Don Imus on a platter

Imus should be skewered...what he said was horrible.

What I also cannot stand is Jessie (hymie-town) Jackson and Reverend Al (coke buyer, and ignighter of the infamous Tawana Brawley incident) in the forefront once again. Let he who has not use racially/religously insensitive words and actions cast the first stone.

While this blog might not be going after Imus, the rest of the world is. Speaking of the racist Jesse Jackson. Isn't it interesting that he is now defending some college athletes, but at this time last year he was trying to destroy the lives of some college athletes(Duke Lacrosse). And we all know the reason why he was trying to destroy those lives is because the Duke athletes were white.

It is not the first time he has made a discriminating remark. So I wonder, are we trying to get him some more ratings? All this time I figured you did not mention it because he didn't work for the Tribune. However this is intriguing because-in actuality, they were looking to match the male put-down of 'class-less thugs',which in case you writers who hopped on the 'end hate now bandwagon', is equally offensive and demoralizing. Leave it to sports writers to use race as a platform to vindicate their own hatred while diguising it as equality. Hate is hate-regardless of the context. Did you see Woody Paige on Around The Horn last night? He followed up his 'MSNBC accountability' speech (which earned aaccolades from Michael Smith), by telling the country that Al Sharpeton and Jesse Jackson were racist(racism only can occur when a minority is the victim-not a white person.),and they should shut-up. WOW. Enough said.

Thanks ROMAN! I turned to the media because they are extremely powerful. We live in the information age where image is everything. And that in a nutshell means the MEDIA. I reviewed the NBA's reaction to Tim Hardaway and the NFL's reaction to Pacman Jones and wonder if the media will do anything about Imus. We applaud the NBA and NFL for coming down on theirs, but who is responsible for the Media? Someone surely fired Jimmy the Greek for his comments many years ago, is Imus untouchable? I applaud Stuart Scott for his comments this morning on ESPN Radio and wish many more media celebrities would chime in.

Johnny T. you're right, it is sad that Jackson and Sharpton has to step up, but without them, so many has no voice. Jim Brown actually came after Sharpton for stepping up, but I ask where was he?

Imus shouldnt be fired and who cares what he said about some rutgers basketball players. I hear "nappy headed hos" from some comedians all the time. Is it ok for a black person to say it and not some white person? I watch Carlos Mencia and he says far worse things on the air. I'm so sick of people going crazy over a few words. This country is too uptight these days. Tim hardaway shouldnt of been banned from the NBA for his comments either.

Does anyone still respect what Jesse Jackson says these day? I think he's a joke and that goes for Al as well. What ever happened to the saying "sticks and stones may hurt but words will never hurt me". People see others for what they are anyways without some radio guy telling us. We already have our opinions about other races and gays. It also sucks that we have to listen to this boring crap for months to come. Imus is an idiot for saying sorry and so is Tim Hardaway. Imus can probably get a job on Comedy Central where he can speak his mind and not worry about silly things like this. What he said was nothing more than a few words and if the Rutgers basketball team can't get over what some old white guy has to say they are in for a real treat once they are done playing basketball and come out into this real world. I wish Jesse Jackson would just SHUT UP already.

Roman responds: I disagree. Just because they may hear some ignorants racists after they get into the "real world," doesn't mean they shouldn't feel offended by Imus.

Stuckinwisconsin, are you saying that a white person cannot be a victim of racism?

Can't say that I agree more. I don't care about Imus, he's not on the radio in Chicago, and I'd guess that there's maybe a few hundred in Chicago who watch him on MSNBC.

Imus used his skills as an educated savy media host and world-wide platform to ridicule and debase those girls. I am hurt for them. They offended NOONE, and were attacked for being different. I quite frankly think what Jimmy The Greek and Tim Hardaway said was less harmful than Imus. Because Jimmy simply lacked a better vocabulary, and not everyone disagreed with Tim, but who would attack Defenseless college students. Imus wasn't drunk, and he surely was NOT a comedian talking to a segregated audience - who PAID him to talk dirty to them. He is a highly RESPECTED media person, with the highest profile guests in the country. His words were against the hair of the African American girls in jest, as if to say the other team had superior/better players and HAIR. It was a shot at the race. Folks want to now make fun at Jackson and Sharpton. That is not funny either. For some people these guys are ALL they have in this country in hopes of achieving justice. Jackson and Sharpton are not perfect, but this country is better for them. If you don't like seeing them...put the blame where it belongs - on IMUS who gave them a cause.

While I agree that the words Imus used were disgraceful...BUT

I think the black community needs to figure out things first. I believe (I may not have all the quotes) that Harry Edwards said today, that it is essentially ok for rappers to use these words since they are not speaking to the same audience Imus was.

If in fact that is true, that is really sad considering people in the black community actually respect Edwards. Can someone please publish what is racist for white people somewhere, for those words that are not degrading when black people use them?

unreal

I remember the big outcry why the movie "White chicks" came out. Oh wait... their was none. Can you imagine Jim Carry and Adam Sandler dressing up in black face and pulling every stereotype out of the book in a film?
Idiots like Jesse Jackson want Imus hung yet Chris Rock gets an HBO series and a new movie deal for racial slurs.
How ironic that today was the day that the rape charges against the Duke players was dropped. Go ask the coach of the Duke Lacrosse team if he feels vindicated for loosing his job over a lie. Maybe Jesse can help him find a new career.

the only thing that Imus was guily of was being white and using black street language
bob

Yes Jeff, I am saying that the dominant(or majority)race applies racism to oppress a race. It is not possible for a minority race to oppress a majority race. While it appears that Mr. Imus' remarks were 'overt', and painful, we must understand that it is the 'covert' form of racism that is most severe and affects a large portion of the race . For instance....while studying the sociocultural forces that drive a retail shopping environment. I observed this consistently at a mall. Stores have a security chain, where if they suspect a shoplifter,they are assigned another store to call to alert them..then that store calls a store and so on. It was noticeable that 90% of the 'suspects' were black. This was consistent for 6 months. While these 'suspects' may have very well have been shoplifters is not the issue. The issue is that white people steal too! They were simply not being paid attention to. This is an example of 'covert' racism(and racial profiling)...even though it might not have been consciously intentional...it still affects almost the entire black race. Now take another mall with security cameras, that were watched. A whopping 56% of the shoplifters caught concealing items were white. Most of them were young kids...but still it is astonishing what you see when you really can see racism. It is a behavior-habbit if you will, that exists unintentionally as well as intentionally. So in order of course to rid society of racism,we must change the behaviors or habbits. When you here people getting upset over Imus' remarks it is because they are without a doubt a 'behavior' of racism whether it was intentional or not.Now it's time for me to go back to being a jerk to Sox fans.

