Imus & the Nappy-Heads

One of the founding principles of The United States of America is the right to Free Speech. That said, there certainly seems to be a lot of people out there using their Free Speech to call for the censorship of others. I wasn't even going to write about this because it was simply too easy. Don Imus is a "shock-jock" and it's his job to rile up the masses. He'll get yelled at, pay a fine and crawl back into his crypt until his ratings sag enough for another "accidental comment" to force open his coffin again. But the Rutgers women: that's another story...

Did Imus cross a line when he referred to the Rutgers Women's Basketball Squad as "nappy-headed hos?" Apparently he crossed someones line. Personally, I was unaware the ashen-skinned hairball was still on the air, but when I heard the comment on the news I wasn't offended, perhaps because I'm a white male. On the other hand, I didn't think it was funny either, perhaps because I'm an intelligent white male.

Now, I can certainly see how his comment can be taken as offensive, but to watch the RWBS press conference you'd think Big Don personally pissed in each of the womens mouths and set their dogs on fire. As the press conference dragged on, the players took the podium and described in detail how hurt and violated they felt, all as blandly as if they were reciting a thesis on an unfamiliar subject. There was no fire in their eyes, no emotion in their voices save that of a forced sadness, and it made me wonder if the women were all asked to do this for publicity or solidarity.

Get a grip ladies! It was an off-color, stream of (un)conciousness comment spoken with no malice aforethought. So he called you a name, big deal. Has this never happened to you before? Throughout my school days, I was the target of more than one name-calling incident almost every single day. Guess how many dumb Polock jokes I"ve heard. All of them! And yes, sometimes my feelings were hurt but only when I was the victim of someone who I looked up to or respected. Does Don Imus really have that much power over you? I'm reminded of a popular sports term all coaches use when a team is depressed beacause of a bad play or big loss... walk it off!

Is this the result of the way schools now teach our children? You know, the removal of competitive sports and grades so no child feels bad when they come in last? Have we actually turned our nations schools into cream-puff factories? Stop right there, I already know the answer. It explains why many students enter college as children and graduate as really whiny children.

Then there are the leeches, quick to attach themselves to a cause and bolster their image as caring individuals. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and others have come out of the woodwork screaming for an apology and for Imus' head on a platter. Imus appeared on Sharptons radio show and apologized rather sincerely but Sharpton, after calling for the apology, refused to accept it as enough. He still wants Imus fired. It cuts both ways Al. What if a bunch of people called for your termination for your rejection of Imus' apology? If I remember correctly, you have never apologized for your divisive leading role in the Tawana Brawley fiasco, yet there you are holding court in your own comfy studio. Can you say hypocrite?

Now I understand that I'm guilty of the same crimes here at the Nation of Morons, but keep in mind that these are my opinions. Mostly I try to shine the light on the morons of the world to show that, like the emperor in that famous story, they have no clothes. If you've read any of my other rants, you'll notice that even though I rake the rubes over the coals, I usually never ask for resignations. True, I tell people to STFU, but that's usually reserved for when they blather on about things that have no bearing on the true issues at hand such as Kathy Blanco creating faux sports holidays when she should be governing the state.

Not only that, but at the end of each article there's a comment box. Feel free to use it, that's why I put it there. Agree or disagree, I give you the option of adding your voice to the mix. That's how dialogues begin and how solutions are found. If you cry out for the censorship of one, you cry out for the censorship of all, and sooner or later you won't be allowed to cry out at all.