The Imus lynch party

[Navy Pride]

Like him or not and I am no huge fan of Pat Buchanan he is right on about this issue:

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55179

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Posted: April 13, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern



In the end, it was not about Imus. It was about us.

Are we really a better country because, after he was publicly whipped for 10 days as the worst kind of racist, with whom no decent person could associate, he was thrown off the air?

 

[Ikari]

We are a less tolerant society for it, one which seems to have forgotten the meaning of freedom and liberty. I don't necessarily condone Imus for what he said, but I think at some point we went overboard with this case. People are always going to say stupid things, and there's nothing we can do about it. Unless someone infringes upon the rights of others, they should be free to do as they like. And while it's ok to criticize someone for making stupid comments, or point out why one shouldn't, the professional lynching of Imus was overboard. People need to remain free to say as they wish, we can dissent against their opinion and speak our own minds; but we shouldn't seek to harm physically, or professionally (money is a form of property) those whom say things we do not agree with.

 

[aps]

Like him or not and I am no huge fan of Pat Buchanan he is right on about this issue:

WorldNetDaily: The Imus lynch party

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: April 13, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern



In the end, it was not about Imus. It was about us.

Are we really a better country because, after he was publicly whipped for 10 days as the worst kind of racist, with whom no decent person could associate, he was thrown off the air?

Personally, I like Pat Buchanan. I find him to be a very honest person. I love how he is a Republican who isn't afraid to disagree with this Administration or other fellow Republicans. Also, I find his opinions thoughtful in that he always provides a rationale for why he feels the way he does on certain issues.

This is a great article, Navy Pride. I agree with him. Yes, what Imus said was inappropriate, but the backlash he has received has been well over the top if you ask me.

 

[jallman]

We are a less tolerant society for it, one which seems to have forgotten the meaning of freedom and liberty. I don't necessarily condone Imus for what he said, but I think at some point we went overboard with this case. People are always going to say stupid things, and there's nothing we can do about it. Unless someone infringes upon the rights of others, they should be free to do as they like. And while it's ok to criticize someone for making stupid comments, or point out why one shouldn't, the professional lynching of Imus was overboard. People need to remain free to say as they wish, we can dissent against their opinion and speak our own minds; but we shouldn't seek to harm physically, or professionally (money is a form of property) those whom say things we do not agree with.

I think when Imus made it personal to these young women, he crossed a line. I share his brand of humor...but only in appropriate settings where I know I am quickly forgiven if I cross a line.

Radio and television announcement is not that setting. However, I do believe he made one huge mistake in his apology: allowing that degenerate race baiting Al Sharpton to use his mistake to foment more race division. I would never have apologized to Sharpton for anything except maybe pi$$ing on his face. If there is one person in this country I think needs to be dragged behind my Ford for a few miles, it's Sharpton.

 

[Ikari]

I think when Imus made it personal to these young women, he crossed a line. I share his brand of humor...but only in appropriate settings where I know I am quickly forgiven if I cross a line.

I'm not excusing his behavior, or saying that people should speak out against it. But if we are to have a productive dialog about the problem, why it's wrong, and why people should be more considerate when speaking; than I think we have to do it without trying to take away someone's livilihood or in some other fashion attempt to infringe upon their rights. In the end, the fact is that what Imus said didn't infringe upon the rights of anyone. And while we can express ourselves, our opinion, and dissent against what he did say; we shouldn't turn around and try to infringe upon his. Everyone screws up, I would be quite sad if we chucked everyone to the curb when they did. No lessons are learned under that circumstance.

Radio and television announcement is not that setting. However, I do believe he made one huge mistake in his apology: allowing that degenerate race baiting Al Sharpton to use his mistake to foment more race division. I would never have apologized to Sharpton for anything except maybe pi$$ing on his face. If there is one person in this country I think needs to be dragged behind my Ford for a few miles, it's Sharpton.

Sharpton and pals are fools, and I hope that more people will do some research into what they say and do so that they can understand this point.

