Don Imus - the offense is unending

Oh the humanity of it! Shock struck me yesterday as I learned of news that I could not believe. A radio personality made a comment that was racist, or so I was told by a friend of mine.

The radio celebrity was Don Imus and the above comment was sarcasm, if you missed it. Notice the race of my friend is irrelevant for my sarcasm to be used, and it does not change the impact of what I was trying to say.

My point is to the constantly recurring comments of Don Imus. Yesterday he was involved in this conversation.

WARNER WOLF: Defensive back Adams "Pacman" Jones, recently signed by the Cowboys, here's a guy suspended all of 2007, following a shooting in a Vegas nightclub.
DON IMUS: Well, stuff happens. You're in a nightclub, for God's sake. What do you think is gonna happen in a nightclub. People are drinking, and doing drugs. There are women there and people have guns. So there, go ahead.
WOLF: Also, he's been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005.
IMUS: What color is he?
WOLF: He's African American.
IMUS: Ha ha, well there you go, now we know.

Now if you just read the words, it’s hard to tell what is actually meant. The comment could go either way. So I found a copy of his actual words.



Do I feel that was a sarcastic comment? NO.

IF Imus had no asked about the race of Adam Jones, then I might have had some doubt in the intent. If it were another radio personality I might have had reason to believe their words were poorly chosen. But Don Imus is very well known, especially for his offensive and racial remarks throughout his career – most recently and publicly for his attack on the Rutgers Women’s Basketball team.

Why Imus believes he can attack Black athletes (among other attacks on African Americans) is beyond me. His defense that he has 2 co-workers and a producer of his current show that are Black is stupid. They are not in his mind, they don’t control what comes out of his mouth. His racial bias does not change because of those around him, obviously.

When Kelly Tilghman called for the lynching of Tiger Woods, she was on national TV and tried to play the incident as a joke. It wasn’t and the fact that millions of people were watching did not make it any more funny or less racial. The same is true of Imus and his co-workers.

I was pleased with him getting fired after the Rutgers event. Yet I was willing to allow Imus to get a new job. I would have preferred him to have had more time unemployed, and the fact he received a speculated $50 million settlement for his contract really defeated the impact his firing was meant to convey. Still I had hoped it would slap some sense in to him. And this is perhaps why hope was the last thing that Pandora found.

But I will leave it up to you my readers. You have the transcript and his actual words recorded. Tell me what you think of his comment and what should be done this time?

Michael Vick of Atlanta Falcons indicted - 7.18.2007.1

What can be said about Mr. Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons? After a 3 month investigation, Mr. Vick has been indicted on charges related to dogfighting. Mr. Vick has denied all the charges.

This is another blow to the NFL, and seems to be a part of the recent mass of athletes that have violated various laws. While I presume Mr. Vick is innocent, and unlike some in the media I actually believe that, this is a bad situation. The fact that a dogfighting ring was found at a house owned by Mr. Vick is troubling. Even if it was run by family members and he had no knowledge of what was happening, he is culpable. He needed to know what was going on in his property.

Dog fighting, and the people that run it are sick individuals. To breed and train animals to fight to the death for the sheer pleasure of those watching is barbaric. This is an event that has its roots in the old South, and the reason that the Pit Bull was created. Twisted desires creating an animal equally as perverted.

Allegations have arisen that claim Mr. Vick was actively involved in the training and death of several dogs. If that is proven in fact, then the NFL must immediately eject him from professional football. Like drugs this is a zero tolerance issue. I’m no PETA advocate, but I also disagree with animal cruelty, especially in a form like this. I can only hope that further investigation finds that Mr. Vick’s claims are correct.

I don’t care if the NFL season is affected. I don’t care if Atlanta wins or loses. This is a crime, and no preference should be given, if he is guilty. IF he is innocent, then he deserves an apology, and a public explanation as his livelihood has been detrimentally affected. The news media should remember that.

Already there is a surge occurring in the media to proactively convict Mr. Vick. Today I have seen Mrs. E.D. Hill of Fox News equate Mr. Vick to Pacman Jones and essentially claim both are thugs. (She directly called Pacman a thug, the implication to Mr. Vick was not a direct statement by understood by her commentary). That was at 11:30 this morning. What will happen by 7pm?

And the media is not limiting itself to sports athletes. Mrs. Hill also attacked the colleges that the athletes attended. Without naming which colleges (which I feel was a copout) Mrs. Hill claimed they were responsible for placing thugs into sports. I for one am unaware of a college that is actively recruiting thugs to improve their sports programs. Obviously the fact that as younger, less educated players enter sports the lack of discipline shines through their ability to play a game.

Not withstanding the attacks on colleges, or the growing lack of discipline of sports athletes, the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons cannot stand by and do nothing. Already ESPN has reported an informant that claims Mr. Vick was an active bettor at these dog fights. The reported information states he would bet upwards of $30,000 at a time.

To take life, for nothing more than the sheer please to do so, and to place a price on that life makes my stomach turn. An educated, disciplined, successful, entertainer should know better. But Mr. Vick did not finish college, his discipline on the field is questionable and off the field even moreso. I hope these charges are incorrect, but if that is not the case he needs to have a harsh penalty that is equal to what he is alleged to have done.

This is what I think, what do you think?