B Rev. Shapton and jackson claim to be Christian, but forget all about forgiveness unless it suits their agendas. Give me a break! Always playing the victim, but never noticing that they themselves are major culprits in the continued oppression of their own people.

I'd like to address an article in Sunday's paper bemoaning the fact that Don Imus is still gainfully employed after making insensitive, racial remarks on his radio program.

I'm sick to death of journalists who wail and call for the heads of every celebrity, athlete, and politician that makes the mistake of leaving his or her brain in park while their mouth is still running. Don't we have bigger problems to tackle than trying to censor the rude and the impolite? If you ask me, this over the top, feigned shock and horror is far more obscene than anything Imus could ever say, and it's one of the reasons that I can no longer enjoy listening to Howard Stern on terrestrial radio.

Then again, Howard would have gotten a pass for those very same remarks because his sidekick, Robin, is an African American woman, and she no doubt would have been rolling on the floor with laughter.
(even if she didn't think it was funny)

If a Black radio host had made the same derogatory comments, we'd have never even heard about it.

This faux, politically correct, hyper-sensitivity that journalists wear on their sleeves, scares me more than the ill advised musings of a tired old shock jock like Imus.

And the amazing thing is that these very same writers willingly prostitute themselves on a daily basis; waiting in line and waving their arms like a bunch of brain dead, star struck groupies for the privilege of speaking to semi-literate morons, and borderline criminals like T.O. and Pacman Jones.

The solution for those delicate souls who are so easily offended is as simple as changing the station.

Stuckinwisconsin is right! I was taught, in order to inflict racism the person (group) doing the inflicting has to have the power to cause harm to the victim. And since we live in a white-ruled world, its impossible to cause them harm (hold them back, keep them down). Its possible to hurt and discriminate, but impossible to hold them back since they start at the TOP. I don't believe a lot of whites realize this. You have power and power in your words and actions.

That being said, let me be the first to say I AM THE HAPPIEST person on this blog that those Duke players were exhonerated! People are jumping up like that toyota commercial because some innocent white folks were vindicated and I am right along with them! NO ONE SHOULD BE PROSECUTED WITHOUT EVIDENCE. I hope those young men sue the pants off that girl, Duke, and that prosecuter! And what is good is that those Duke players had the means to properly defend themselves and to go after those who caused them harm. And if it were me, some people's lives would NEVER be the same after me and my lawyers got through with them. We should celebrate ALL JUSTICE and stand against all INJUSTICE.

I like comedians who cross the lines of our paranoid PC society. They cleverly entertain us by saying and doing things many of us are thinking. They get us to laugh at ourselves, and think about things we say and do. But they get paid well to do it, and they do it on a stage and in a arena where all of the RULES are preset. Comedians say "dont take me seriously", and then they address very serious topics.

Rappers are also misunderstood. Most of them are speaking about things they eye-witnessed and lived. They are like poets. Some rappers are not REAL, and they have no street credit, but the average person doesn't know that. Some rappers have graduated cum-lade at prestigious universities and have cussed their way to riches. Its marketing and money for them. But the ones that are REAL artists like Miles Davis creating a ghetto snapshot. You have to have an ear to separate the Artists from the bad rappers, and fake commercial jokers. Most of it is not rap, but crap.

Mark I love your post and agree! Honesty is refreshing and good for our growth, but our society has decided the way to fix the problem is to remove those who cross the PC line. What happens is, folks like Tim Hardaway get fired and Imus stays employed. I could live with both staying hired or both fired. I aplaud anyone who speaks out against wrong.

You are also right about Stern, Robin is such a sellout, but therein lies the truth - at least STERN has an African American there with him.

Keith Lifetime-Southsider...you actually said "street credit"??? It's street credibility or "street cred". I'm from the ghetto of Naperville and even I know that!

As far as rappers being misunderstood, you are proving the point that if it's ok for these "poets" to call black girls "hos", why can't Imus? Did Al and Jessie publish some sort of rule book for blacks and another for whites?

Finally, why wouldn't these Duke athletes sue Operation PUSH? Jessie was all over that case assuming their guilt and helped pressure this dopey DA to push the case forward.

Roman responds: Jesse should have to admit he was wrong with the Duke case. Not because he believed they were guilty, because most people - including me - believe indicted people are guilty, but because he went beyond that and protested and tried to influence the legal system. I wonder how much of a factor all of the media attention was in that case.

stuckinwisconsin is wrong and what Keith Lifetime-Southsider was taught is wrong.

The only reason people like Don Imus, Howard Stern and even Jerry Springer continue to make millions on the air is because there are "idiots" that continue to tune into thier shows and bigger "idiots" that promote them. Obviously the FCC has become impotent over the years. Granted times have changed from the days of Rob and Laura Petrie sleeping in twin beds and gosh darn being about as bad a phrase that could be used on air. But the fodder that is spewed by the likes of Stern and Imus in my opinion is not entertainment and Spinger is a joke (a sad joke but a joke none the less). With todays standards (or mlack of) Jimmy the Greek would most likely not have been fired. Although I don't condone Tim Hardaway's comments I believe ESPN caved to pressure from the gay community by firing him. With regard to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, initially they served the black community well but many black people I know believe that today they are self-serving and at times not only a hinderince but an embarressment.

Romo - exactly my point. What options do the players have? Should they sue:
- the DA? VERY difficult as you essentially have to prove that he made up evidence.
- the "victim"? I don't think her monthly dancing checks will cut it
- Duke? In their silence and actions (canning the lacrosse team), that is an option but I don't think they overtly impacted the indictments
- Operation PUSH? someone as influtial and experienced in extortion as Jackson, and essentially representing the views of PUSH...seems like an obvious target

Roman responds: Please let's not talk about the players suing. I really don't understand that thinking at all.

Jessie - I am cracking up! Street cred is short for Street credibility, or credit. (I have a substantial amount in my account - most that I am not proud of) But I see your point with the rap issue, trust me, I don't like a lot of what rappers and crab-rappers put out, but some are expressing ARTISTIC viewpoints from what they have lived and experienced. To rap in this manner is vulgar (which is displayed on their lables). But you can understand that coming from the street or a street person. I can almost handle it coming from someone like Eminem as long as he keeps it in the context and confides of his own life experiences. And anyone with "street cred" (LOL) would know that.

