Quote:
Originally Posted by Raven
great point because the Don Imus show is/was all about comedy
and nappy headed ho was meant as a comedy comment
and it wasn't thought of in advance like the reverends sermon was...
yet he was labeled a racist and it cost him big time effectively ending his televison career or show and he helps kids with cancer at his ranch...
all the while that reference to ho's and nappy headed people are used daily on the airwaves in popular song...
not really fair...at all... so where's Al Sharpton now  |
First off I believe Imus was canned because those particular comments were the straw the broke the camel's back in a series of comments. The comments regarding hos was directed at a particular group of women on a team and not a generic reference in a song (although to me both are equally wrong). I think and what Obama was saying in his speech today is that there is good and bad in everyone and you can not judge people by a soundbite etc. As you point out Imus has done some good things for people in his career. Obama says that he has known the Rev. for 20 odd years and knows of a lot of good that he has done even if he disagrees with some of the things he says. He said he was bothered the same way about the Rev. as he was when his white grandmother would use a racial reference. In someways you are each making the same argument about a person you believe is a mix of good and bad, basically human. What I thought was positive about his speech was he was not trying to make the issue go away but set out some basic points that both whites and blacks will have to address if we want to move forward on race issues. It was the first time in a long time I heard a politician come out and just state the case with no gloss or bs. He may not win but it was a pretty brave thing to do.
btw I do not buy the argument that Imus' comment was not premeditated. If he had said something in anger that would be one thing. He was trying to push people's buttons in repeating what the other guy said and unfortunately for his career pushed a few too many.