Should Don Imus be fired?

[SadieMae]

Snip
I want to know if everyone would be in an uproar and if Imus would be suspended if he called our President a Hitler wannabe? I'm betting the answer would be no.

Making reference to Hilter towards the Jewish people would be offensive. The President and Hitler have no historical relationship.

Snip

On a side note, Sharpton and Jackson never miss a chance to get their 2 cents worth in when there is a media frenzy, do they?

I can't stand either one of them grandstanding. They both need to shut the H*ll up and go away. They make a bad situation worse.

It's payback for the white man's oppression. It doesn't actually accomplish anything constructive or help race relations, but some segments of society see it as "OK" for that reason.

True it doesn't help anyone. Those who consider it payback are the ones who haven't risen above it and moved on. Every nationality has paid some dues to be in this country.
JMO.

PS: I'm loving this multiple quotes thingy!!! :dance:

 

[cheko1]

They may have the right to say whatever they want, and are protected by freedom of speech. The only way to stop it is to not tune in to them. It's all about the ratings.

I hope your daughter's friend has a strong loving circle of family and friends to keep her proud of who she is. Things have changed little it seems since my growing up, and I find that sad. Racism drives me bonkers :banghead: . It's so ignorant! I just wish people could get past race. It really shouldn't be such an issue. :banghead: Growing up in a family of whites, asians, blacks and hispanics I just can't comprehend racism I guess, other than it's an ugly thing :doh: .

Couldn't of said it better myself!!! :snooty:

I feel the same as you do!

 

[Floh]

Making reference to Hilter towards the Jewish people would be offensive. The President and Hitler have no historical relationship.

Er, um, well . . . not directly, but his granddad did:

How Bush's grandfather helped Hitler's rise to power

George Bush's grandfather, the late US senator Prescott Bush, was a director and shareholder of companies that profited from their involvement with the financial backers of Nazi Germany.
The Guardian has obtained confirmation from newly discovered files in the US National Archives that a firm of which Prescott Bush was a director was involved with the financial architects of Nazism.
His business dealings, which continued until his company's assets were seized in 1942 under the Trading with the Enemy Act, has led more than 60 years later to a civil action for damages being brought in Germany against the Bush family by two former slave labourers at Auschwitz and to a hum of pre-election controversy.

Continued: http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1312540,00.html

As regards racist comments, my family experiences this as my half brother and sister are muslim and some generalised comments i hear about muslims disturb me. i know this thread isn't about muslims, but apparently it's diverse enough to mention white trash and bleached blondes, so i thought i'd add it.

certainly Imus is a buffoon, but i also believe his comments go deeper than that.

 

[SadieMae]

Er, um, well . . . not directly, but his granddad did:

How Bush's grandfather helped Hitler's rise to power

George Bush's grandfather, the late US senator Prescott Bush, was a director and shareholder of companies that profited from their involvement with the financial backers of Nazi Germany.
The Guardian has obtained confirmation from newly discovered files in the US National Archives that a firm of which Prescott Bush was a director was involved with the financial architects of Nazism.
His business dealings, which continued until his company's assets were seized in 1942 under the Trading with the Enemy Act, has led more than 60 years later to a civil action for damages being brought in Germany against the Bush family by two former slave labourers at Auschwitz and to a hum of pre-election controversy.

Continued: http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1312540,00.html

As regards racist comments, my family experiences this as my half brother and sister are muslim and some generalised comments i hear about muslims disturb me. i know this thread isn't about muslims, but apparently it's diverse enough to mention white trash and bleached blondes, so i thought i'd add it.

certainly Imus is a buffoon, but i also believe his comments go deeper than that.

Wow Floh, I stand corrected. :blushing: I had no idea about Bush ties to Nazi Germany!!! I learned something new and am going to read more on it. This thread is about racism, against whites, blacks, hispanics, muslims, jews, anyone. It's all unacceptable IMO.

 

[Floh]

Wow Floh, I stand corrected. :blushing: I had no idea about Bush ties to Nazi Germany!!! I learned something new and am going to read more on it. This thread is about racism, against whites, blacks, hispanics, muslims, jews, anyone. It's all unacceptable IMO.

It's little known and i wasn't telling you to either hijack the thread nor to be clever. it's just so.

***

Yep. ALL racism is utterly unacceptable IMO too.