Like I said before, Jackson is not perfect. He is HUMAN, and a good one at that. He came to the aid of what he thought was a victimized woman facing OVERWHELMING odds. I can agree with Roman, but he does not need to apologize for trying to help someone that appeared to need it. And you want to sue him and operation PUSH for that...cmon Jessie. These are the people who fight for little people. Operation Push helps old ladies keep their homes and gives scholarship and school supplies to children. Jackson is not perfect, but I dare you to find me someone who is. Jackson was fooled by that accuser. She was good. Roman, forget that apology and Imus's, LETS GET ONE FROM GOV. RYAN!

Roman responds: No question Jesse has done a lot of good, but guess who else has done some good for minority children? Don Imus. He and his wife have run a ranch in New Mexico for 10 years for kids with cancer and blood disorders. Almost half of the kids there apparently come from minority groups, such as Native Americans and Asians. That doesn't excuse what he said (and by the way, he has said things just as bad or worse in the past), but it does make judging him not so black and white.

First, I want to state I did not know who Don Imus was before this incident with the Rutgers Womens Basketball Team. I wish I did not know his name now.

After taking into consideration, the statement Imus and his cohort producer, Bernard McGuirk (WHO SEEMS TO BE GETTING A PASS ON THIS) it was not terrible as I thought.

Why? Because I have heard much worse.

BUT! I did not know Don Imus had presidents or high profile politicians on previous shows either. THIS MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

Also, you do not attack young teenage women REGARDLESS of ethnic background! (Mr. Imus is old enough to know better than that)

Epousing negative rethoric about the coach of Rutgers, and attacking the female athletes are two different things!

White posters, this is why he is NOT GETTING a pass! No, I do not like others rushing to judgement first (AL & Jesse). Personally, I would persue a civil suit against his Nappy Head, MSNBC, CBS, and suprisingly Microsoft as well.

In my research, I noticed the Rutgers Women's team were mostly dark-complexion women. while Tennessee Women's team, most of the African-American women were of a lighter complexion tone.

To Black male posters: remember the comment by McQuirk "wanna be jigga-bues" about Tennessee? We know the true meaning!

To White male posters: This was completely funky all the way around. It simply was out of order. Okay? You guys know the true meaning as well.

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Imus shouldnt be fired and who cares what he said about some rutgers basketball players. I hear "nappy headed hos" from some comedians all the time. Is it ok for a black person to say it and not some white person?

Posted by: keith | April 11, 2007 02:04 PM
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This person is correct!

Black posters do the homework first before jumping into the fire. There is no reason to fire Mr. Imus. Allow him to keep his job, but donate three to four months salary for three to four years to a worthy cause which the young women from Rutgers and Tennessee basketball teams can pick, such for a disease foundation or to KEEP FOR THEMSELVES. Besides, what college student does not want to leave college debt free, and at least $150K in the bank when beginning a new career. QUIT JUMPING SO QUICK TO FIRE THE PERSON WITH THE DAMN MONEY!

No, Jessie and Al do not receive retainers or upfront money for anything. Why? Because these young women and THEIR PARENTS could have settle this matter out of a court from public opinion. We must learn to play the game properly. If not compensated handsomely, then called in the media-created Black leaders, NAACP, Urban League, ACLU and other organizations with legal bite.

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Rappers are also misunderstood. Most of them are speaking about things they eye-witnessed and lived. They are like poets.

Posted by: Keith Lifetime-Southsider | April 12, 2007 09:09 AM
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Mr. Lifetime, rappers are NOT misunderstood. I understand every filthy word which the White Male Executive of the Record Companies have them believing is okay to say. No Keith, rappers do not get a pass simply because they don't understand the ethno-centric euro power structure. No Keith, No Keith, they do not get a pass!!

Wake their young butts up to reality! Make them see the carnage of our communities with young males standing on corners, throwing up gang signs, shooting innocent babies, old women and anyone that participates in this SELF-HATRED!

Keith, if 50-cent is so much from the hood, why run to the suburbs to buy a house? KEEP IT REAL and build a nice home in the hood! If he know people hating, start singing about loving one another in the songs, and he won't have to duck when he hears a gun goes off. You feeling me Keith?

I not letting 400 years of slavery go, nor will I let some punk rappers who don't get it, that it is the 400 years of oppression which makes them feel comfortable to call Black women derogatory names.

Roman, Thank You for creating this Blog entry, I can understand your reservations about it.

To keith and Keith Southside, I am not Anonymous...forgot to post my name.

Roman responds: Please let's not talk about the players suing. I really don't understand that thinking at all.

If my son was falsely accused by a DA for rape and kidnapping, who had the weekly backing of Jackson and PUSH, I would want him to be compensated for will likely be a challenging time in their future life. He would not be like these ladies from Rutgers, called a name by an out of touch DJ (can a visit on Oprah be far away?). His name and picture would be all over the news and internet. Can you name 1 girl from the Rutgers team?
Why sue? Get real Romo - at some point there needs to be accountability. You know, like Imus is now facing. If Jessie is going to throw the weight and influence of PUSH (when there was no evidence) and as a result, made the kids life a living hell and helped indict them, your damn right I'd come after them!

Roman responds: Read the previous post. Yes, sue Nifong. No, don't sue Imus.

In a previous post Roman stated:

"Please let's not talk about the players suing. I really don't understand that thinking at all."

What's not to understand? If you had been falsely accused and prosecuted for a crime you didn't commit, would you not seek redress?

Would you just let it slide, and chalk it up to to bad luck?

Personally, if someone like Nifong had gone that far out of his way to ruin my life, I'd be spending the rest of my life doing everything in my power to assure that the rest of his life was as miserable as I could possibly make it.

Roman responds: Wait, I thought we were talking about Imus getting sued. As did a previous poster. Yes, sue the hell out of Nifong. Is this an indictment of our society right now that we can't get our lawsuits straight? Ok, just went back and read the original lawsuit mention. Yes, he was talking about the Duke case. My bad.

Romo - you told Jessie above that the players shouldn't sue...

I would bet you A LOT of money that Imus will gets sued for his words.

Roman responds: Sometimes that stuff makes my skin crawl. I saw Gloria Allred sitting on some show a while back with the two guys Michael Richards yelled at. The only people who benefit from these suits are the lawyers. Seems to me the Rutgers women have handled things properly and with class, thus far.

I LOVE Douglas's post! I am cracking UPPP!!! Doug forgive me if I said rappers get a pass because they DO NOT! I don't like a lot of what they say and do! It is a mess, but I grew up listening to real hip-hop, and some of those messages took me to places, good places. Folks like KRS-1, Doug E Fresh and Run DMC, Arested Development. And Common, Erika Badu and Kanye West today. There are many others, so I try not to throw out the baby with the bath water.

Roman you are right about Imus's good. I am in no way saying this guy is perfect or should be. He is human, but his comments were inhuman. As an educated professional - I think he should have known better - especially having helped all of those minorities. Roman I owe you gratitude for allowing us the forum. Its brave and commendable! I know folks are clowning. Probably had to keep a lot of posts.

