Jason Whitlock, columnist for the Kansas City Star, hit the nail on the head with his Wednesday, April 11th commentary on the Don Imus implosion.
This is the finest, most revealing and refreshingly-honest column I’ve read in quite some time. Please read it entirely.
Thank you, Don Imus. You’ve given us (black people) an excuse to avoid our real problem.
You’ve given Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson another opportunity to pretend that the old fight, which is now the safe and lucrative fight, is still the most important fight in our push for true economic and social equality.
You’ve given Vivian Stringer and Rutgers the chance to hold a nationally televised recruiting celebration expertly disguised as a news conference to respond to your poor attempt at humor.
Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victimhood, protest like it’s 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our self-hatred.
Yes, it’s about our rights, limitations on freedom of speech, a free market economy. Hypocrisy and the Racial Pimps.
It’s also, overarchingly, about black culture.
BZ
Good for him! It’s the absolute truth, and the Rutger’s girl’s basketball team couldn’t wait to jump on the “poor me, I’m a victim” bandwagon! One of them said this would scar her for life. (Drama Queens are alive and well.) For heaven’s sake, I hope nothing really tragic ever happens to her. She won’t be able to handle it.
A black woman called into the Rush Limbaugh show and said that it’s pathetic that what anyone called someone would influence their self-esteem. She said if her daughter had been on that team, she wouldn’t have been allowed to attend that conference. That her daughter and all of her children had been raised to understand that no one has the power to diminish them with mere words. I loved listening to that woman; she had it right! If only everyone got it.
What Imus said was indeed tacky, and I’ve never even heard of him before this hit the media, but I understand he’s a shock jock and makes his living insulting people, a form of entertainment that I have never enjoyed, but this is, I thought, still a country of free speech. How come Rosie O’Donnell has the privilege of free speech and Imus doesn’t? PC STRIKES AGAIN!
I wonder if he and Bill Cosby have been comparing notes?
But if blacks stop seeing themselves as victims, these two would have to earn their money honestly and they obviously don’t know how.
Gayle: I heard that too — “scar her for life.” Gimme a friggin’ break. SHE’s likely the one listening to 50Cent in her dorm room.
Gunny: Bill Cosby: the man who has done more good work for blacks in an hour than all the Sharptons and Jacksons of the world.
Shoprat: you have astutely again pointed out that, like the US government and their environmental edicts (trust me, this is something I know about!), it all gets down to THE CASH. Jackson in PARTICULAR can’t WAIT to “shake down” various agencies and businesses FOR THE CASH.
Money and Power. Selling Out “your culture” for MONEY and POWER — the jobs of Sharpton and Jackson.
BZ
Tons of people have loved this article and have linked to it. The funny thing is he writes for my local paper, the KC Star which I even get. But I first heard about it from a friend that lives in Illinois. Go figure!!
He does nail it on the head and I wonder how much heat he has taken on this from his liberal buddies.
They have to do something to maintain appeasement status … Sheesh ../sarc
LMC: but think: think of the GUTS he had to write such a clear and prescient article, exposing the obvious to those who DON’T want to THINK or even ACKNOWLEDGE the obvious. The man has an actual pair as opposed to the bulk of Amerika.
BZ
Come and see what I just posted. I found an AWESOME VIDEO of Jason Whitlock on Tucker Carlson’s show. He was amazing. I also linked to him on the Today show and CNN.
04 15 07
Hello BZ:
Just observing the comments here. I think Imus is an idiot and don’t care that he was fired. HOWEVER, let us be consistent in our application of the anti free speech laws. If he gets fired, we should fire Howard Stern, all the rappers who perpetuate mysoginy and pimpdom, Gov. Arnie for offhanded comments he has made, Rose O’Donnel for her racist remarks, and every single successful Black male comedian for using the words Nigger, bitch and ho.
If he gets fired; they should ALL get fired. Otherwise, he should keep his job and apologize for insulting them. I think this incident has taken a lot of time and energy from the real important stuff at hand. While Mr. Imus has naught my respect, many other folk listed above don’t either.
But free speech is what this country was based upon; we cannot have these double standards anymore because it is tearing our country apart.
Shoprat; not all Blacks view themselves as victims. HOWEVER, you might think that we do if you pay too much attention to what Revs Sharpton and Jackson say. Just as cons talk about the bias in the media, Blacks have a legitimate beef with the media as well. I feel as though we are only depicted as victims that need help from the government and you see Revs Sharpton and Jackson everywhere there is a perceived media worthy threat… At this stage in the game, they need to focus on economic growth and development, and preach more self sufficiency a la Bill Cosby.
Whoa, I ramble, but these are strong feelings. Did you guys see the Southpark episode when this character kissed Jessie Jackson’s ass before he declared himself the Emperor of all Black people? Now that was funny, but real. Jessie Jackson is but one man. He doesn’t speak for me anymore than the Dixie Chicks speak for you.
This quote you cited was sad but spot on in many ways. We surely have a long way to go, not only among Blacks but as Americans!
Have a great upcoming week.
I always liked the old line: “Sure you have freedom of speech… just not on company time.”
Because that time is when one is paid to be part of something else, and your first responsibility is to them… you do *have* freedom of speech. And companies can fire you for it if what you say makes them look bad… you have perfect freedom of speech, just don’t expect to get *paid for it*.