Yep, the radical activists wanted a public lynching and they got 1. Forget about tar and feathering Imus. They wanted to hang him by his gonads until his eyes started rolling in the back of his head and foam began dribbling out of the corners of his mouth.

Hypocricy is all that it is! Did Imus say a horrible thing? Yep! But who does not once in awhile? He apoligized many times but the radical hypocrites would not let it go. No, they wanted their pound of flesh. These same ignorant and arrogant hypocrites have had their own minute of shame also. Jesse our boy Jackson had his disgraceful Jewish comment years ago and then the Rev. Al Sharpton. What a nasty S.O.B. he is. Have you ever seen this guy smile? Did he ever come out and do a mea culpa over the Brawley incident? Nope, not the Rev. Al!

The fact is that these civil rights activists need an agenda. It is not about justice for the people they are "supposed" to represent. It is the cause that matters. Without an agenda or platform they are out of business. What does Jesse Jackson do for a living? Operation Push? What the heck is that? Jesse is a professional panhandler! He collects money in the form of donations so he can go out and rave and rant about this and that. And if he has a "love child" out of wedlock in the meantime why he will just ship her out to California and pay her off with his panhandling revenue over many years.

What gets lost in this quest of personal destruction is all the innocent people put out of business. There are many small radio stations that are reliant on Imus for their revenue stream. Now they may be forced out of business and the jobs that go with it. Innocents are hurt by these foaming at the mouth rabies infected madmen.

And these innocent Rutgers ladies! They could of cared less what he said. These kids today use this language daily amongst themselves. To see them paraded out for their news conference after being coached for several days on what to say was a joke. These girls were used by their coach and the civil rights madmen.

No, today in this country there is no accepting an apology. These arrogant hypocrites want to destroy people. Mean and nasty are what they are!

Imus was not prejudicial on who he shot barbs at. Jews, Christians, Blacks, Whites, Muslims, Hispanics everyone got their time with him. 95% of the public, including me, never took him seriously. The fact is he spent almost all his free time doing charity work and for me the deeds are always more important than any words.

Nope, the madmen are loose and they got to have a public lynching. Hang him by his gonads is what they want!

Imus got screwed and for a lot of the reasons you list here, Steve.

I'm not sure what anybody will think of what I think and I don't much care, but Imus was a scape goat of unprecedented proportions hung out to dry by hypocrites.

The guy's no saint. But he's got a good heart and he's done some tremendous things. He's got a big mouth and that eventually did him in, but does anybody really believe he is a racist? I don't.

I've listened to Imus for years and he has annoyed me beyond belief many, many times. He's also enlightened me by offering his program as a platform for his long, long, list of intelligent, talented and thoughtful guests from all walks of life. His guest typcially have had longer time than any other talk show to espouse their points of view ... with few to no interruptions from Imus.

He blew it. There is no question there. What he said was vile. But he was hung out to dry by hypocrites.

Anybody who thinks this is a celebration for equality and race relations is a complete fool or at the very least has a terribly naive, pollyanna view of the world.

At the end of the day, this was about money and politics. Nothing else.

Hypocrites like Jackson and Sharpton and the management of NBC and CBS showed their true colors by firing Imus. The whole thing stinks.

__________________
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Mark Twain

Q:

Red-letter day, Bernie --- I actually agree with you 100%.

I absolutely find what Imus said offensive, but on the other hand, it was said in a domain where, by my long-time understanding, such offense is within bounds. However, even if it weren't, the manner in which Imus's contrition and beyond-the-call-of-decorum efforts to make amends have been thrust aside by those looking to score air time and political advantage, is deeply repugnant to me. It reminds me why I have walked away from the church.

The overtly political and overtly un-Christian behaviors of Jackson and Sharpton come as no surprise. Jackson has done the occasional good here and there, but the day Al Sharpton is actually the moral guardian over anything other than his own public image is the day I'll start tithing to him. All these creeps have done is demonstrate that there is no redemption, no amends, no healing, no forgiveness - which is to spit in the face of Christ. Should Imus make amends? Yes. And he did so, and he did so after he'd been slapped down by his media master, when he didn't have to, and he did it hand-in-hand with his wife. I respect him big-time now, and I didn't before. And I respect Sharpton and Jackson less than ever. MSNBC and CBS? They're the big losers here. They're going to get exactly what's coming to them: Imus will become more popular, not less, after this, and he'll be recruited to a far better gig. Who does MSNBC and CBS have that could compare? I laugh.

It gives me great joy to realize that Imus is now (thanks to Sharpton himself and the networks lame actions) more bankable than ever, and that the marketplace knows it, and that this is his ticket into orbit ... His degree of media presence over Sharpton is about to increase by an order of magnitude, and while I'm not an Imus listener (altho, in the wake of this event, I may become one, just to send an Up Yours to the Christians who are crucifying him), I have to say, that suits me fine ...

