Published Apr 9, 2007, 11:19am
Why does Al Sharpton hate America? And Jesus?
His current self-aggrandizing media lynching (and I use that word advisedly) of radio host Don Imus over Imus’ rather moronic comments about the Rutgers’ Womens basketball team goes against everything the framers of the U.S. Constitution and Jesus Christ argued for and represented.
Imus was trying to be funny — and it’s arguable that he doesn’t believe anything he said. But even if he did and was secretly a card-carrying member of the Klan, he still has the right to his opinion. Moreover, Imus has attacked everyone from white housewives to Osama Bin Laden — I honestly feel like it would be much more insulting if he didn't say rude things about African-Americans. Complain? Sure. But demand he be fired? Moronic — and against the teachings of Jesus, especially relevant since Al is a man of the cloth.
Jesus taught about turning the other cheek, about forgiveness — all the more relevant since Rev. Al has appeared on Imus’ show numerous times, whether to promote his run for the presidency or whatever was Sharpton’s current event/issue of the day — to a giant audience that would generally not take Sharpton (Tawana Brawley, anyone?) seriously. Shaprton is using him again - though — this time more like the way the cops were used in Brawley case, something Sharpton should have gone to jail for, by the way, which almost everyone seems to forget.
Imus apologized, now numerous times, and maybe it’s time to let it go and let the marketplace — the average listeners — decide whether he should stay on the air. Or are we all too stupid to know what's best for us, Al?
Excuse me, Al, and for that matter, Jesse Jackson, who died and made you God?
And let’s be honest here, aren’t you guys both hypocrites and racists?
Where’s the protest marches demanding that the Cincinnati Bengals fire or release all of the players that have had criminal problems this past year? Pacman Jones? Tank Johnson? These are people either charged with or convicted with committing crimes, in some cases, violent ones. Where’s the pressure on record labels to stop rap artists advocating violence against women (or, in fact, engaging in violence against one another)?
Oh, wait a minute. Those folks are all African-American. Imus is white. Evidently, Sharpton thinks only white folks should be held accountable for being morons, because I guess, in his thinking, black folks just can’t help themselves.
What Imus said was stupid, granted. What Sharpton has said and is doing is insulting and racist an frankly, far worse than anything a guy whose career jumped the shark in the Clinton Administration is capable of doing.
Apparently, white people can’t say anything bad about African-Americans — because, I guess, we might hurt their feelings or something. Were I African-American, I’d be pissed and insulted at that idea. Frankly, I could care less what color skin someone is wearing — I’ve seen assholes of all colors and persuasions — and I find myself increasingly frustrated that we can’t talk honestly about anyone who is non-white and non-male.
I remember being called racist for describing an immature baseball player who acted like a complete jerk as a “thug.” I’ve called white people thugs, too, but interestingly, no one sees that as racist.
The framers of the U.S. Constitution feared that if we as people became frightened of having frank, honest discussions, democracy could be lost. When fear of offense is a more powerful need than the truth — something the Bush Administration has used to violate the law to little or meek objection during the last seven years — democracy can only hang by a thread.
And we’re seeing the likes of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson telling us what to feel and what to think, now too — ironic as both have fought for free speech, when it suited them, in the past. Thank you, but I’ll pass on that. Big Brother from the right or from the left is still Big Brother. I can figure out what is offensive for myself, thank you.
I stopped listening to Don Imus a long time ago. Not because I was offended — but because he stopped being relevant and entertaining and had become too juvenile for my tastes.
I may not agree with what Don Imus has to say, but I will defend his right to say it to the death, modifying what Voltaire said so many years ago. Free speech means free — not when we feel like it.
And maybe Imus wouldn't say this, but I will: Al Sharpton is a whore and lacks the ethics to be a spokesperson for anyone or any cause. And that wouldn't change if he had purple skin and green eyes.
