We talk a good talk in this country but we don't walk the walk, particularly when it comes to the concept of Freedom, true Freedom, the kind the Founding Fathers had envisioned when they drafted and amended that wonderful document known as the Constitution. No country has struggled harder with the concept of Freedom than America, particularly when it comes to freedom of speech.
This issue is in the news again, with radio and TV host Don Imus in trouble for remarks he made vamping it up about a woman's basketball game. You've all heard about it by now, Imus called the players "nappy headed ho's" and said it was the "jiggaboos versus the wannabes." OK, dumb comments when there are eight African American women on the court. As for the second line, if you're going to quote a movie line, how about one everybody knows is from a movie, and not a very contested line from a Spike Lee film, "School Daze."
Immediately the Black Offensive Police, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson sprang in to action (is there like a Bat Phone for this sort of thing?) and began demanding for Imus to be fired. Yes, these two masters of media manipulation were calling for a fellow broadcaster to be fired for what he said on air. And of course, no one is talking about the real issues because they're too busy screaming racist! Racist! Fire him! Remove his livelihood, drag him through the mud! They forget that if Imus is fired he'll be on air again in a month some place else (can you say Opie and Anthony, Bubba The Love Sponge, Howard Stern, Isaiah Washington, Mel Gibson...add name here) and they miss the point that what he said was more sexist than racist. But of course, it's OK to demean women, American Society does it all the time, women are still paid less than men, still are exploited in all kinds of media, and still called 'bitches and 'ho's by a host of people, usually in a rap song. But that's OK, forget that what he said was sexist, he drew he race card.
For the record, I have no problem with nappy hair. I think it's horrible the way that Black women for years have pressed, ironed, used harsh chemicals that would burn a hole through a floor if dropped from their heads just to live up to the White Ideal of beauty. That's an entirely other article, but one that should be addressed one day. Hey, it's your world, you WANT to do all that to your hair feel free, but many do it to fit in better and that's just wrong.
But here's the bigger issue. While what Imus said is stupid, tinged with sexism and racism, if we truly live in a free country, he's allowed to say it. People are allowed to be idiots, allowed to be stupid. Yes, they're even allowed to be sexist and racist. Did anyone get fired from this team because of these comments? Is Imus calling for the removal of all Blacks from the WNBA? Has he caused anyone to not get admitted to a school, not get a job, is there any adverse reaction, direct, quantifiable adverse reactions to his statements? No, no there's not. And he's apologized for them. But I guess the two people calling for his removal, the two ordained ministers, know nothing of forgiveness, turn the other cheek or many of the other Christian teachings. Like freedom, God isn't easy. The tenants of faith are hard. Amish went to the funeral of the gunman who shot up their community, forgave him and welcomed his family in to their community. Christ forgave those who crucified him to a cross. Now that's forgiveness. But a radio host makes a stupid statement and apologizes for them and no, he must go, no forgiveness for him.
How insulting all this is. If he had made homophobic remarks, this wouldn't be news. If he were Black, say Chris Rock, Mo'Nique, Marsha Warfield, this wouldn't be happening. In fact, he's a victim of reverse racism. The very definition of racism is when one race believes it can do something that no other race can, when they feel they have the right to do something no one else can do. Well, saying that a Black person could make these remarks but not a White person is an inequality and is wrong no matter how you slice it. But no one ever looks at it that way. If something is so horrible that it hurts people, then no one should be able to say it, period. Selective censorship is stupid, and racial censorship is even worse.
But again, it goes back to freedom. Either we have free speech or we don't. Look, I know my entire life I will have to deal with homophobes, and you know what, that's OK. You can be homophobic in the land of the free. I don't care if you don't like my lifestyle, if you don't understand it, if you don't want me to marry your son. I don't care if you write about how you feel it's horrifying and have little meetings discussing how terrible it is. I really, truly don't. I don't care if Isaiah Washington calls someone a faggot. Call me that and I'll tell you it's an observation not an insult. Sticks and stones. I draw the line when you legislate it, when you deny me rights because of it, or when you incite someone to violence against it. Have your views say what you want do what you want. Just make sure you don't cross the line of saying that because you believe I shouldn't' be here that we should make rules to make sure I'm not. Then, you cross a line. Imus did not cross that line.
I realize this because I realize in the land of the Free, on the airwaves and in real life, people are allowed to be bigots. We can call them bigots, we can say if you listen to them you share bigoted views. We can not listen. We can not buy products from people that support them. But they are allowed to be bigots, and people are allowed to employ bigots if they like. No one has a moral responsibility to employ only people that fit the politically correct mold of a good human, since that changes weekly.
The fact is Imus opened a dialogue about race and about sexism. That, remarkably enough, is his job. He didn't wuss out, he went to the belly of the beast and went on Al Sharpton's radio show.
I don't listen to Fox News because I believe it to be nothing more than the propaganda wing of the Republican Party. They are elitist, homophobic and so many things. Do I want them off the air? Well, I'd like to educate those that watch it, I'd like if they represent themselves as news that they actually report the real news, but no, I don't want them off the air. Because they give me something to talk about, they give me a chance to say what they are saying is wrong, and present a different viewpoint.
People are racist. People are bigots. People make mistakes. Even radio hosts. In the land of the free, that's how it's gotta be. And in the land of the Christians, we need to forgive it if someone says they're sorry and move on. I know words can hurt, but Imus' only inflicted a small flesh wound. Get over it, there's other, bigger, more important battles to fight. The racial inequality when it comes to poverty is horrible, and Imus has nothing to do with that. The invisible poor of Katrina that became visible for a moment are all but invisible again. The number of Black men in prison or jail versus white is shameful. There's so much wrong that needs attention and needs to be fixed. This is a blip, let it go. Who knows, you may have a new ally in what you thought was an enemy.
Follow Charles Karel Bouley on Twitter: www.twitter.com/talkradiolive