__________________

"Never let them see you cry. Or is it @ss? Never let them see your @ss ..."

~Postcards from the Edge, Carrie Fisher

Imus is an annoying blowhard whom I've never enjoyed, but I do think that this whole story is so absurd it borders on comical.

Specifically, the whole idea that it is NEVER, ever okay for the races to use language to describe individuals of different race - that is typically reserved for one to use against one's own race.

ie. it's never okay for a black man to call a white man "cracker"
it's not okay for a white man or woman to call a black man a "neegah"
however, it is more okay for a black rap artist / "street poet" *cough* to refer to the women he sleeps with as "hos" or "b*tches"

It's really all just silly.. it's silly how Rev. Al and Jesse Jackson just can't bring themselves to talk about how to go about fixing the gaping wounds in Black America and instead have to go jumpin all over a King Crackah like Don Imus.

Yet another reason why I really can't be bothered to watch the news, unless I need more info about some local disaster, storm, etc.

Imus got what he deserved. Having worked on the radio for many years, I know that you are held accountable for what you say. I, personally, and my wife and family were targets of an ongoing on-air rant a number of years ago by a morning team and it wasn't fun. I won't get into particulars here but the morning show set themselves up for their own demise and so did Imus.

In particular, much of Imus undoing was in the way that he responded and "apologized" for his comments. He never truly conveyed in any sense that he was sorry in a believable way. He would say I'm sorry in one breath and then attack the people who wanted him to apologize with the next breath. His non-apology apologies were the real reaon why he lost his job and he has no one to blame for that except himself.

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Rob

That, alone, is enough to make me say that the aliens have landed too!


My dear friend, although I agree that I may now start listening to Imus when he gets his new gig... but Christianity has NOTHING to do with this.

This is a display of the antithesis of Christianity. This is the biggest sin of all... POLITCS. Politics is the biggest sin confronting us today. It does not matter whether you are left or right or in the, so called, middle. This is only the opening salvo by these nuts to go after people in media they don't like. You may not like them either. But if we are to keep ourselves from becoming the hypocrites that we all claim not to be then we should be outraged over this.

They are testing the waters on a small (but highly colorful) fish. Don't think for one second that Imus is the be all end all of this. They want the likes of Limbaugh and Hannity brought down. Those are the real targets. Imus was a warm up. And I am sure that if that were to happen a lot of you would be very happy. And when that happens then I will be using the word hypocrite a lot here and this site will lose it relevance to me altogether.

You all need to see the big picture here.

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And in the end... The love you take... is equal to the love... you make.

Could not disagree more strongly. No apology on any level would have been sufficient.

__________________

"Never let them see you cry. Or is it @ss? Never let them see your @ss ..."

~Postcards from the Edge, Carrie Fisher

Q:

I'm not sure on what level I was unclear, fritz, but I completely agree here. Yes, I agree that Christianity has nothing to do with it, by way of saying that the Rev. Al Sharpton et al were betraying their mandate and acting for purely political purposes. Yes, of course they are in a mudfight with the blow-hards on the other side. They are ALL political, all empty sacks of wind, all self-important Hate Machines, and their continued spitballs are unseemly on every level. It is, indeed, politics politics politics, at the expense of redemption and resolution and forgiveness, at the expense of any mechanism that might promote healing rather than emotional bloodshed.

__________________

"Never let them see you cry. Or is it @ss? Never let them see your @ss ..."

~Postcards from the Edge, Carrie Fisher

My dear friend... none of this was directed at you. It was my rant. I am fearful of attacks on our 1st amendment rights by the left and the right. Don't think for a second that if Falwell and his buddies were in charge that this nation wouldn't become a theocracy quicker than you can say "pass the plate".

All I was trying to say (and I maybe should have read again before I hit enter) is it seems that these groups want freedom of speech as long as it is their speech that has the freedom. I don't like the far left but in no way do I want anyone to shut them up. But I also don't want anyone telling me that I can or can't listen to someone.

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And in the end... The love you take... is equal to the love... you make.

Well, i think he was sorry and conveyed that but the other people were hypocrites and needed to be exposed as hypocrites. Got to disagree here! He lost his job because the advertisers pulled the plug on the program due to the heat the Rev. Al and Jesse and the rest of the hypocrites were leveling on the big corporate sponsors. Imus will be back though and will command an even bigger following the next go around. This worm will turn around!

Again, I find myself in full agreement. The Shouters on both Left and Right are good for nothing more; they do not promote constructive dialog, they stifle ideas and solutions rather than promoting them, they do nothing but sow hatred and confusion. And certainly you are correct in saying that the Christian Right would love nothing more than to establish a theocracy - and nothing could be more anti-American, more anti-Constitution, more anti-patriotic.

