well since that was nearly 40 years ago. I guess you can also argue that you no longer have any connection/claim to your self-identified Irish ancestory since that was nearly 140 years. You'll have to let the Germans, Catholics, and the English of the hook for their practices since that was ages ago. While it can be argued that some bad things did happen to a group of people, which in turn forced them to flee from their "home" in Europe and colonize the "undiscovered country", it really was a long time ago and its time to simply move on.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Imus's comments were sexist and racist. That is fine for a "wacky" dj. Imus isn't that.

What a fraud you are. You'll accept racists sexist remarks from a "wacky" dj, but deplore them from someone else. So in other words, you have to establish yourself as a moral degenerate in order to make racists, misogynistic language acceptable? Well, join the ranks. Conditional morality, eh? In my opinion, you have no credibility.

Wow. Talk about missing the point.

When I say "fine" that doesn't mean acceptable, it means expected. I dont' live in some idealistic world. One expects stern, opie and andy, bubba, etc. to do something stupid and then get FIRED..as they have multiple times..with the exception of stern. That is the role of the dj. They are on the cutting edge of pop culture.

Imus is hardly on the cutting edge. Imus may be thought of as a shock jock, but he is hardly one. You don't get carried on MSNBC by being a shock jock. If he is a shock jock, then so is Rush.

As for race baiting: Sorry, but your kids friends aren't even a comparable sampling. Music tastes are different depending on a variety of factors. You don't know what is on their ipods..and to claim differently is a joke.

Furthermore, not all rap is sexist. How do you know these college women aren't listening to something like the fugees, bob marley, common, kanye or a variety of other black musicians. Why would you assume they listening to degrading rap. How do you know they aren't listening to Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Akon, Fergie, Gym Class Heroes, Beyonce, Shakira, Diddy, R. Kelly, etc.

All of those are in the top 20.

But, I guess in your small world all rap is just full of thugs. Most telling is how you don't even THINK to consider female rappers.

[mraynrand]

Imus's comments were sexist and racist. That is fine for a "wacky" dj. Imus isn't that.

What a fraud you are. You'll accept racists sexist remarks from a "wacky" dj, but deplore them from someone else. So in other words, you have to establish yourself as a moral degenerate in order to make racists, misogynistic language acceptable? Well, join the ranks. Conditional morality, eh? In my opinion, you have no credibility.

Wow. Talk about missing the point.

When I say "fine" that doesn't mean acceptable, it means expected. I dont' live in some idealistic world. One expects stern, opie and andy, bubba, etc. to do something stupid and then get FIRED..as they have multiple times..with the exception of stern. That is the role of the dj. They are on the cutting edge of pop culture.

Imus is hardly on the cutting edge. Imus may be thought of as a shock jock, but he is hardly one. You don't get carried on MSNBC by being a shock jock. If he is a shock jock, then so is Rush.

As for race baiting: Sorry, but your kids friends aren't even a comparable sampling. Music tastes are different depending on a variety of factors. You don't know what is on their ipods..and to claim differently is a joke.

Furthermore, not all rap is sexist. How do you know these college women aren't listening to something like the fugees, bob marley, common, kanye or a variety of other black musicians. Why would you assume they listening to degrading rap. How do you know they aren't listening to Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Akon, Fergie, Gym Class Heroes, Beyonce, Shakira, Diddy, R. Kelly, etc.

All of those are in the top 20.

But, I guess in your small world all rap is just full of thugs. Most telling is how you don't even THINK to consider female rappers.

It's interesting to see how you know what I think. I'm guessing what they have on their iPods based on what the most popular rap and pop music is. I would expect that they, like most of my daughters classmates, would have a wide range of music on their iPods, including rap that uses langugage that degrades women. Yes, I assumed that at least one of them would have rap that included lyrics similar to what Imus said. I think that's a likely guess. Some, maybe most might not. Perhaps their brothers, boyfriends or other male friends might be more likely to own that music. What I wrote though was that it would be interesting had one of the reporters asked the girls what they had on their iPods. I didn't say this to denigrate the women on the team, but merely to point out that it might have addressed the pervasiveness of the crap Imus tossed out.