 

[Doremus Jessup]

Boo hoo! F%ck Don Imus, his job was to talk on the radio and he took it over the edge and got busted. Everybody is acting like they personally got him fired, no he got himself fired. I don't even know where he thinks he can make fun of somebody's hair, seriously. He could've at least said: "Bah, they're from *****in' Jersey." Or something like that, but he had to go even lower.

Now we got all these clowns on Fox blaming it on Snoop Dogg and Ludacris. "They make millions of $$$ and they say whatever they want, it's their fault for making people like Imus dumb. If they can talk like that, how come I can't? It's not fair, we should get rid of them." :boohoo:

It's not like the guy is out on the street, and if he is then that is also his fault for not investing his money. He might want to call up Wu-Tang Financial, I'm sure they can help him out.
:rantoff:

 

[Iriemon]

My guess is Imus will be able to get a job on Fox News in the near future.

 

[jallman]

My guess is Imus will be able to get a job on Fox News in the near future.

Oh, because FOX is supposed to take in all racist commentators? What are you saying here?

 

[aps]

Oh, because FOX is supposed to take in all racist commentators? What are you saying here?

I think it might be a joke, and a VERY GOOD one at that. LOL!!!

 

[Trajan Octavian Titus]

I'm gonna say I'm 100% in favor of Imus's firing, MSNB and the radio stations are running a bussiness that runs on advertisors who can't afford to alienate large segments of the population, and while Imus has the right to freedom of speech he does not have the right to a nation wide podium from which to speak, that is not a right it is a privilige, and with that privilige comes an obligation to use that podium responsiblility I just wish this had been the case with the far more offensive and irresponsible comments of Rosie O'donnel. That said the sheer hypcoricy of the media and specifically the Revs Sharpton and Jackson is laughable.

 

[VTA]

I'm gonna say I'm 100% in favor of Imus's firing, MSNB and the radio stations are running a bussiness that runs on advertisors who can't afford to alienate large segments of the population...

This sounds reasonable, but in reality do we need multi-million dollar corporations setting guidelines for freedom of speech?

I don't like the idea that they can determine what's acceptable and what's not based on their fear of losing some money. Money didn't buy our freedoms. To tell the truth, if their products are so disposable that they fear people won't buy their crap because of nonsense like this, maybe they're not selling anything all that necessary in the first place.

If anyone wants to rant about scary precedents and losses of rights, I think they better start looking at the basics: people being fired for WORDS. Not words that incite, but flippant, stupid remarks that I know I never would have heard if this hadn't been blown out of proportion.

 

[Trajan Octavian Titus]

This sounds reasonable, but in reality do we need multi-million dollar corporations setting guidelines for freedom of speech?

They can set any guidelines they want on the broadcasting stations they own.

I don't like the idea that they can determine what's acceptable and what's not based on their fear of losing some money. Money didn't buy our freedoms. To tell the truth, if their products are so disposable that they fear people won't buy their crap because of nonsense like this, maybe they're not selling anything all that necessary in the first place.

If anyone wants to rant about scary precedents and losses of rights, I think they better start looking at the basics: people being fired for WORDS. Not words that incite, but flippant, stupid remarks that I know I never would have heard if this hadn't been blown out of proportion.

Again I'll reiterate this is not a violation of anyones rights, Imus has the right to freedom of speech, he does not have the right to a nation wide podium, that is a privilege and with that privlege comes responsiblity he abused that privlige and is now paying the price.

 

[debate_junkie]

They can set any guidelines they want on the broadcasting stations they own.



Again I'll reiterate this is not a violation of anyones rights, Imus has the right to freedom of speech, he does not have the right to a nation wide podium, that is a privilege and with that privlege comes responsiblity he abused that privlige and is now paying the price.

Ahh, but notice the furor is coming only from Imus' comment. What about his producer's reference.. calling them the jiggaboo's vs the wanna be's? Does he get a free pass on the nationwide podium, because he quoted Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing?"