This is all so entertaining. As a practicing attorney, I laugh out loud at each post advocating "sue, sue, sue!" As for the Lacross players, good luck getting a dime. Their only viable claims are against the "victim", most likely under a defamation statute. As far as claims against Duke and the prosecuting attorney, its unlikely Duke had any contractual or common law duty towards the players that was breached by their actions, and the standard for proving prosecutorial misconduct against the prosecutor will be way too high a hurdle for them to meet. As far as the Rutger's players, unless they can prove damages per se under a defamation statute (i.e. through Imus impuning their sexual morality), they most likely have no viable damages that they can demonstrate to the court which would allow them to state an actionable claim. Whether this is fair is arguable. As a great jurist once told me, "victims can't always get 'justice', they can only get what the law allows."

Roman responds: Thanks for the clarification. So the worst that can happen to the D.A. is being disbarred?

To Stuckinwisconsin, if you are white you are an EXTREMELY guilty white liberal, or if you're black then you are a racist. To say a white person cannot be a victim of racism is just stupid. Hell, Don Imus has been a victim because his right to free speech has been oppressed simply because he's white. The ONLY reason he got fired was because he was white. And the fact that white comedians and white disc jockeys do not have the same freedom of speech as black ones do is another example of whites being oppressed. Because we all know when black public figures insult whites nothing happens. The Duke Lacrosse players were oppressed because they are white, because if they were black no charges would have been brought against them. White high school students who have to score higher than blacks on SAT tests to get into college are being oppressed because they have to outperform their black counterparts simply because they are white. I hope I have educated you a little bit because you seem to desperately need it.

To Stuckinwisconsin, if you are white you are an EXTREMELY guilty white liberal, or if you're black then you are a racist. To say a white person cannot be a victim of racism is just stupid. Hell, Don Imus has been a victim because his right to free speech has been oppressed simply because he's white. The ONLY reason he got fired was because he was white. And the fact that white comedians and white disc jockeys do not have the same freedom of speech as black ones do is another example of whites being oppressed. Because we all know when black public figures insult whites nothing happens. The Duke Lacrosse players were oppressed because they are white, because if they were black no charges would have been brought against them. White high school students who have to score higher than blacks on SAT tests to get into college are being oppressed because they have to outperform their black counterparts simply because they are white. I hope I have educated you a little bit because you seem to desperately need it.

"racism only can occur when a minority is the victim-not a white person"; "I am saying that the dominant(or majority)race applies racism to oppress a race. It is not possible for a minority race to oppress a majority race." (Per "Stuckinwisconsin")

From Merriam-Webster: RACISM - 1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race; 2 : racial prejudice or discrimination.

By its very definition, racism does not purport to be limited to oppression on an institutional or societal-level as you imply, nor is it confined to artificial boundaries based upon majority/minority status. To state that African-Americans cannot act in a racist manner is ludicrous (they cannot exhibit prejudice towards or engage in discriminatory behavior against other races?). By your own reasoning in prior posts, Jackson and Sharpton have used race as a tool to oppress the Duke lacrosse players; can you honestly say that had an African-American member of the men's basketball team been accused of rape, Jackson and Sharpton would have marshalled all their resources to try these young men in the court of public opinion and influence the actions of the prosecutor? In this situation it's pretty damn clear that their actions equate to oppression based on race. I find it repugnant that people manipulate definitions and invent theories in order to support only their particular view, as opposed to addressing the reality of a situation on its own merits.

"racism only can occur when a minority is the victim-not a white person"; "I am saying that the dominant(or majority)race applies racism to oppress a race. It is not possible for a minority race to oppress a majority race." (Per "Stuckinwisconsin")

From Merriam-Webster: RACISM - 1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race; 2 : racial prejudice or discrimination.

By its very definition, racism does not purport to be limited to oppression on an institutional or societal-level as you imply, nor is it confined to artificial boundaries based upon majority/minority status. To state that African-Americans cannot act in a racist manner is ludicrous (they cannot exhibit prejudice towards or engage in discriminatory behavior against other races?). By your own reasoning in prior posts, Jackson and Sharpton have used race as a tool to oppress the Duke lacrosse players; can you honestly say that had an African-American member of the men's basketball team been accused of rape, Jackson and Sharpton would have marshalled all their resources to try these young men in the court of public opinion and influence the actions of the prosecutor? In this situation it's pretty damn clear that their actions equate to oppression based on race. I find it repugnant that people manipulate definitions and invent theories in order to support only their particular view, as opposed to addressing the reality of a situation on its own merits.

And the Cubs suck!

Roman responds; Now that's a great kicker.

Wow a shock jock sayig shocking things?!

Who the hell is Imus? He isn't even on the radio in chicago. First time I've ever seen him... man is he ugly! Is that a wig?

And the really reason he is getting canned by MSNBC, is because his sponsored bailed on him... or else he would still be on TV.

THANKFULLY CBS just canned Imus...with any luck, tonight will be the last time we see Jessie and Al on CNN, MSNBC, etc etc for awhile. They can go back to doing...what do they do when they're not grandstanding?

Roman responds: Thanks for the clarification. So the worst that can happen to the D.A. is being disbarred?

Given the limited amount of information on this stinker of a case that I have seen, and taking into account that I'm not licensed to practice in North Carolina and am unfamiliar with North Carolina law, it appears that is correct (note: whether he will be disbarred for life or allowed to apply for readmission to the bar is up to the discretion of the disciplinary body). Barring any truly outrageous actions on his part (i.e. fabricating evidence), civil judgments or criminal prosecution are unlikely. That being said, most non-attorneys fail to understand that a lifetime ban from the practice of law is a death sentence in the profession, and in the minds of most attorneys is a worse sanction than a civil judgment.

Imus just got canned by CBS radio. BTW, thank God for the Fox News Channel. They were the only network last night to say the accuser's name and show her picture in the Duke case. Although I knew her name last year like most people did.

Roman responds: I hesitate posting any comment that includes: thank God for the Fox News Channel.

CBS just canned him as well

He Gone!!!!!!!!!!!!

Those of you who negatively bring up Jimmy the Greek's firing fail to take into account that Jimmy was just regurgitating what Alex Haley, the famous author of the "Roots" mini-series put on TV back in the 70's.

According to Haley, slaves WERE DELIBERATELY MARRIED to be "bred"
for favorable charectoristics.

Jimmy was just stupid enough to be a white guy who got vilified for it quoting a black guy (Haley) who made millions by saying the same thing.

