by minimus 217 Replies latest jw friends
One other thing; this firing was brought to you by the LEFT, who constantly tell s us that tolereance is the greatest virtue a person can have. Evidently, they only tolerate speak that they deem appropriate.
Yes, curse those evil Lefties and their Evil Complaining Powers....
Today's High School aged kids would likely be mortified at the casual, unconscious racism that existed amongst me and my friends. Back then, it just seemed natural. But the zeitgeist has changed - for the better.
Don't bet on it.
Warlock
Don Imus made his living with words; how could he think he could call these young women "nappy headed hos" and not have this result?
Free Speech? He is legally entitled to say what he wants; however, words have consequences. The Dixie Chicks were blacklisted by Clear Channel for merely saying they were ashamed to be from Texas. This goes both ways.
I agree about Sharpton and rappers; BUT it is one thing for a black person to use the n word. Stupid and demeaning, but not a racial slur like this. If they use racial slurs against whites or Jews, they deserve the same treatment as Imus.
There is a whole group that constantly utter racist comments: Savage, Limbaugh. I hope they are taking note; in this case the highly regarded (worshipped?) free market system worked.
I have listened to Imus on and off over the years, at at times I have enjoyed him and other times i've been offended.
In his defense, i know first hand of the good he has done for several minority and charitble organizations, including giving his time and money, however he crossed the line with comments about these young women.
These are kids for God's Sake, who are very talented not just as ball players and as students. This team, that incidently is not all black was insulted in front of the entire country when they should have been applauded for bringing their school the closest they have ever been to a national championship.
Some may feel that his punishment is harsh, but if my daughter had been a member of that team, I would sure as hell been shouting out for him to be fired.
As far as rappers or any one else using slurs to refer to various groups of people, I fire them as well, I don't purchase their products.
It was the right decision - but as minimus said - the rappers should not be allowed on MTV etc - tehy are the most racist sons of b s on the planet
Comparison: When I held a middle management position at my former place of employment, I used to have to meet clients with some of our sales staff. Usually this would be done while taking the client out to lunch. When I was married, I'd always tell my wife about these meetings beforehand. Why? About 80% of our sales staff was female, and you know the whole JW routine. I just wanted to make sure she knew ahead of time when I'd be at one of these lunch meetings--especially when it was with a female workmate or client. She never expressed a single problem with this whatsoever. She never imagined anything might be going on with me and any of these women--and nothing was.
But one day something happened: A little, old brother from our Kingdom Hall noticed me at one of these lunch meetings. Then he mentioned to his wife that he saw me at lunch, and one of the people I was with was a woman. Then his wife called my wife about it.
Had anything changed? No. I was still at a business lunch meeting--just like I'd been fifty or more times over a number of years. But somehow the fact that other people were talking about it caused an unexpected reaction from my wife.
SHE: "Who was the woman you were at lunch with today?"
ME: "Ruth Hansen. You remember? I told you about it this morning."
SHE: "Oh..." (She knows I did, but she's still scowling.) "Why'd you hafta go to lunch anyway?"
ME: "Huh? Are you kidding? That's what we do. The salesperson and the creative director (me) take the client to lunch, thank them for the business and get their ideas on how we can meet their advertising goals. I've been doing this for years; you know that."
SHE: "Well, Albert Alvarez saw you through the window today--with her."
ME: "Right. With her--and with him--the client. So?"
You see, it didn't matter that nothing had changed. It didn't matter that she'd been fully informed. It didn't matter that nothing AT ALL was going on between me and this salesperson. It didn't matter that this had gone on for years and years...
The only thing that mattered is that someone had said something about it. People were talking about it.
Anyone who has listened to Don Imus over the forty years he's been on the air knows he says stuff like this all the time. Strike that. I'd say he says things that are often more potentially offensive or irritating than what he said the other day. He's not a politician or a newsman; he's an entertainer--recognized as one of the very earliest "shock jocks."
How does something like this happen? Here's another question: When did people first start thinking it was all right to call women in general, "hos"? Think back fifteen or twenty years ago. Did you ever hear people (let's say non-JWs) refer to just any woman as a whore? I'd say the only time was when we were talking about an actual prostitute--or at least a woman with very low moral standards. Again where did people first begin using "ho" so widely? Wasn't it with many in the Rap Music culture?