 

[AmericanOrator]

I don't know about you guys, but I don't think that Imus was "lynched." Furthermore, I find it offensive that someone would use the word "Lynch" which is synonymous with the unjustified killing of black men to defend a talk show host who crossed the line and made a racist comment. In fact, it angers me.

I don't know how you believe that the firing of Imus was unjustified after he made racist comments at an event in the presence of two civil rights activist. Do you guys feel it would have been okay for Imus to get off without making such comments with just a flick on the wrist. Nobody wants to take away freedom of speech; however, it is the right of those offended to unite against the speaker. There was already the starting works on a boycott of all advertisers on Imus' TV show. This is not unprecedented, and it is not the first time that someone in the media has been booted for crossing the line.

Case Example: Bill Maher and Politically Incorrect
Bill Maher lost most of his advertising and was denied a new contract after making this comment: "We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly. Stupid maybe, but not cowardly."

 

[debate_junkie]

I don't know about you guys, but I don't think that Imus was "lynched." Furthermore, I find it offensive that someone would use the word "Lynch" which is synonymous with the unjustified killing of black men to defend a talk show host who crossed the line and made a racist comment. In fact, it angers me.

I don't know how you believe that the firing of Imus was unjustified after he made racist comments at an event in the presence of two civil rights activist. Do you guys feel it would have been okay for Imus to get off without making such comments with just a flick on the wrist. Nobody wants to take away freedom of speech; however, it is the right of those offended to unite against the speaker. There was already the starting works on a boycott of all advertisers on Imus' TV show. This is not unprecedented, and it is not the first time that someone in the media has been booted for crossing the line.


Case Example: Bill Maher and Politically Incorrect
Bill Maher lost most of his advertising and was denied a new contract after making this comment: "We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly. Stupid maybe, but not cowardly."

lynch /lɪntʃ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[linch] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–verb (used with object) to put to death, esp. by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority.

Dictionary.com

Please show me where the definition states lynching was ONLY the killing of a black man.

 

[Tashah]

Like him or not and I am no huge fan of Pat Buchanan he is right on about this issue:

Moderator's Warning:

The rules of the *BN* forum require at least four sentences from the OP author on why this story merits attention. Please observe the ruleset in the future.

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http://www.debatepolitics.com/breaking-news/19542-please-read-breaking-news-rules-guidelines.html

 

[Captain America]

I am certain Imus will come out of this smelling like a rose. Also, I think many positive things might come from this. First, and foremost, people on a podium need to watch their words for they have consequences.

It also is presenting us, finally, the chance to address the scourge of a LOT of commercial rap music and the culture it nurtures. It has been very detrimental to our society from coast to coast. In my personal opinion, it is the lowest form of music that has promoted the lowest forms of human behavior. Perhaps the whites wanted to just ignore the issue as long as the statistics we're over on the "Norf' side or down on MLK Blvd. But when Jr. started wearing his hat sidesways, wearing pants twice his size, held them up by cupping his penis with his hand, referred to his middle class mother as , "Yo, moms..." people started taking notice of the infectious message the rap culture has on our youth.

White people have been afraid to address this issue for we all know one must walk on eggshells in this country when addressing members of a particular....well....nevermind. (The ol' double-standard raises it's ugly head again.:3oops: ) For example: Hypothetical scenerio.
James Brown* "Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud." Legacy: Hero.
Don Imus* "Say it loud. I'm white and I'm proud." Legacy Racist Bigot

Double standards indeed. :roll:

It appearantly gives members of our black community the oppertunity to denounce Al Sharpton too. That was a surprise to me. I cannot believe how many well spoken, educated and eloquent black Americans have clearly spoken saying, "Al Sharpton does NOT speak for me." Perhaps this might give Mr. Sharpton a reality check into his self-assumed title of being spokesman for Black America. He is an embarassment and I totally understand their insistance on being seperated from his grand illusion. The white man OWNS him. I think the blacks should decide themselves who speaks for them as a group. NOT some cable news channel owned by some rich guy in..... (I suppose I better not say Tel Aviv. :rofl )

Meanwhile, why we were all making mountains out of this molehill, we seemed to completely turn our eyes away from the Gonzales scandal and the fall-out momentum it once had is now somewhere on the back burner. Coincidence? I think not. If it weren't for Imus, it would just have been another scandal diverson. Maybe a Michael Jackson story. We are such a gullible public.

