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Should Imus Be Disciplined For His Latest Comments?
June 24th, 2008The radio show host says he’d be “insane” to make a fresh racist remark
Don Imus says that people are taking his latest controversial remarks out of context, but the Rev. Al Sharpton didn’t sound like he was buying it. “It has been reported to me that statements were made by Mr. Imus this morning, and [the] National Action Network has monitored his show since his return,” Sharpton said in a statement. “I find the inference of his remark disturbing because it plays into stereotypes. Any use of stereotypes is always counterproductive. We will determine in the next day or so whether or not his remark warrants direct action on our part as we did in April of last year.” Imus, who was suddenly a well-known name in Black households after his infamous “nappy-headed hos” comment last year, says he definitely wasn’t dissing Dallas Cowboys D-back Adam “Packman” Jones when he asked “what color is he” after hearing that the baller repeatedly had been in trouble. Here’s the exchange that followed:
“He’s African-American,” anchor Warner Wolf replied.
“Well, there you go,” Imus said. “Now we know.”
In fact, Imus says he was making a “sarcastic point” about racial injustice. “What people should be outraged about is that they arrest Blacks for no reason,” Imus told The Associated Press Tuesday. “I mean, there’s no reason to arrest this kid six times. Maybe he did something once, but everyone does something once.” Another racial controversy is the last thing that Imus can afford after his nine-month suspension for slamming the women on the Rutger’s Women’s Basketball Team in April 2007 with the nappy-headed hos remark. Many people, including Sharpton, initially called for Imus’ firing. The civil rights leader later said that Imus, who promised future sensitivity, had a right to be forgiven. Six months ago, Imus returned to the airwaves. On Tuesday, Imus said he’d be crazy to be guilty of what he’s being accused of. “How insane would I have to be? What would I be thinking?” Imus said. Jones told The Dallas Morning News in Tuesday editions that he’s upset by Imus’ comments and plans to pray for the radio host. What do you think of Imus’ explanation and how should Imus’ station handle the controversey?
- Fire the man. He should have learned that dissing the Black community comes with a price.
- Leave him alone. After all, he’s paid to shock his audiences, not to provide a religious experience for his listeners.
- I don’t know.
Comment below on which action, if any, should be taken.
GIVE THE POOR BIGOT A REST; WE’VE GOT BIGGER FISH TO FRY, LIKE OVERCOMING THE INSIDIOUS UNDERTONES OF RACISM THAT WILL SLOWLY, BUT SURELY BE INSINUATED IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION. LET’S GET REAL; LET’S GET READY; LET’S GET SERIOUS….RIGHT, AL?! RIGHT, AL?!
OK, Y’ALL?!!
The station which keeps employing this bigot should be held accountable. PERIOD!
What happen to freedom of speech ??? It’s showbiz ya’ll…
To all the white individuals who have written in with comments…I will pray for all of you. You are so misinformed. To dignify any of your comments with answers and explanations would just be a waste of time. Every African American does not cry racism with every incident, statement, crime, etc. involving an African American. The “Man” as most call him, IS behind a lot of the social ills of African Americans….discrimination in the workplace, economical situations, financial situations, housing situations, etc. HAVE BEEN PERPETUATED BY THE MAN!! Most of you are so PRIVILEGED until you cannot see what’s really real. Alot of African Americans ARE bettering themselves, are trying to improve their communities, are getting higher educations, are living better, etc. But the real is that there are still those that just can’t get a BREAK because of THE MAN!!! Deal with it and maybe, just maybe, HELP in improving conditions all around for ALL PEOPLE instead of making idiotic comments like the ones you have made.
Let it go! Don Imust is alright in my book! We don’t have to wonder! We know who he is and what he is! A Racist Bigot! Think about it, are we really shocked? NO, we are not! Let it go!
What happened to freedom of speech? And what was so racist about what he said when he stated the true. It’s time to stop blaming others for our own falls. We need to abstain from these stereotypes so we can be less sensitive when someone speaks.