The radio blowhards on both side must be tolerated on principle, so that our freedoms may remain preserved; but it is my finding that reasonable, compassionate, solution-oriented adults pay them no mind, and that's as it should be ...

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Jack Bauer: Unavailable ... fictional ... and over-qualified.


Kiss slowly ... Forgive quickly ...

Agreed, Bernie. Imus is profitable. Nothing else, in the long run, matters, under the rules of the present system ...

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Jack Bauer: Unavailable ... fictional ... and over-qualified.


Kiss slowly ... Forgive quickly ...

Yep agreed!

15 years ago or so i owned a business in a black area of Houston. My customers were 95% black. I got to know and understand their culture as i went to their eateries, bars and clubs. One day after work i was drinking a beer in King Leo's bar and as usual i was the only white boy in the place. You got about 15 customers in the place and they are all calling each other the "N" word to each other. I asked the lady bartender why do you all use that word to each other when you all go ballistic if a white honkey uses it. She looked and smiled at me and said it was ok for the brothers and sisters to use it but if i ever did i would leave the place mixed in with the weekly stock of boudin.

We became friends through the years and I still meet her for a drink about 4 times per year. Most blacks including these Rutgers girls could care less about what Imus said. This was an opportunity for the activists to go after someone. Rev. Al and Jesse and their like fish in troubled waters. It is their business. If they do not have someone to go after they will find someone. This is their business.

Agreed. Money dictates what is ethical and moral in the present system and is the reason we are in trouble.

Not sure I can agree with that, Bernie, altho my heart says that from the standpoint of principles, you are correct. Free markets require compromise, and the fact is that the marketplace is, when allowed to function, self-correcting: yes, Sharpton and Jackson and other loud voices triggered a marketplace response, causing advertisers to react fearfully, and MSNBC and CBS to react even more fearfully; yes, money wins in the end. But what happens next is that Imus (who is as appealing as ever, and even moreso, to a vast and lucrative audience) will now be promoted to an even higher podium. Money Wins works both ways, for better or worse ...

__________________
Jack Bauer: Unavailable ... fictional ... and over-qualified.


Kiss slowly ... Forgive quickly ...

What i meant was ethics and morality are twisted and turned around to fit the moment. Ultimately money is the deciding factor and the ethical or moral questions can be massaged in such a way in order to fit the ultimate decision based upon the dollar.

I never saw or heard any sorrow in his apologies. I heard anger that he was being called on the carpet. I heard him defend himself in his apologies which is to say I heard him give a non-apology apology. If I call you a name that offends you and then you tell me that name was offensive and I need to apologize, I have a few options.

1) I can say, Bernie I am sorry for calling you that name.

2)I can say, Bernie I am sorry that I hurt you and called you that name it was wrong for me to call you that name. Please forgive me.

3) I can say, Bernie I am sorry for calling you that name . I didn't realize that you would be offended. Sure, it was bad to say that but other people have said plenty of bad things before so why I am being made an example of. And another thing, you know you have said plenty of bad things in the past too.

All three are apologies in their own way.But the Imus apology was much closer to #3 than 1 & 2. And #3 doesn't really sound like someone who is sorry for what they said.

And yes, he did lose his job because advertisers pulled the plug and they did that because his apology was so poor. Imus gave them no choice but to pull the plug. He tried to put out the fire with gasoline and that just doesn't work.

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Rob

I see your point. I believe that since this cuts both ways, money ends up being a wash in moral and ethical questions. In the end, we stand or fall on the choices we make, whether the money leans our way or not. In the end, Imus is much better off here, those who really needed his apology received it, and the losers are those who exist within the grip of fear of the market, rather than ethics ...

__________________
Jack Bauer: Unavailable ... fictional ... and over-qualified.


Kiss slowly ... Forgive quickly ...

With all due respect Robb, he doesn't owe you an apology and you weren't there when he apologized to anybody, most especially the night he met with the Rutgers girls. You don't know what he said, how he said it or what was or wasn't in his heart at the time. He doesn't owe us anything ... at least he I'm certain hedoesn't owe me anything. The rest of his apologies, good, bad or indifferent are between him and the people who feel wronged.

This whole thing just stinks, as I've said. We're such a fickle, multi-standard society. It's sickening sometimes, but this whole snafu is living proof.

__________________
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Mark Twain

Well i agree with you that he apologized with a bunch of add-ons. He knew that he was dead meat pretty quickly and that is why i think he apologized the way he did. None-the-less if anything he apologized too much in my opinion. I disagree in that it did not matter how he apologized. The Rev.Al and the rest went for the jugular immediately and with all the media coverage he was toast.