 

[1069]

It's no longer acceptable to the majority of the American public to make references to African Americans as "nappy headed", nor to use to term "ho" as synonymous with "woman".
The majority has spoken.
Nobody is being thrown in jail or otherwise having their freedom of speech repressed, but when someone who makes their living as a pundit- a public speaker- uses these offensive terms, they will lose their job, because that is the will of the majority of the American people. We do not wish to hear people using that terminology. It is offensive to most of us, and deeply personally hurtful to some of us.

This is a democracy. The firing of Imus is democracy in action.
There's nothing "unfair" about it.
He is free to continue to refer to strong, talented and successful women of color as "nappy-headed ho's" all he wants to at home, or in gatherings of his friends, or in broad daylight in the middle of main street.
He is rich and old, and doesn't need to work ever again.
He can devote the rest of his life, if he wishes, to living in luxury and blathering about "nappy-headed ho's".
But he can't keep his job as an NBC radio talk show host, because the majority of Americans no longer wish to hear what he has to say.
Those who do wish to hear what he has to say are free to seek him out wherever he happens to wash up, and listen to him.
His freedom of expression has been in no way abrogated or violated.
He can- and, I hope, will- continue to express himself freely.

 

[AmericanOrator]

White people have been afraid to address this issue for we all know one must walk on eggshells in this country when addressing members of a particular....well....nevermind. (The ol' double-standard raises it's ugly head again.:3oops: ) For example: Hypothetical scenerio.
James Brown* "Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud." Legacy: Hero.
Don Imus* "Say it loud. I'm white and I'm proud." Legacy Racist Bigot

Double standards indeed. :roll:

That is completely off subject. It is right that there is a double standard due to minority-majority status. African-Americans are a part of a culture dominated by whites, and this has caused a loss of our identity and created a subconscious hating of ourselves. One could pose a similar question by asking why it is okay to have an all-Black student dormitory, but not an all-White dormitory? It is the fact the minority groups deserve to have their rights protected, and they are allowed to maintain their own culture. The fact is that many black Americans want to be white, but they are rejected by white society. We are constantly bombarded with images of ideal beauty, which are completely opposite to our own physical features. This is why the nappy-headed comment hits so deep. Why do you think blacks struggle in many service sectors to be put at the front of the store, especially in fashion. Just look at the recent lawsuit that was filed against Abercrombie & Fitch. Furthermore, such cases are hard to prove and they don't involve hatred of blacks, but they are still racism based on stereotypes and paradigms.

 

[AmericanOrator]

lynch /lɪntʃ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[linch] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–verb (used with object) to put to death, esp. by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority.

Dictionary.com

Please show me where the definition states lynching was ONLY the killing of a black man.

Don't play dumb with me. You know for a fact that when any American hears the word "lynch," they think back to segregation and the unjustified killing of blacks. Type the word in to Wikipedia or any other encyclopedia, and the largest portion is devoted to the lynching of blacks in the American South. This is the most prevalent case of lynching in world history.

 

[VTA]

They can set any guidelines they want on the broadcasting stations they own.

I'm not talking about the radio stations, they pretend to set guidelines and then allow these goofs to push the envelope as much as possible to be 'edgy'. I'm talking about their true customers, not the listeners, but the advertisers who buy their air time for ridiculous amounts of money.

Again I'll reiterate this is not a violation of anyones rights, Imus has the right to freedom of speech, he does not have the right to a nation wide podium, that is a privilege and with that privlege comes responsiblity he abused that privlige and is now paying the price.