I never have listened to Imus, but his firing has made me more (not less)racist due to those hippocritical "reverends" who tar & feathered him.

Speaking of racism......

Anyone watched "B.E.T." (Black Entertainment Television) lately?

Can you imagine the outrage if there was a "W.E.T." channel?

Roman responds: That's a weak argument. "W.E.T" is all the channels other than "B.E.T."

My post was fact. yours is opinion. I am not trying to get into a war of words with you,but you must understand how ridiculous you sound.You claim that white people have to outperform black people in SAT's. That is not the black people shaking there finger at you telling you this. These are Liberal white people who made that guideline(in your head). Racism AND discrimination are not possible to white males(there is reverse-discrimination). There is no arguing that..If you want a furhter insight check out an encyclopedia or wickpedia..not a dictionary. If you are going by a dictionary than the word 'suck' means:
1 a : to draw (as liquid) into the mouth through a suction force produced by movements of the lips and tongue b : to draw something from or consume by such movements c : to apply the mouth to in order to or as if to suck out a liquid
2 a : to draw by or as if by suction b : to take in and consume by or as if by suction
intransitive verb
SEE EVERBODY SUCKS!
I am not wrong, just educated. BTW your belief that white people can be victims of racism, is in itself racist. Under no legal circumstances has any white person been decalred a victim of racism. Nor will there ever be.

Roman responds: I don't think that's true. I believe there was a case of reverse discrimination (in essence, racism) that was upheld by the courts.

Who in the Hell is Don Imus? As a black man, I think what he said was silly and didn't warrant being fired. If you fired people for being stupid we wouldn't have our current president or city mayor. And we sure as hell wouldn't allow 80 percent of these bloggers because their angle on racism is stupid. IF you use race to hold someone back don't wear your racism like a flag. It's like some of you guys can't wait to sling your racist opinions. Everyone gets held back from jobs and things for various reasons. Sometimes people are hired because of quotas and sometimes people are passed over because of race. White and black. But to make yourselves a victim and say you don't get things because they want to give it to a black person first sounds a bit unrealistic. I haven't reaped a darn thing because I'm black. If there is a place where I can get ahead because of my blackness I'll send you a self addressed stamped envelope along with my first check for my REAPNESS. My bill collectors will even thank you. No one is overlooking an athletes grade point average because they want to look out for him. One hand is washing the other. No one is giving him a scholarship because they feel sorry for him. Or because of Richman's guilt,they're doing it because he can dunk,dribble,sprint ,tackle,throw and carry the ball for their university. Dave Chappele and Chris Rock sure didn't get rich because they were catering to a black audience. No black person gets rich unless they cross over to white people. Look it up. Oprah,Cosby,Jordan,Barack,Denzel all didn't make it big until white people found them. If you made schools in predominately black neighborhoods teach the same way as they did in predominately white schools you wouldn't have to do things on a curve and have these students play catch up. If you neglect communities but take in their athletes you'll get exactly the sort of players that so many of you love to call thugs. Also, I've watched a lot of comedians who poked fun at black people who didn't suffer like you guys say. Ask Robin Williams about the speaker joke. The Diceman never passed up any brother jokes. It just so happens that there are no more stand up comedians who are fearless. Everyone is afraid of alienating the audience. That's why you can only name those two and what have they done so offensive lately? And I hate most of these rappers now because they are not innovative like the ones the Keith actually named. They sell out the communities because the executives who become rich off of it let it go. Keeping it real is only selling to the people who keep them rich. Imus got fired because his sponsors were hitting his employer where it hurt. In the wallet. Some of you also fail to see that Imus ridiculed women. Not only black women were offended,other women were offended ,too. Gays were not the only ones who came down on Hardaway to get the results that was meted out. Heteros were also offended. Why shouldn't people watch what they say to people? I'm a proponent of:you can only say something about me to my face with no holds barred. When you face the person you ridicule without that barrier between you and them you'll actually watch what you say. The U.S. constitution needs to be ripped up and updated because every jack ass wants to hide behind something that was written 3 centuries ago and is about as outdated as a bee-hive on a librarian. Note the hair joke. Who did I offend with that? And Jesse and Al don't speak for all black people. Just the ones who don't seem to have a voice. Find something about them that will shut them up or don't give them something to talk about.

Roman responds: Welcome back William. You've been missed. And you've made up for lost time with perhaps the longest post ever.

Roman responds: Thanks for the clarification. So the worst that can happen to the D.A. is being disbarred?

Despite what Joe Lawyer says, there are plenty of openings for the Duke players to sue the DA's office, or even Duke University. The DA's office will be more difficult, but Duke University has millions and would more likely settle before a lengthy lawsuit, especially after they killed the lacrosse program and did nothing to support these kids.

CNN's PAULA ZAHN: "Reverend Jackson joins me now.

"Always good to see you. You see the issue of race involved in this case. The -- the idea that white men hire black women to strip for them is -- quote -- 'That fantasy is as old as slave masters impregnating young slave girls.'

"Are you saying this alleged victim was raped because she was black?"

REVEREND JESSE JACKSON, FOUNDER, RAINBOW/PUSH COALITION: "There's a race/sex/class intrigue in the situation.

"And the idea of white males fantasizing about black women is -- is quite old, quite -- and quite ugly, and now quite illegal. And that's why we really want the truth to be told. We want justice served. And we want the law to serve as a -- as a deterrent."

ZAHN: "But, Reverend Jackson, one of the attorneys representing the captain of the lacrosse team says that, in saying what you're saying tonight, you're pandering to race. You're race-baiting, because there's no evidence that any of these players specifically asked for a black stripper."

JACKSON: "Well, that's what they got and that's what they paid for.

"You know, it's -- it's -- it's alarming to me, astonishing, really, after 254 years of legal slavery, 100 years of legal Jim Crow. I grew up in that system. I knew what that system -- what it means. They -- they knew what they got.

"And we know that they were watching this naked woman, who is a -- an exotic dancer, a former person in the Navy, a mother of two, who exposed her body to make money, to take care of her children and go to college. So, she's not just a stripper, but, really, a person, who they are now about to diminish into a non-person. That's why she's afraid. She's in hiding now.

"And these guys were out of control. Of the 47, 15 in this past year have been arrested for everything from disorderly conduct to public urination."

ZAHN: "But the alleged victim has a criminal history as well. Do you believe everything this alleged victim has said?"

JACKSON: "No, I do -- I -- I … "

Yes....that's our man Jessie! Don't be ashamed of Jessie and Al though...be ashamed of the media who prop them up as "black leaders".

