On Imus

As the news is littered with the topic, I thought I'd chime in with my .02 cents.

For years, I have owned an FM/AM Alarm clock radio, that only gets AM stations. Thus, by virtue of living in NY and enjoying sports talk radio, I have been woken up by the sounds of Don Imus on WFAN for probably the last 10 years. Its never really bothered me, as being a part time political junkie, Imus gets incredible political guests, as well as some of my favorite journalists and happens to be a fantasic interviewer. For a few minutes a day in half sleep mode, I kinda enjoy the banter.

Moving quickly to the topic at hand and subsequent uproar, what Imus said was wrong, he knows it, he apologized for it, he is going to serve a suspension. What bothers me, is all this uproar and the calling for his imminent termination from radio. First as I listener, I kind of expect this, as this is typical Imus and trust me he has gotten away (or his crew) with alot worse, though maybe at more targetable targets. The man is not a racist by any means, for if he is then we all are for our occasional slips of the tongue. Don Imus is a good person, who has been on the radio for 30 years, been through alot (drug/alcohol addiction) and now gives a ton of money to charity including the running of his own for cancer kids. This was a mistake, he deserves to take shit for it, and this suspension is fine, but after that....lets move on. I am sure he has learned from this....

The African American community in this country is "lead (used loosely)" by two blowhards in Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, both which for all the good they do, also do just as much bad. To scream and shout at Imus, for a very minor infraction, which was said completely without any malice is a joke in and of itself. Its a complete double standard. Where are these two "leaders" when African American entertainers (rappers etc) routinely demean their own people through music and film? Are they picketing the record companies or Hollywood? Are they organizing immediate boycotts of these artists? These words, which Imus used are used so frequently and to such a more disgusting extent, far more often by people who have a MUCH greater influence on the youth of America, especially to the those in the black community. Where is the outrage?

Lets call this what it is, its a vehicle for Sharpton and Jackson to scream and shout, while continuing to ignore the MASSIVE issues in their own communities. I cannot wait for the day when the African American community in this country are lead by real leaders, who instead of pinning the blame on everyone but themsleves can focus on the true issues of their community. Those leaders do exist, we all just must start to tune out the ones with louder voices, or at least begin to give those other voices equal airtime. Where is the Martin Luther King or Malcolm X of our time? Is it Obama, or is he not "black" enough.......