What he said was certainly unacceptable, but the fine don't fit the crime. He was only repeating what the hip hoppers been saying with their lyrics for years. Just think about it. Hip hop is so entrenched into our society that we got 65 year old white rednecks wearing cowboy hats repeating it. I hope this brings about some real dialog about our youth and hip hops affect on them. Murder rap, we got black kids blowing each other away while hip hop music glorifies it.

 

 

 

 

Don't you think, though, that when someone has such a position of prominence that they must be all the more careful for what they say?  I could talk smack, and maybe a few people would hear.  He talks hate into a mic and millions are affected...it's a different degree of impact...

Jen, Yes absolutely I agree with what you're saying.I have always maintained that politicians and public officials and those who use there positions to spew their opinions to the general public are fair game. I am disappointed that Imus insulted the girls from Rutgers(even though they beat my Lady Tigers in the final four ) What I don't like is a double standard. Why is it OK for one group to say something and it's not OK for another to say it.

 

I think the backlash from this is going to affect those and their supporters who called for Imus to be fired. We found out how easy it is to get people off the air. Just threaten a boycott of them and their sponsors. I didn't see the show but it's my understanding that Rosie spoke out against the firring of Imus. She understands that she is now in a position that what she says can cost her her job and millions of dollars in income. There's no bigger shock jock than Rosie.

 

Imus will benefit from this, He'll be back and will command even bigger bucks than the ten million a year + salary he lost.

 

Opinion: Al Sharpton is a racist and hypocrite. How many young women lives did he ruin when he was a drug dealer ?. The Lord forgives but The Reverend Sharpton doesn't.The Rutgers Ladies did accept his apology. 

 

It has also exposed the black leaders of this country who keeps telling us they are trying to get the record companies to clean up the lyrics. Why don't they just call for a boycott of any network or sponsors who use hip hop in their show and commercials ? That sure worked real fast with Imus...

I'm not for any double standards either Mykal...Shock radio/tv is on a limited timeline I'm thinkin...

Kinda begs the question - can this even be discussed openly and publicly now? To even approach the topic and/or use any quotes or repeat verbally what was said (not that anyone would want to, but for discussion purposes), I'm hearing stories from all over - talk radio, office water-cooler, news sound-bites - that even hashing over opinions is causing the pointing of fingers and the outcry of racism and demand for penalties (or worse) on those who even want to know what happened, let alone on those who try to explain in even a rational and disconnected manner what they've heard.

 

 

I'm not finding a link yet but I'm curious and concerned now... heard this when I got up this morning...

 

In Nebraska, a high-school principal is on admin leave while investigation of the school newspaper crew (high-schoolers - 14-18 yr-olds in the US)  is conducted due to a news spread they've published with interviews of their peers and discussion about using the 'n-word' ... why people use it, why some can't use it, the impact it has on their social demographic and so on. The investigation was spurred by concerned (nay, outraged) parents who are wanting to roll heads.

 

This sounds like a tumble down the wrong side of the slippery slope and a death knell for our first amendment... worrisome... very very...

Context is everything.  I've had heated discussions in my classes with students over the uses of words in literature and film, and should I edit them out when teaching.  I say no.  It's there for a reason, to provoke discussion about attitudes and thought behind the words.  Ignoring something doesn't make it go away. 

 

You seriously can't find out what Imus said?  It was all over the place a few days back...

No, not the Imus drivel, the thread to the NE school hubbub I'm referencing to get more information... only heard one blip so far. I've had more than my share of the Imus lynching. That's the best word for it. While I strongly agree he should NEVER have said what he did due to his responsibilities of being a public figure and so on, the fight wasn't Sharpton's or Jackson's or even the American public to decide. CBS hadn't even fined him yet, only suspended him and the FCC had not made any public comment whatsoever on the issue. This was something that should have been their fight between the law makers, the communications commission, the defending ball players, the employer and the employee. Instead, CBS gave in to public pressures without a fine and without, relatively, due process.

Oh - and I agree on being allowed to discuss uncomfortable themes and timely social issues. We have to be able to have those discussions, no matter how heated or uncomfortable, as long as the subjects are kept within context. Without the ability to discuss them, we cannot learn the lesson they teach.  That's what one of the girls (their editor?) had said... that a paper's duty is to report on issues of all sorts, not just the 'good things'.

That's the reason I want to hear more about this story since a principal is being 'hung' (figuratively, but he is on suspension) over his students' right to have that discussion.

 

its simple...with the I-man you know what you are getting...charles, bernie and imus. they are great, irreverent about EVERYTHING. simply listen to bernie doing the cardinal...i for one listened most every morning and to think he had evil intent is ridiculous. limbaugh is nasty, when i hear him i can almost picture nazi partyline propaganda. imus' heart is shown by his actions. granted he has become a whiny, richboy stereotypical brat, but his billy saul estes rants were timeless jewels ( the church of you can take it with you....yes people, give your money to me and i'll see that it's there for you when you reach the other side...can i get a amen!) why are there no great heros? because destroying them makes good copy.