Roman responds: I think one of the problems here is we always try to look at people as good or bad and we define them based on one incident; an incident we choose to fit our perception of the person. Imus? Bad. Hardaway? Bad. Jackson? Bad. Now, Lacrosse players? Good. Well, it's not that easy. It never is. I wish we would just come to that understanding and not look at everything as a defining moment.

As a woman and particularly as an African American woman, I am hurt and saddened by the racial divisiveness of the Imus issue. It seems that white America can never understand the pain it causes when women especially African American women have to go to work or anywhere else in public behind these kinds of denigrating statements by national celebrities. These kinds of statements suggest that it doesn’t matter how hard we work or what we accomplish (as was the case with the Rutgers women), it’s acceptable for us to still be seen the way Imus describes us. What’s especially perplexing is the defensive position many white women have taken as if the sexist nature of the comments doesn’t apply to them. What does that say about how women in general feel they should be treated? Do they believe the h word only applies to African American women?
I’m also frustrated with the retort that “blacks are the ones who use these abhorrent terms in their rap music”. No one ever talks about the fact that the largest demographic group buying these CD’s are middle class white male teens. They are the ones who find these words titillating and gratifying. Most African Americans aren’t clamoring for their mothers, sisters and daughters to be referred to as b’s, h’s or n’s. Make no mistake. These rappers are only the black face that corporations use to make these words more palatable so they can continue to meet the demand of their buyers. These rappers are no different than the Uncle Toms and the black plantation overseers who would say and do anything to get rewarded by their mas’sas.

Some folks don't get it. Imus use racial & sexists slurs to attack a womens basketball team . This is not the first time Anus errr I mean Imus has hit below the belt on racial issues.I applaud that he was fired.Never liked him anyhow.In 2007 I never thought race would be still be a issue.In life it's all about respecting your fellow human being.Think about it ..We have men & women of every race & religion fighting for our freedom in middle east.It's about time we kick the racists off our air waves regardless of whom or what they are.

A snippet from Jason Whitlock (for those who don't know him, outstanding sportswriter from KC...oh yeah, and he's black)

"It is us. At this time, we are our own worst enemies. We have allowed our youths to buy into a culture (hip hop) that has been perverted, corrupted and overtaken by prison culture. The music, attitude and behavior expressed in this culture is anti-black, anti-education, demeaning, self-destructive, pro-drug dealing and violent."
Link to the column...a must read

http://www.kansascity.com/182/story/66339.html

A snippet from Jason Whitlock (for those who don't know him, outstanding sportswriter from KC...oh yeah, and he's black)

"It is us. At this time, we are our own worst enemies. We have allowed our youths to buy into a culture (hip hop) that has been perverted, corrupted and overtaken by prison culture. The music, attitude and behavior expressed in this culture is anti-black, anti-education, demeaning, self-destructive, pro-drug dealing and violent."

Those of you that feel Imus was treated unfairly should research
his history or at least read Mike Wilbon's recent Washington Post
column. Think of Rutgers as not necessarily the reason but the
STRAW.

This blog keeps getting funnier...assuming the above transcript from CNN is accurate, I love this gem from Jessie:

"And the idea of white males fantasizing about black women is -- is quite old, quite -- and quite ugly, and now quite illegal. And that's why we really want the truth to be told. We want justice served. And we want the law to serve as a -- as a deterrent."

For all of you white guys who have fantasized about black women, according to Jessie YOU HAVE BROKEN THE LAW!!!

Imus dint say anyting that bad. Likes me, he speeks the truth. I just no tat Imus will bee find.

Mike North

Recent posters made me so happy that this conversation was started. I have learned a few things. I listened Mike and Mike on ESPN radio this morning driving in to work and was perplexed that people don't understand the problem. And I say this with all sincerity; Its not what is said, its what was communicated. People, in particulary men, are struggling with "why does he gets to say it, and I don't". The race issue is similar to a man courting a woman, you search for the right words because you don't want to blow it and hurt her feelings. And people will continue to get fired if they don't try and search for the right words. I know if I went into my bosses office and said something insulting - there is a STRONG chance that I would be FIRED. Even if I told him/her that P-Diddy said the same thing on my CD.

And I am also happy to see Mr. William R. Donald is back! I read every jot and tittle!

I also want to say that generationally speaking, youths today just do not understand our past race relations. Some of that is good - because they interact as united Americans instead of White Americans and Black Americans. And as weird as it may sound - music has helped them bridge the gap. Its bad because you cannot fully appreciate how far we have come without knowing the whole truth. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. On the weekend commemorating Jackie Robinson breaking into the majors it is significant to recognize our progress as well. Today's youth provide a refreshing example of progress and hope for the future of race relations.

Maybe your should re-read my post, Mr. Thurm. Nowhere did I state that players couldn't file suit against Duke, I merely said that they likely lack a viable claim against the school. I strongly doubt there is any contractual or common law right that requires Duke to provide legal representation for members of the lacrosse team in the event they are charged with a crime or involved in a criminal investigation. Same goes for the administration's cancelling of the season. Any raging imbicile with an attorney that is strapped for cash can file suit against anyone else - - hell, I see it all the time - - in the hope that they find "an opening" (to borrow your "legal" parlance) to try and squeeze money from the defendant in a settlement. But filing a suit without a legal basis (i.e. breach of contractual obligations, breach of a duty under common law) will generally result in a dismissal. If they want to file a baseless suit in an effort to try and pimp some money out of the University, then perhaps the University will cough up some money; if they do, good for the players, although I don't think it's the University's responsibility. Bottom line, however, in all likelihood they will be greatly dissapointed if they expect to obtain a windfall judgment against any party involved in this case.

MG...give me a break. I agree, lots of middle class white kids buy these rap CDs which are disgraceful. So the white kids are to blame for buying them? The blacks kids who buy these don't buy to listen to these rappers denigrate black women?

Maybe you have a point because Snoop Dog and Stuart Scott (espn) say the terms used on these CDs are "terms of affection" for black women.

Am I the only confused white man?

I remember listening to Imus when I worked in NY back in 1979. At the time he was trying to contact Idi Amin by phone. The first time he called South America and talked to the hotel clerk who barely understood English was pretty funny, but after the second time, it was annoying.

Howard Stern is the same way. How many times do you want to see stripper's breasts with big pixels on TV? Good thing you can press the remote and change channels.

I have been a Women's basketball fan for 20+ years. In that time, they have become bigger, stronger, and work out in the off-season just like the men. They get tattoos and piercings just like many young people of today. I'm happy my team made it to the Sweet16 this year :-)

Tell me that Greg Oden isn't a 30-year-old man in a 21 year old body? Tell me that we don't call the roughest team "thugs", especially when it's not our team? I don't know if Imus is a racist, but he certainly made an ignorant comment. I doubt that he follows Women's Basketball. The good thing that Imus did was extend Rutger's 15 minutes of fame into 5 days. As for Jessie and Al.......

