Posted By:
Kevin CummingsI think the whole Imus thing is ludicrous. Sophomoric, locker room humor has been his stock in trade for 20+ years. Despite his relatively recent association with the US political arena, he has remained politically incorrect.
Stupid bad taste comment? No doubt. But did Imus really mean for every one of his listeners to think that he was simply expressing his heartfelt belief that all of the members of the Rutgers women's basketball team truly were ugly and sold sex for money? Come on. Did Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson really believe that Imus had the kind of influence wherein that one stupid bit was going to convince millions of listeners to change the way they thought about the Rutgers womens basketball team (if they had any thoughts about them to begin with)? Please - just another opportunity for them to grandstand.
I agree that, in general, the kind of thing Imus said was in poor taste and if it went unpunished could lead people to believe that it is OK to say it. The punishment just did not fit this crime in this instance. If Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton felt so strongly that Imus was a racist, why not really rub his nose in it and punish him by forcing him to use his considerable fund raising skills to raise money for some charity that they supported? Why not challenge him to evolve? Just a thought.
Here's some wisdom from a black journalist at whom Imus threw some jabs in the past: http://www.kansascity.com/159/story/66339.html