I couldn't believe it when I heard my own daughter start referring to women and girls as hos. She did it laughingly, and she was certainly not actually calling them "whores." She'd call her friend a ho, and they'd both laugh. I don't know. I don't like it, but have to admit I also became a bit desensitized to its use. Again, I don't like the idea that rappers and the entertainment companies that promote them continue to churn out product that, among other things, is often incredibly disrespectful to women--to say the least. But if everyone else (including lots of women) seem to have accepted "ho" as some cute, new word to be used lightly about females in general--or when you're joking around...fine. Stuff like this happens within languages all the time as they evolve. I repeat, I don't really like it--but there are only so many battles you can take on.
But while I've made a certain amount of peace with it, I do recognize where this desensitizing began, and it wasn't with Don Imus. If rappers can call women "bitches" and "hos" all day long, why is there no widely publicized attempt to get them fired from their contracts--or for boycotts of the record labels who promote them? Freedom of Speech? That's cool.
But where is Don Imus' Freedom of Speech?
For many years, a colonial woman could pick herbs and make natural remedies for her family's ailments. Then one day someone in her village wonders out loud if she isn't a "witch," making magical potions. People start talking, eyes get wide, fingers point, and in the ensuing mania she is put to death for "practicing witchcraft."
For many years, one of Jehovah's Witnesses could respectfully express his minor differences about Watchtower doctrine. Then one day, in a changed Watchtower climate, someone in his Kingdom Hall decides he doesn't like these comments. People start talking, eyes get wide, fingers point, and in the ensuing mania he is disfellowshipped and shunned as an "apostate."
For forty years, like many rappers, Don Imus exercised his Freedom of Speech in a little entertainment corner. Some people liked him, a lot of people didn't--so they didn't listen. Then one day Al Sharpton decided to single him out. People start talking, eyes get wide, fingers point, and all of a sudden people think this is a case of a man hatefully accusing a team of young ladies of being whores--when it's just a radio goofball, joking around. And in the ensuing mania he becomes a pariah, is accused of "racial hatred," and is fired.
What about Howard Stern, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Andrew Dice Clay? We can go on and on. Comedian Carlos Mencia loves to have fun with racial issues--and calls women "hos" all the time. Should he be fired by HBO? Awwww, but he's just joking around, right? Well so was Don Imus. You say you don't like this type of humor? I understand; lots of people don't like it. You may prefer humor that is more wholesome and that strives not to offend. Good for you. But lots of people do like this up-front, no-holds-barred brand of humor--and it's been protected pretty well for many years.
You don't have to like the idea of someone calling girls "nappy headed hos." But if you decide to stand up against it, you have to apply your accusations fairly or you're a hypocrite. Al Sharpton's and Jesse Jackson's call for the firing of Don Imus, while taking no such strong action toward rap stars and others who use this language (and worse) makes them hypocrites.
Goggle Tawana Brawley/Al Sharpton. He ( Sharpton) is a scumbag.
Dismembered
I never liked Imus but he shouldn't have been fired for his remarks. His firing should have been for apologizing. It's become the thing to do these days. Say something offensive to anyone just so you can come back and apologize to a bigger audience.
edit--- Hell, before long you'll have news conferences for people apologizing for things they've not yet done and then another news conference to apologize for the premature apology.
Confession,
I'm not a Sharpton fan but what you say about Sharpton not taking a stand against negative rap music isn't true. The media just hasn't covered it, like this incident. Also whore/ho didn't start with rap music. I know for a fact that early 70 movies (black explotation films) were using the word and it's safe to say that the word was in use before hollywood got to it.
I dont think what he said was funny at all.
He not only attacked their race but also attacked their gender.
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A guy at work said to me the other day..........
I hope the guy you are going out with gives you an STD. First he assumed I was going out with someone, that person had an STD, that we had sex and that I would get the STD as well.
I told him never to speak to me again.....and my supervisor asked me what happened and I told him..........and I siad the next time he talks to me about something other than business I will turn him in for sexual harrassment.
What gives with people not thinking about what they are saying????
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