I know what you're saying, he most certainly can go on a street corner and shout what he wants. But Imus had the right by virtue of being an employee of the station and generating revenue. No one can play dumb here, he hasn't made his living for 40 years by being tactful. If no one had noticed the comment the station wouldn't have said boo. Much worse has slipped by from Opie and Anthony and Howard Stern and because no one said anything, the stations didn't have to pretend it's moral. It's about money and only about money; corporations setting guidelines for freedom of speech.

 

[VTA]

The majority has spoken... This is a democracy. The firing of Imus is democracy in action.
There's nothing "unfair" about it.

I'm willing to bet the majority did not even hear the comment, let alone care enough to speak about his insignificant drivel.

Fair and unfair, moral and immoral are not in the equation. Pragmatic capitalism is.

 

[Jerry]

Like him or not and I am no huge fan of Pat Buchanan he is right on about this issue:

WorldNetDaily: The Imus lynch party

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: April 13, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern



In the end, it was not about Imus. It was about us.

Are we really a better country because, after he was publicly whipped for 10 days as the worst kind of racist, with whom no decent person could associate, he was thrown off the air?

We haven't seen the last of the I-Man.......look for him on satellite radio next year.

***
Did you notice how Sharpton was pretty much content with Imus's apology tour and suspension until Imus called Sharpton a coward on the Today Show?


[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJD1Pfqxk10[/YOUTUBE]

 

[1069]

That is completely off subject. It is right that there is a double standard due to minority-majority status. African-Americans are a part of a culture dominated by whites, and this has caused a loss of our identity and created a subconscious hating of ourselves. One could pose a similar question by asking why it is okay to have an all-Black student dormitory, but not an all-White dormitory? It is the fact the minority groups deserve to have their rights protected, and they are allowed to maintain their own culture. The fact is that many black Americans want to be white, but they are rejected by white society. We are constantly bombarded with images of ideal beauty, which are completely opposite to our own physical features. This is why the nappy-headed comment hits so deep. Why do you think blacks struggle in many service sectors to be put at the front of the store, especially in fashion. Just look at the recent lawsuit that was filed against Abercrombie & Fitch. Furthermore, such cases are hard to prove and they don't involve hatred of blacks, but they are still racism based on stereotypes and paradigms.

I absolutely agree, and I think it's also relevant that African Americans had their families ripped apart and their cultural heritage and identity- history, language, religion, culture, even names- stolen from them by whites up until the last century.
Therefore, they have more right to indulge in racial "pride" and seek to invent a racial "identity"- to identifying themselves as former African Nationals- than whites do. After all, they never wanted to come here. We kidnapped them and brought them here. They don't know where they really came from, because we stole their history and culture from them. All they know is that they probably came from Africa. What country, what tribe, what family is anybody's guess.
Unlike white people, they can never know, in most cases. White people robbed them of their chance to ever know.

If black people want to express pride in their culture and heritage (even if this translates to generic "African American" or simply "African" pride, because whites have stripped them of any possibility of ever knowing who their families really were or where they came from in any greater or more specific detail than that), I do not find that offensive.

 

[debate_junkie]

Don't play dumb with me. You know for a fact that when any American hears the word "lynch," they think back to segregation and the unjustified killing of blacks. Type the word in to Wikipedia or any other encyclopedia, and the largest portion is devoted to the lynching of blacks in the American South. This is the most prevalent case of lynching in world history.

Play "dumb"? That's the best articulation you can come up with? I don't care what the largest portion of the search would come up with. Just because a word is associated to ONE thing, my friend, does not mean THAT is the only meaning it has too it. How many gay men have been lynched by mobs? You won't hear it said that way because people are afraid to OFFEND by using the word in it's PROPER context. Lynching.. is the mob mentality, unjustified murder of ANY human, not just a black human.

And don't you dare sit there and tell me what I think of when I hear the word lynch. You may subscribe to such schools of thought, as is your right. I prefer to look at a word based on what it means, not what dark time in history it's been attached to.