And I couldn't care less what you want to call these guys - shock jocks, etc. My point is that the line separating acceptable and unacceptable could stand being moved a bit - for the society as a whole.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Well, Imus has been fired by CBS. Can't say i'm surprised. Not sure it was warranted.

Interesting to see who will pick him up.

[Joemailman]

Imus will likely show up on Satellite Radio, unless he decides to retire. I think it is illuminating that Imus is fired for what he said, but Ann Coulter is still getting airtime on Fox after calling John Edwards a faggot. But given that it's Fox, maybe she gets airtime because she called Edwards a faggot.

[Jimx29]

A black sports columnist speaks up

It's more than just Imus

April 12, 2007


In retrospect, outraged people shouldn't have united and screamed "blank you" to Don Imus the last few days. No, instead, we should've stuck out our hand and said, "Thank you."

We should feel indebted to a shriveled, unfunny, insensitive frog for being so ignorant that he actually did us all a favor. He woke society the hell up. He grabbed it by the throat, shook hard and ordered us to take a long, critical look at ourselves and the mess we've made and ignored for much too long. He made us examine the culture and the characters we've created for ourselves, our impressionable young people and our future.

Had Imus not called a bunch of proud and innocent young women "nappy-headed hos," would we be as ashamed of what we see as we are today?

Or, to quote Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer: "Have we really lost our moral fiber?"

And our minds as well?

I'm not sure if the last few days will serve as a watershed moment for this MTV, middle-finger, screw-you generation. Probably not, according to my hunch. A short time from now, the hysteria will turn to vapor, folks will settle back into their routines, somebody will pump up the volume on the latest poison produced by hip-hop while Al Sharpton and the other racial ambulance chasers will find other guilt-ridden white folks to shake for fame and cash. In five minutes, the entire episode of Imus and his strange idea of humor will be older than his hairstyle. Lessons learned will be lessons forgotten.

I wish I were wrong about that last part. But I doubt it, because any minute now, black people will resume calling themselves bitches and hos and the N-word and in the ultimate sign of hypocrisy, neither Rutgers nor anyone else will call a news conference about that.

Because when we really get to the root of the problem, this isn't about Imus. This is about a culture we -- meaning black folks -- created and condoned and packaged for white power brokers to sell and shock jocks like Imus to exploit. Can we talk?

Tell me: Where did an old white guy like Imus learn the word "ho"?

Was that always part of his vocabulary? Or did he borrow it from Jay-Z and Dave Chappelle and Snoop Dogg?

What really disappointed me about that exhausting Rutgers news conference, which was slyly used as a recruiting pitch by Stringer, was the absence of the truth and the lack of backbone and courage. Black women had the perfect opportunity to lash out at their most dangerous oppressors -- black men -- and yet they kept the focus on a white guy.

It was a tremendous letdown for me, personally and professionally. I wanted Stringer, and especially her players, many of whom listen to rap and hip-hop, to take Nelly to task. Or BET. Or MTV. Or the gangsta culture that is suffocating our kids. They had the ear and eye of the nation trained upon them, and yet these women didn't get to the point and the root of the matter. They danced around it, and I guess I should've known better, because black people still refuse to lash out against those black people who are doing harm to us all.

Honestly, I wasn't holding my breath for Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, a pair of phony and self-appointed leaders, because they have their agendas and financial stakes. I was hoping 10 young women, who have nothing on the line, who are members of a young culture, would train their attention to within the race, name names and say enough is enough. But they didn't, and I was crushed.

You should walk around the playground and the elementary and high schools today and listen to how young black people speak to each other, treat each other and tease each other. You'd be ashamed. Next, sample some of their CDs and look at the video games they're playing. And while you're at it, blame yourself for funding this garbage, for allowing your kids to support these companies and for not taking a stand against it or the so-called artists making it happen.