I think that we all know he is racist and to really waste valuable time worrying about him getting fired is pointless. I am upset that Rev Al has people listening in on his show waiting for him to mess up.. Are you kidding me doesn;t that give him more ratings. There is nothing better to do than to feed into this. How many people are racist and working where we are now. We don’t know they are but what can you do. You wanna fire him for his opinions…It’s nonsence. Rappers don’t get fired for degrading women why because the idea is that the women choose to be in the videos right. So lets stop sweatin Hatin Imus and uplift out community…Rev if I hear about u havin people listen in on his show again Ima stop sending you olive oil perm kits…Lets get it together people.
i don’t know how and why everyone is so upset at what Imus said. each and every day thousands of our sisters and brothers engage acts in that are very damaging to our collective souls and image. we do nothing about our brothers who womanze our sisters and sell drugs to our younger sisters and brothers, say nothing to our sisters who mistreat their babies . but the second someone of another race says something ill-percieved everyone wants to jump on the “I’m proud of my race band wagon”. how can we say anything to someone of another race for making derogatory remarks about us when we refuse to say anything to those we see everyday. instead of always waiting for the next remark to be made so we can all cry foul, how about the next time you see your sister or brother doing something that makes us all look bad how about helping them to correct that behavior and letting them know that everytime they engage in illegal activities or otherwise it affects us all. then when someone of another race says something about us that isn’t true or a racist comment then we will already be on the “i’m proud of my race bandwagon”.
I think that whatever Imus says, we should just ‘take it on the chin’ so to speak because like another person had said in a recent comment, that he is racist, grew up learning to look at blacks as less than whites and unable to live civilized. We should’nt give him the attention he’s looking for. He is not stupid he knows exactly what he is doing!
i don,t know why r we talking about him when the realty is what he say is real and al should talk to guy who is getting in trble for 6 times and tell him to stop acting like idoit and go make that money se is 2 money black man that in deep %~#@ after and before they get money so is time we star talking to them,like dmx r kelly bangels chris henry ,focus is time black people imus is not the problem
I feel that the whole situation is blown out of proportion. It would have been better if he would have buffed the first statement with the second one. Then I guess we would understand more. But since it was said a day late now everyone wants to assume he was doing damage control. I didn’t agree with his comments about the women’s basketball team but this is not that big of a deal to me. I don’t like Al Sharpton because he is an opportunist. Anything remotely showing racism he is jumping on the bandwagon to get his 15 minutes of fame. This is a waste of time to be analyzing this man’s radio show. Everyone in radio has an opinion about certain topics and im sure if it was said on a black radio show everyone would agree. People we need to stop putting the blame on someone else and start looking at ourselves. If we weren’t always engaging in such behavior then there would be no stereotype. There wouldn’t be any racist remarks to say. We as a race need to put our energy into something positive rather than always seeing the negative. There is a Black man running for president but we are worried about Imus. Come on people lets get it together.
Let it go! There’s no fool like an old fool.
Don Imus has a lot nerve,talking about anyone,when he looks like he’s been dead for 10years!The statement he made is racist and he tried to clean it up,but it’s too late.Once it came out his mouth,that was it.That’s how he truly feels and he’s entitled to his own ignorant opinions.Just like we have the right to challenge his ignorance and anyone else,we feel deserves it!
What about Farrakan? Farrakan don’t run nothing! Imus has a radio broadcast that can reach millions. Plus tell me one thing that Farrakan or Rev. Wright had said that isn’t the truth. To all you black white americans you get over it. I aint getting over $hyt. No one is forced to get over their pain but blacks. Although this time I don’t think Imus was out of line, what about the next time. Why is it ok for blacks to be demonized in the media? Is wish all of the refugees from the caucus mountains could feel the black experience. I wish they had no way of tracing their anchestory back to europe. I wish they had to watch black men cut the private parts off their white fathers as they were put on ships. Dummies we have never recovered from that!!! So to all you Bob Johhsons out their that think its we are the world time, ask your white neighbor if your son can date his daughter! And to all you caucus mountain refugees, phuck you if you don’t understand. I don’t care if you understand or not just don’t get in our way.
I believe the infamous quote, “fool me once shame on myou, fool me twice shame on me” I believe after the first controversy comment, something besides a punishment of not being able to work for NBC would have actually made the black community actually feel like something was done. i feel as though, we as black people are the only one’s who are fighting for the right to be able to do the same thing a white man may do and get away with it. so yes we are in the 21st century, but WE as BLACK people still are fighting each day against what the WHITE man believe he can do.
I think people are taking this what he said to far. It wazsn’t like he was dogging black folks, (US).
don imus should be fined at least $500 to $1000 for every time he makes a racial comment. he knows what he said was wrong, if he didnt then he wouldnt have apologized.
My minister used to say “Let God Be God”. Why feed into this again. There are some people who will change and others who won’t, and he is one of those. Let the man be.
He’s a jerk….Stop talking to him>>>
No! I am black and made the same comment, meaning are you surprised? Imus never real said anything that time. He siad all he could without making his white listeners mad. You know Obama has some of them upset already. We should be more upset because so many black stars are arrested compared to black stars. Oh all white stars go home and stay in until game time, right?