Don Imus: Nappy Headed ex-Addict
But is he a racist? I don't think so. A fool with fried gray matter for sure. He should have known better to say what he did ... but that brings into question the larger issue of what he said being wrong at all.
How can I say that ... am I a racist? No. Emphatically, no. But here is the deal: when a culture -- in this case the black American culture -- decides to identify itself with certain conduct and behavior, it becomes an act of duplicity to then deny that others can then identify members of that culture similarly. Put another way, if you insist on calling each other the "N" word and other demeaning and derogatory phrases, you can hardly expect that others will not see and hear this and assume that it is OK.
If your culture becomes broadly imitated, your music everywhere, your morals ethics and ideals widely copied in other cultures ... the words you use cannot suddenly be divorced from similar acceptance.
Bill Cosby has loudly called for black society to clean its act up and hold itself to higher standards (by that he meant that black people should strive for education, to be proud of black heritage, to respect each other). Black leaders such as Sharpton and others decried that goal as being "white" selling out to white society and suggested that he was an "Uncle Tom."
I am sorry, but I cannot see where self-respect is "white," where seeking education and betterment of society is "white." We all live in our communal society and where people largely benefit from its functioning (if you are white or a minority and taking any form of public assistance, this means YOU), you can then hardly dismiss it as being a "white" creation and run for the benefit of whites -- those benefits come from ALL tax payers.
Imus was a jerk. He should not stoop to using those words, but he was also trying to be funny (for which he is paid) and using terminology in wide use throughout the country. If Chris Rock had said that, there would be no issue: any reaction would have been limited to something like "he's just a loudmouthed creep" or some such -- probably using "hate words" that are in question right here. So Imus apologized. Profusely. Groveled. Now let's move on. The real debate here is the PC acceptance of misogyny and hateful words, deeds and principles by minorities and the double standard it implies.
Let's be clear ... it is NOT alright if they do it, and it is NOT alright if we do it. If we are ever to put racial and ethnic divisions behind us, we must all operate on the same system, to the same standards: to be "color blind" is to be the same.
BUT, I have no intention to shift my system of morals and ethics to permit or accept: (1) ignorance; (2) miscogyny; (3) violence as a dispute resolution system; (4) the breakdown of the family unit whereby single mothers become the norm; (5) acceptance of the government as my provider -- but NOT my protector; (6) refusal to work for the benefit of ALL Americans. 50 years ago the civil rights movement was started to place us on the road to being color blind with equal opportunity for all. Since then, what have we really achieved? The laws are in place -- but to use an old metaphor, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. The division are still there, and will be as long as someone who strives to achieve socio-economically -- that is, a contributor to our society at large -- is perceived as being a societal or race traitor, in other words, "white."
If my intransigence constitutes racism, then perhaps I need to go to rehab.
How can I say that ... am I a racist? No. Emphatically, no. But here is the deal: when a culture -- in this case the black American culture -- decides to identify itself with certain conduct and behavior, it becomes an act of duplicity to then deny that others can then identify members of that culture similarly. Put another way, if you insist on calling each other the "N" word and other demeaning and derogatory phrases, you can hardly expect that others will not see and hear this and assume that it is OK.
If your culture becomes broadly imitated, your music everywhere, your morals ethics and ideals widely copied in other cultures ... the words you use cannot suddenly be divorced from similar acceptance.
Bill Cosby has loudly called for black society to clean its act up and hold itself to higher standards (by that he meant that black people should strive for education, to be proud of black heritage, to respect each other). Black leaders such as Sharpton and others decried that goal as being "white" selling out to white society and suggested that he was an "Uncle Tom."
I am sorry, but I cannot see where self-respect is "white," where seeking education and betterment of society is "white." We all live in our communal society and where people largely benefit from its functioning (if you are white or a minority and taking any form of public assistance, this means YOU), you can then hardly dismiss it as being a "white" creation and run for the benefit of whites -- those benefits come from ALL tax payers.
Imus was a jerk. He should not stoop to using those words, but he was also trying to be funny (for which he is paid) and using terminology in wide use throughout the country. If Chris Rock had said that, there would be no issue: any reaction would have been limited to something like "he's just a loudmouthed creep" or some such -- probably using "hate words" that are in question right here. So Imus apologized. Profusely. Groveled. Now let's move on. The real debate here is the PC acceptance of misogyny and hateful words, deeds and principles by minorities and the double standard it implies.
Let's be clear ... it is NOT alright if they do it, and it is NOT alright if we do it. If we are ever to put racial and ethnic divisions behind us, we must all operate on the same system, to the same standards: to be "color blind" is to be the same.
BUT, I have no intention to shift my system of morals and ethics to permit or accept: (1) ignorance; (2) miscogyny; (3) violence as a dispute resolution system; (4) the breakdown of the family unit whereby single mothers become the norm; (5) acceptance of the government as my provider -- but NOT my protector; (6) refusal to work for the benefit of ALL Americans. 50 years ago the civil rights movement was started to place us on the road to being color blind with equal opportunity for all. Since then, what have we really achieved? The laws are in place -- but to use an old metaphor, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. The division are still there, and will be as long as someone who strives to achieve socio-economically -- that is, a contributor to our society at large -- is perceived as being a societal or race traitor, in other words, "white."
If my intransigence constitutes racism, then perhaps I need to go to rehab.
posted by Zaphod at Thursday, April 12, 2007
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