Black folks, for whatever reason, can be their own worst enemy. The last several days, the media had us believe it was Don Imus. But deep down, we know better.

Couldn't of said it any better myself


Linkage

[Rastak]

I agree that slavery was unjust and disgusting, but it was also 140 years ago. Nodody is alive today who was either a victim or an oppressor in that whole affair. There has to be some kind of statute of limitations on victimhood.

Furthermore, if you study American immigration and population history, you find that a large majority of the ancestors of today's white Americans came to the U.S. in the immigration boom between the 1860s and the 1920s. Even if a person were responsible for the acts of his or her ancestors (which I don't believe, btw), the ancestors of most white Americans in this country had nothing to do with American slavery. My Irish ancestors were busy fleeing the English, and my German ancestors were likely fleeing a combination of anti-Catholic govermental policies and economic depression. They all arrived in the 1870s-1880s.

So while I understand that something awful happened many years ago to a large group of people, I'm very ready to lose sight of it. The past can't be changed; the oppressors are all dead; many white Americans aren't even descendants of the oppressors; it's way past time to move on.

I do understand your point...maybe we'll just have to disagree. Actually, if you and I sat down and had a brewski we may very well agree. I'm not an ultra-liberal in any sense of the word. Not even close. I just understand some of the increased sensitivity on some things....systematic racism existed out in the open just 40 some years ago, not 140. I 100% agree, however, that sometimes it's just used as an excuse. A total cop out by some people and groups. Listen to Bill Cosby, one of my favorite public people. He realizes there's a sort of victim dynamic going on. I COMPLETELY agreee it's time to move on....but a part of me still can't comprehend how friggen horrific the crimes this county commited against an entire race of people. I know, it's best if we get over it, but it isn't easy, that's for sure.

[pacfan]

I agree that slavery was unjust and disgusting, but it was also 140 years ago. Nodody is alive today who was either a victim or an oppressor in that whole affair. There has to be some kind of statute of limitations on victimhood.

Furthermore, if you study American immigration and population history, you find that a large majority of the ancestors of today's white Americans came to the U.S. in the immigration boom between the 1860s and the 1920s. Even if a person were responsible for the acts of his or her ancestors (which I don't believe, btw), the ancestors of most white Americans in this country had nothing to do with American slavery. My Irish ancestors were busy fleeing the English, and my German ancestors were likely fleeing a combination of anti-Catholic govermental policies and economic depression. They all arrived in the 1870s-1880s.

So while I understand that something awful happened many years ago to a large group of people, I'm very ready to lose sight of it. The past can't be changed; the oppressors are all dead; many white Americans aren't even descendants of the oppressors; it's way past time to move on.

I do understand your point...maybe we'll just have to disagree. Actually, if you and I sat down and had a brewski we may very well agree. I'm not an ultra-liberal in any sense of the word. Not even close. I just understand some of the increased sensitivity on some things....systematic racism existed out in the open just 40 some years ago, not 140. I 100% agree, however, that sometimes it's just used as an excuse. A total cop out by some people and groups. Listen to Bill Cosby, one of my favorite public people. He realizes there's a sort of victim dynamic going on. I COMPLETELY agreee it's time to move on....but a part of me still can't comprehend how friggen horrific the crimes this county commited against an entire race of people. I know, it's best if we get over it, but it isn't easy, that's for sure.

Well said.

[mraynrand]

[quote="cyberski"]A black sports columnist speaks up

It's more than just Imus

April 12, 2007

I was hoping 10 young women, who have nothing on the line, who are members of a young culture, would train their attention to within the race, name names and say enough is enough. But they didn't, and I was crushed.

You should walk around the playground and the elementary and high schools today and listen to how young black people speak to each other, treat each other and tease each other. You'd be ashamed. Next, sample some of their CDs and look at the video games they're playing. And while you're at it, blame yourself for funding this garbage, for allowing your kids to support these companies and for not taking a stand against it or the so-called artists making it happen.

Black folks, for whatever reason, can be their own worst enemy. The last several days, the media had us believe it was Don Imus. But deep down, we know better.