But i do think that this is turning around now on the Rev. Al and the rest. They are being exposed as hypocrites and now the other side is saying look at your rap music trash lyrics.

Imus will return though in 3 to 6 months and will be bigger than ever.

Agreed 100%. Quite frankly i have been called many things in the past and i could care less. I know what i believe in and i know my own intentions. Everyone makes a mistake and says things they wish they could take back. Holding grudges over bad or horrible comments is useless. Lets face it! Everyone during their life will be a victim of a bad comment and you got to forget about it and not let it affect you or hold any grudges against the person that said it.

Exactly right.

__________________
Jack Bauer: Unavailable ... fictional ... and over-qualified.


Kiss slowly ... Forgive quickly ...

He's of an age, and has wealth and experience now to justify a quiet retirement. Frankly, I don't think he can do it --- he's bound for satellite now, where the double standards of the opposing players here can't touch him, and I believe he'll go for it with enthusiasm ...

__________________
Jack Bauer: Unavailable ... fictional ... and over-qualified.


Kiss slowly ... Forgive quickly ...

It's about time, I say. People like Imus, who blur the line between abuse and free speech, should get the full penalty of the law, especially since he did this f.cking sh.t on public air waves. I say, if they really want to literally hang him by his sack - which is probably an exaggeration, but this guy was enough of a shmuck to enough people that he deserves it - I'll definitely be in the area to help, but I'd probably be the first to wind up in the clink. However, I don't think he'll get anywhere near as big of a penalty as he deserves, and, as Quantum said, he'll retreat to a point of safety where he can call out any race he feels like, and he'll probably make even more money through his strictly abusive form of so-called "humor."

I'm glad he's off the air, and very disappointed in myself for not hearing about this sh.t earlier.

-Schindleria

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A project.

Money talks, the lure of the lurid is too great for most, and he'll be back. Whatta way to propel a career.

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Je remonte à l’arbre...

So, what law did he break of which he deserves "the full penalty?"


And just who are these "people like Imus?"

It seems to suit "us" just fine when it's something offensive to "us" that "they" did. But then "we" turn around and use rash, broad generalizations to denounce particulars regarding "them."

This is an example of the conundrum and slippery slope this situation represents.

__________________
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Mark Twain

The people who orchestrated Imus' downfall are the very same who created him. Sharpton and Jackson meant nothing in this. It was different parts of an exclusive club pushing their wares solely for their own self interest. The media "stars" could use Imus' show to promote themselves, as long as they each saw a profit in it. For whatever reason, the balance shifted. I really tire of us being played like fiddles.

Rather than applying cynicism to the issue, I take pleasure in pushing ideas like fairness and ethics. I'm hesitant in using the word "morality" since it too often implies a dogma and a way to judge others. My hunch is that the majority of Americans are actually timid about sharing their views on that subject. Instead, I see it as a chance for open discussion - a way to improve the quality of life for people across the board.

I'm a bit perturbed by some of the middle-aged black columnists. They refer to this debate itself, and black folks participation in it, as foolish reminiscences of days gone by. In fact, the outstanding issue was, and still is, integration. And as we've seen, that issue doesn't involve one group. It's our country's greatest challenge. If you don't think so now, LOL, just wait a while.

I've read that by the year 2040, we'll have 400 million living in the U.S. We'd better start addressing this stuff now. It'd be skanky to dump our mess on the next 2 generations.

That's the problem; there isn't one, and there clearly won't be, because, you know, free speech and all that. That's how he'll dodge pretty much an further torrent of bullsh.t - first amendment.



Indeed. It's rather difficult to form a well-formed opinion on this for anyone, because in order to do that you pretty much have to do something somewhat grounded in what he's been doing; you're making a basic generalization about the guy based on your upbringing - I presume most of his ideas came from ideas he grew up around - and yet you want to avoid sounding like a hypocrite. Worse yet, the law can't save you, because, you know. We're human, so it shouldn't come as any surprise that we do this, right?

At this point, though, I've said my piece in that I think he's a jerk. But, re-evaluating things a bit more, I would say that there are more important things to be taken care of at this time. However, don't expect most other people to just move on so quickly.

-Schindleria

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A project.

Steve, You are right. He doesn't owe me an apology at all and I'm not asking him to apologize to me. I wasn't there when he met with the Rutgers team in private but I did hear what he said on the radio before he met with them and those are the apologies that I was referring to. The team seems to have been satisfied after they met with him so whatever he said in private must have been different than what he said in public. I can't imagine that he spent his private time with the team complaining about Al Sharpton and others but that is exactly what he did in public. If he had been less combative in his public apologies, I believe he might still be on the air today.

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Rob