Sharpton's empty threat
I have zero sympathy for Don Imus, but in the Rev. Al Sharpton he has found a critic-cum-father-confessor with his own blabbermouth problems.
It isn’t just that Sharpton still bears the baggage of the Tawana Brawley case; in railing against Imus for his offensive comments about the Rutgers women’s basketball team, Sharpton is hinting at reprisals by the Federal Communications Commission that are unlikely and probably unconstitutional.
On CNN Sharpton said: "The FCC [has] rules. You cannot sit up on public-regulated television and make just racist remarks ..and claim that's free speech."
Well, not really. Racist actions by television stations do come under the FCC’s purview—in 1971 it revoked the licenses of a Mississippi station that refused to provide access to African-American candidates for public office—but racist speech is a different story.
The FCC does sanction “indecent” speech on the airwaves, but “racist speech” is not a priority for the agency and is likely protected by the First Amendment even on the regulated airwaves.
Unlike England, which criminalizes the incitement to racial hatred in broad terms, this country errs on the side of free expression. Imus is in a lot of trouble, but I don’t think he has to worry about the FCC knocking on his (or his employer’s) door.
I'm sure that Imus' wife, Deidre, is giving him more grief than Al Sharpton,
Jesse Jackson, Maxine Waters and that ilk could ever give the I-man. The Sharpton camp has its own baggage (throwing stones, etc.). Imus should consider the source and accept so much water off a duck's back.
However, I would be interested in knowing comments from say Bill Cosby,
many Denzel Washington, maybe Barry Sanders and George Foreman.
Could they agree with the Imus observation?
This will teach Imus to check first with his brain when his mike is hot.
Congratulations to the Rutgers athletes (students or not).
Posted by: bg mendell | April 10, 2007 at 08:57 PM
I don't think hatred for blacks is inside Don's heart. For God's sake, he's a comedian not a politician. Watch The Appollo on any given Saturday and I'll guarantee you'll find an African American berating white people as part of their comedy routine. Why is that acceptable and what Imus said so reprehensible? Comedian's cross boundries. That's what makes them funny.
Imus is more a victim of media fragmentation than he is a racist. Nowadays, radio jockey's will say anything to stop people from pounding the pre-sets or switching to satellite.
Let's forgive the poor guy and move on.
Posted by: Graham | April 11, 2007 at 12:34 AM
People are only offended when they let themselves be offended;
people who are comfortable and secure in their being and self confidence
are not: "sticks and stones."
End result: women's college basketball has never gotten so much attention.
In Hollywood, there is no bad publicity.
And all this happens while O. J. is hitting his third shot on a par three golf
course somewhere in Florida...as the Duke LaCrosse team/coach have
been railroaded off campus for two years. Where's Tawana Brawley
when you really need her?
Perspective.
Posted by: bg mendell | April 11, 2007 at 09:29 AM
What would JESUS do?
Posted by: R.Meister | April 11, 2007 at 07:50 PM
Don Imus bears a striking resemblance to Thomas Jefferson, another privileged white man who publicly disparaged blacks, while exploiting them for his personal gain. As for the Duke rape scandal, I believe the accuser was violated inside that party house. According to the L.A. Times, a cab driver said he overheard men he picked up from the house discussing "Do you think she'll go to the police?". Whether they were talking about sexual violation or something else or whether the young men picked out by the accuser were involved, they had money and connections to make the whole matter go away. They had the best platform in the world-60 Minutes-to get the wheels rolling in their favor. Countless other men unfairly accused of rape languish in prison because they don't have the resources available to those young men from Duke.
Posted by: sandra m | April 17, 2007 at 11:15 AM
sandra m has a striking resemblance to Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Maxine Waters.
Posted by: bg mendell | April 20, 2007 at 12:32 PM