How could this black columnist assume what black kids have for CDs? Maybe they have gospel music or Gwen Stafani. The fact that he didn't even mention a female rapper must disqualify his judgment. Maybe he's a racist against his own race?

[Rastak]

[quote="mraynrand"]

A black sports columnist speaks up

It's more than just Imus

April 12, 2007

I was hoping 10 young women, who have nothing on the line, who are members of a young culture, would train their attention to within the race, name names and say enough is enough. But they didn't, and I was crushed.

You should walk around the playground and the elementary and high schools today and listen to how young black people speak to each other, treat each other and tease each other. You'd be ashamed. Next, sample some of their CDs and look at the video games they're playing. And while you're at it, blame yourself for funding this garbage, for allowing your kids to support these companies and for not taking a stand against it or the so-called artists making it happen.

Black folks, for whatever reason, can be their own worst enemy. The last several days, the media had us believe it was Don Imus. But deep down, we know better.

How could this black columnist assume what black kids have for CDs? Maybe they have gospel music or Gwen Stafani. The fact that he didn't even mention a female rapper must disqualify his judgment. Maybe he's a racist against his own race?

It sounds to me like he's referring to what he's seen with his own eyes. Not what ALL kids listen to perhaps.

[the_idle_threat]

I agree that slavery was unjust and disgusting, but it was also 140 years ago. Nodody is alive today who was either a victim or an oppressor in that whole affair. There has to be some kind of statute of limitations on victimhood.

Furthermore, if you study American immigration and population history, you find that a large majority of the ancestors of today's white Americans came to the U.S. in the immigration boom between the 1860s and the 1920s. Even if a person were responsible for the acts of his or her ancestors (which I don't believe, btw), the ancestors of most white Americans in this country had nothing to do with American slavery. My Irish ancestors were busy fleeing the English, and my German ancestors were likely fleeing a combination of anti-Catholic govermental policies and economic depression. They all arrived in the 1870s-1880s.

So while I understand that something awful happened many years ago to a large group of people, I'm very ready to lose sight of it. The past can't be changed; the oppressors are all dead; many white Americans aren't even descendants of the oppressors; it's way past time to move on.

Wow, thats pretty impressive.

The entire civil rights struggle of the 1960's should be forgotten as well since that was nearly 40 years ago.

???

How can you compare the civil rights movement, where people stood up and refused to be victims, to the woe-is-me slavery crowd, who want to be seen as victims when they aren't in order to leverage white guilt?

I draw a huge distinction between truimphing over adversity, fighting against unequal treatment that was happening at that time, and whining about past injustices that are no longer taking place and where the oppressors are no longer around to take responsibility.

I guess you can also argue that you no longer have any connection/claim to your self-identified Irish ancestory since that was nearly 140 years.

Actually I happen to agree here, even if this point comes out of left field. I don't consider myself a German-American or an Irish-American. I'm an American, period. However, I certainly am not arguing that people shouldn't celebrate their heritage. Don't know where you get that from ...

You'll have to let the Germans, Catholics, and the English of the hook for their practices since that was ages ago. While it can be argued that some bad things did happen to a group of people, which in turn forced them to flee from their "home" in Europe and colonize the "undiscovered country", it really was a long time ago and its time to simply move on.

I agree completely, and this is my point. I mentioned what I did because, even though I could claim victimhood from mistreatment of my ancestors via the same paradigm that gives descendants of slaves their victimhood, I don't. Perhaps it was not clear from the way I wrote it. Nobody in my family cries "victim" over past mistreatment of "my people" by the English or the German government of the late 1800's. It exists on the record as historical fact, but it's water under the bridge. Some people move on, and some other people need to.

I'll give you this: I overstated my point by implying that slavery in this country should be forgotten altogether; I don't believe this. It should be recorded as a historical fact, just like anything else. I only dispute its power as a trump card in today's race relations.

I don't see the point in anyone feeling guilty for something they didn't actually do, or on the flipside, in anyone harboring resentment for something done generations ago.