As our coach says, "I think our team will have three future MBA students, but we're not going to have any WNBA players". It's not likely that any Rutgers players will come out early or play in the WNBA, but you will remember the coach's name.

Carl in NW Ohio

Romo - maybe you should take Mary Mitchell's place on race issues. Honestly - you raise a topic and there have been some interesting views. I occasionally read her blogs but she tends to TELL the readers what you should think based on her race, views and experience. When they have an opposing view she gets real cranky.

Nice job refereeing here...

I agree with Tommy. Good job Romo.

Tommy, you mention Mary Mitchell, and the fact that she still has a job at the Sun times proves my point about black privilege. Because anyone who has read her over the years knows she is a stone cold racist who just despises white people. There is no way a white columnist could get away with half of what she does.

Roman responds: I like her writing, and I'm not just saying that because we're colleagues. I don't know her that well at all, and I don't read all of her stuff, but I've been compelled to read many of her columns. Jeff, it's healthy to read various viewpoints, even if you don't agree with them. It helps broaden our horizons. How's that for preachy? But I believe it.

MG, I use to work on 79th and cottage grove and for you to come on here and say that black people don't use the word ho or nappy head in real life is not correct. True the middle class white teens are the ones that buy the rap cds but trust me when I say that black teens and grown ups also listen to the same music but they buy copies of these cds for 5 bucks. I would sit in that store 9 hours a day and hear the words ho and nappy head plus a few more words which I can't write on here because Roman won't let us but the people in the area all use the same words. Let me also say that it may be different in other parts of this city but the majority of males around where I worked really have NO RESPECT for women. I know I shouldnt view all black people from what I've experienced from one part of this great city but that's life. We are ignorant until we experience something different and until now I have only seen a handful of black people where I can feel respect towards them. I really want to know how many black people truly respect Jesse and Al because from a non black person they are really annoying. I am a yellow man by the way.

Remember one thing, Imus is not the problem in the black community. Imus never made any rap videos calling black woman ho's and b's. And maybe worst of all, Imus never has gone into black grade schools and high schools and ridiculed other black students for "acting white" if they get good grades. So a memo to the blood suckers who wanted Imus' head, his fring will not solve your problems, only you could do that.

i'll be as brief as I can:

1) Imus was a tool, is a tool, will continue to be a tool, and should have been fired long ago.
2) Just not over this. What he said was horrible, but Black people in particular (I'm Black, folks--just as a reminder) get away with saying worse things about White (and Black) people on the radio every day. (The only difference is that much of what is said about white people is pretty true, albeit in a very specific context--i.e. Paris Hilton.)
3) Black people need to stop referring to women as "ho's" and the like.
4) Ho's and bitches need to stop acting like ho's and bitches for ignorant b@stards like Nelly, Puffy, 50 Cent, et al.
5) Roman--you're wrong--even BET is WET. (My kingdom for a music video without rims, big-butt-women-in-tiny-bikinis, bling, or any other invented term proving once and for all that coonery is all the rage.)
6) To the person that mentioned White Chicks: Soul Man, anything with Al Jolson in it, and Moonwalker.

Darryl...from a pasty white man...nice post

Mike is Southside Chicago, Northwestern Degree, cohost of P.T.I.
and able to eloquently "tell it like it is."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/10/AR2007041001891_pf.html

Out of Imus's Bigotry, a Zero Tolerance for Hate

By Michael Wilbon
Wednesday, April 11, 2007; E01

If calling the Rutgers women's basketball players "nappy-headed hos" was the first deplorable and offensive utterance out of shock jock Don Imus's mouth, there probably wouldn't be a national firestorm over his reprehensible characterization. If this was some rare event, then there wouldn't be organizations lining up to demand he be fired. If this was the first time, or second, or 10th, probably Imus wouldn't have been suspended for two weeks from his syndicated radio show, which is simulcast on MSNBC.

But there's nothing rare about Imus's vile attacks. This is what he does as a matter of course. Imus and his studio cohorts have painted black people as convicts and muggers and worst of all, apes. Not only do they find it funny, they expect everybody else will as well.

Sid Rosenberg, whom Imus once fired, then rehired, said one morning in 2001 that Serena and Venus Williams would be better off posing in National Geographic than Playboy. He knew he was saying Serena and Venus are closer to wild animals than women.

Please don't tell me it's not fair to hold Imus accountable for that remark and others like it because it didn't come out of his mouth. Imus hires the people who utter this filth and, in fact, wants them to go as far as possible because he believes it insulates him to a certain degree from the harshest criticism.

This is what Imus has done for years and years, and Viacom and NBC Universal pay him a king's ransom to do it. Imus has been questioned about his tactics over the years, and he says repeatedly and dismissively, "Get over it." He certainly isn't the only morning shock jock doing this, but he's the one whose behind is being scorched now and justifiably so.

Imus is the one who said in 1995 of Gwen Ifill, an accomplished, award-winning black journalist of incredible dignity and grace: "Isn't the [New York] Times wonderful. . . . It lets the cleaning lady cover the White House."

It's Imus who called William C. Rhoden, the veteran Times sports columnist, "a quota hire." Of course, the work, accomplishments or stature of their targets do not matter to Imus and his stooges. He makes fun of former attorney general Janet Reno's Parkinson's disease.

So "nappy-headed hos" wasn't some weak moment of great exception on the Imus show. In 1997, during a "60 Minutes" profile, Mike Wallace confronted Imus and a former producer who quoted Imus as saying he'd hired a staffer to "do nigger jokes." When I mentioned that earlier this week on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, Imus responded on his show that it simply did not happen -- though I see it in a 2000 issue of the Columbia Journalism Review and had a producer access it through a transcript (also the audio version) on National Public Radio.

Wallace: "You've told Tom Anderson, the producer, in your car coming home that Bernard McGuirk is there to do nigger jokes.'"

Imus: "Well, I've . . . I never use that word."

Wallace: "Tom?"

Tom Anderson: "I'm right here."

Imus: "Did I use that word?

Anderson: "I recall you using that word."

Imus: "Oh, okay, well then I used that word, but I mean . . . of course that was an off-the-record conversation . . ."

Wallace: "The hell it was."

So, you'll excuse me if I dismiss Imus's apology as bogus. He's apologized in the past, told veteran black journalist Clarence Page on the air he would "promise to cease all simian references to black . . . black athletes." That was before Imus went back to the ape references, probably within a week.

