I am trying to imagine a scenario where some nice, white bread female athletes

Fight ignorant racism with more ignorant racism!

This situation isn’t and shouldn’t be about whether liberals or conservatives, this race or that race, hip hop or honky-tonk, one group or another, are more offensive and therefore more responsible for all that is wrong with America. I am not capable of judging the whole of Don Imus nor am I capable of crafting a recipe to fix all of America…and neither are the countless pundits and partisans who have sought to frame it so.

I’m not a religious person…but I often find kinship with the imagery surrounding the portrayal of one called Jesus and his teachings of understanding and forgiveness. For all the banter I hear about the Bible and Christian values, it certainly seems to me that we are fast abandoning what many view as the sacred “tablets” in favor of the sacrosanct tabloids. If I’m right, all I can say is heaven help us.

Read more about the dynamics that lead a situation to become larger than the sum of its parts…here:

http://www.thoughttheater.com

I am trying to imagine a scenario where some nice, white bread female athletes who are competing at an elite level take the floor and an announcer refers to them as ugly prostitutes, then has his job for more then 24 hours. Don't see it happening...

Somethings shouldn't be legitimized. That's the issue.

I hate the stuff Snoop raps and I don't buy his rationalizations. Also, when I taught high school I often had to deal with African American kids who thought nothing of calling each other hos or bitches. However none of that justifies the presence, on a supposedly respectable MSM media outlet, of a man who says racist things. Either the man who says racist things has to go or the media outlet's reputation should.

At the same time, though, effective humor is often edgy. Bruce, Pryor, Rock, and others used humor to positively impact the discussion of the incredibly sensitive issue of race. We don’t want to outlaw words that make people angry, nor put topics that make them uncomfortable off the table.

Yes, but Imus isn't a comedian. Nor was he being at all funny - though he may have been (extremely lamely) trying. The fact Rice defends him by calling him a 'good-natured racist' is every bit as insulting and degrading as Imus' comments. Moreso even, because she specifically tags Imus as a member of some broad, undefined group of people who can be 'allowed' to be racist.

And that's exactly why Imus is still making racist comments after all these years - because his buddies in the media never call him on it or tell him to know that shit off.