Understandably, this has led to a whole lot of folks calling for Imus's head. Personally, I'd rather see Imus have to confront anger, scorn and ridicule every single day. I'd rather see him have to deal with the accusation of being a bigot. I'd rather the criticism come at Imus from every angle, indefinitely, rather than have him slink away to private life.

You'll have to excuse me for not believing a man can utter this brand of filth month after month, then proclaim testily he's not a bigot. Firing, in some ways, would let him off the hook too easily. I'll defend Imus's right to free speech, while pointing out that those of us who find him and his goons contemptible have the exact same right to free speech. I'd rather see Imus squirm in the face of withering criticism than be fired and turn up six months later as some kind of martyr.

I'd rather see him snubbed by Cal Ripken, who refused to go on the air with Imus after his remarks about the Rutgers women. Ripken was supposed to appear on the Imus show yesterday to promote his new book.

Already a little squeamish about appearing on the show, Ripken's decision to tell Imus no became an easy one after the latest spewing. "It was set up by the publisher, but I said no because I don't want anybody to perceive that I condone those comments because I don't," Ripken said in a telephone conversation yesterday. "And if you go on that show, that's exactly what the perception would be."

Ripken said he does not want to be seen as someone wielding a moral compass. But I wonder now how many of these prominent journalists and politicians who use the platform Imus provides (and therefore give him cover) will have as much conviction as Ripken displayed.

Imus, not surprisingly, is trying to frame the discussion in a way that paints him as a good guy who did a stupid thing, which might be okay if he wasn't such a serial offender. Yes, Imus routinely has riveting political discussions, as recently as last fall when he engaged Harold Ford, then running for the U.S. Senate, in conversations about running for office as a young black man in the South, in this case Tennessee. When Imus says he's not unfamiliar with black people, he's telling the truth. He's not some idiot segregationist who seals himself off from black people, which is what makes these episodes even more disgusting.

If you believe the bosses at Viacom and NBC Universal have any guts, and I'm not sure I do, then you might believe the suspension represents a warning of zero tolerance from here on in and that Imus is one more incident from being dumped. And while I'm not agitating for Imus to be fired, I'd certainly raise a toast if it happens. Until then, what Imus has prompted is a necessary national conversation. The meeting with the Rutgers women is necessary -- so is the vigil to stand over him and remind him that even if he doesn't get it, many of us do.

No mo HO! Don Ho passed away today, most likely just a coincidence.

I think it's a shame that someone would state that they have become a racist because of what Imus had to go through. If it was that easy to turn you into a racist then chances are you were a dormant racist to begin with. If every person decided to embrace racism because of every slight and every response that was taken wrong or whatever,there would be a whole world of intolerant racists. Every person on this earth would be a racist. Something has happened to every one of us: a misunderstood stare or someone just having a bad day and we could easily take their response as a racist response. The lady at the D.M.V. can be viewed as a racist because she doesn't smile at me because I'm her 100th customer today and they just opened an hour ago. Never,should something that happened to others make you hate. You should try empathy. Try and feel why someone else is upset at being called something. The world doesn't need anymore converted racist. When I say perception, for example: if a black player said he wouldn't play on a Chicago team and didn't give any reason you could take that as a racial response and just hate black people off that. In reality he might just hate the cold weather and didn't want to say that. Roman does a good job of moderating this blog but unlike Mary,he might concise a person's response because he doesn't want to show that kind of hate. Ms Mitchell let's people show their ignorance and let it all out because the main reason she has a blog is to show that we have a long way to go in race relations. Too many times people come to her blog and just come out and say they hate other races and love their own. It's great that you love your own but how does that help the world when you just want to show your hate? We as citizens and people would get a lot farther in life if we didn't wallow in the hate so much. Get my e-mail address from Roman and we can get together and go to my church in North Chicago. But don't be surprised to find black and white people together getting their spirtuality on.

Roman, you deleted part of my post from April 13 at 3:46. Why?

Roman responds: Because it was a personal attack against another blogger. And that's not what this is about.

The last two posts are what its all about (Bennet and Donald). I enjoyed reading them like a good meal! Ahhhhhhh-burp! So satisfying! The Truth, and the remedy. Its about America, and what she really is and how to get better. Folks who do not want peace and equal opportunity for ALL do not possess an American/Judeo-Christian Spirit. Race will not mean a thing in America in a about twenty years! Young people are intermarrying and almost all of us already have interacial family. One of the best rappers is white, and the best golfer is Blasian! Hahahahah!

The whole Imus thing in a bunch of crap. I'll be there is not one person that is going after him or has posted to this blog that has never made a racist and/or sexist remark(including myself)...but doesn't consider themselve a racist. A bunch of hypocrits! I'll include Sharpton and Jackson in that too. They used this as an opportunity to validate themselves and feed their egos. Ask one of them for some help that doesn't give them the spotlight and neither will even recognize that you or your cause exists. I cannot understand how everyone doesn't see through this.

Tired, no one is saying that you or anyone else was wrong for making racist comments. You are protected by the constitution to do so. It's just that people need to think about where they are leading others and what they are hiding behind. Imus wouldn't stand on the El platform at 95 street and make fun of people and say what he said about hair because there will be hell to pay. If a rapper went out in the middle of Bridgeport and rapped negatively about white women he'd end up like the preteen who was riding his bike near there a few years ago. This man is hiding behind a mike and making these remarks because he's catering to ignorance. America is too smart to be held down and divided because of negativity. Make all the jokes and negative comments about race all you want. But somewhere when you least expect it you might owe someone your life and the person might be of the race you talk bad about. How silly would you feel? People of all races make mistakes. No race is any better than the other. Every race has had a member that did something stupid and embarrassed their race. The silliest thing about it all is that we're all from one race:the human race. People should just stop saying stupid things and people should stop defending them when they do. Why defend a man that would rather make you a victim of his satire? The whole world is a joke to him. All of us was just his material. In all honesty,no one even posted about it in 5 days so it was already in the past like Sanjaya on American Idol. Like I said: America is too smart to be divided by stupidity. Sanjaya shouldn't have made it the the final seven.

I don't disagree with any of your points. A little too preachy for me though. Only one argument about the "we are his material" comment. That is the case for ever comedian. If we weren't their material, than they wouldn't have anything to say. By the way, I wasn't defending what he did, just questioning the sincerity of bystanders reactions.

Of course it was preachy: I'm very much into church and unless I'm using that as an excuse for early parole I am just a sincere indiviual. I haven't defended any comedians lately. I really dislike the ones who come unprepared and pick on the audience for easy laughs. Plus my head is abnormaly large so I'm an easy target.

How can anyone attack don imus when the sun times resident bigot mary mitchell continues to use her mouth for her racist remarks out and keeps her job.