 

[Jaded]

No. He has freedom of speech and media, and furthermore, for all the garbage Howard Stern and others have spewed forth, calling someone a ho or whatever pales by comparison. Imus is a shock jock just like the others. But they have a right to be that. Not that I like what they do by any means.

Howard Stern ABSOLUTELY goes above and beyond anything that Imus said. I'm not defending Imus here. What he said was awful but he seems to be very remorseful about his actions.

 

[Paladin]

I don't like Imus at all, but I don't think he should be fired. I was watching NBC Today Show this morning and the hostess pointed out to Jesse Jackson that the exact same thing happened to him in 1984 and he asked for forgiveness and got it. Jesse Jackson was asked if he was being hypocritical and he completely sidestepped the question.

Sharpton and Jackson are no better than Imus, imo. I don't think it's up to them to decide who and who doesn't get fired.

 

[lorann]

I have never liked to watch or listen to Imus, he has always offended me. So, I don't watch him. There are hosts who are of the same politics that I am that offend me greatly, I don't watch them. I am not hiding from the fact that there are prejudiced people, of course there are. Can we legislate it? Can we fire people for it? of course we can. Are these prejudices still there? of course they are. What is the answer? I don't know. Educating people as to how these remarks or actions hurt may help some to understand, some won't be helped. I have had remarks made to me that really go right through me as they hurt right down to my core. Sometimes, they are seemingly innocent remarks - female, single mother, etc. As I am not black, I cannot honestly say what these remarks would do to me, I can only imagine.

I think Imus is so sorry that he made those remarks, if he gets fired I think what will hurt the most is the aid his children's ranch gets from being on. Will this cure anyone? No, in my opinion, it will just make every person careful what they say in public. Will this stop their prejudice? I don't think so. Each network will be putting the fear of penalty to their commentators and maybe anyone's true thoughts will never come out. Politicians do it all the time.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Everyone who posts here seems to think that freedom of speech is pretty important. I'm not willing to say that Imus shouldn't have it but we should.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Let me repeat:

Why is it OK when black people make racist remarks about whites, but not OK when whites make them about blacks?...

Slavery.

 

[Paladin]

Slavery.

That's not an excuse.

I won't go into the world history of Slavery but blacks were certainly not the only ones enslaved.

 

[Pepper]

Sorry Jenna, that doesn't wash with me. Slavery is an ancient issue, and there isn't a black person alive who ever even had a conversation with a former black slave. Slavery was an awful time in our history, but slavery does not give black people a right to be disrespectful of other races, notably whites.

If we are ever going to move forward and erase bigotry, we have to eliminate racist remarks on all fronts. It cannot be acceptable for some and not for others. Whites are destined to become a minority in numbers within this century, so it is no longer about being in the majority. It is about respect. We are all entitled to it and we should all demand it.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

That's not an excuse.

I won't go into the world history of Slavery but blacks were certainly not the only ones enslaved.

No, you're right, they weren't. But they were what we were talking about.:blowkiss:

 

[Paladin]

No, you're right, they weren't. But they were what we were talking about.:blowkiss:

I know that...the point I'm trying to make was you don't hear much complaining from the other enslaved groups.

I also don't think it's right to use stuff that happend to your ancestors as can excuse to behave a certain way.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Sorry Jenna, that doesn't wash with me. Slavery is an ancient issue, and there isn't a black person alive who ever even had a conversation with a former black slave. Slavery was an awful time in our history, but slavery does not give black people a right to be disrespectful of other races, notably whites.

If we are ever going to move forward and erase bigotry, we have to eliminate racist remarks on all fronts. It cannot be acceptable for some and not for others. Whites are destined to become a minority in numbers within this century, so it is no longer about being in the majority. It is about respect. We are all entitled to it and we should all demand it.

Slavery
Apartheid
oppression

Pick anyone you want. I was born in the 1960s, but even then, discrimination was ALIVE and well. Hell, its hard to believe, but it still is in many places.

I don't necessarily think that everyone's got to be color blind. I don't think that people need to attend rehab for saying the "N" word. I don't think that we all need to give respect until its earned. I think its a free country and if someone wants to be a shortsided, bigoted ahole, its their right.:angel:

 

[lorann]

But a lot of slaves sold by their own countrymen ended up sold in Europe. Maybe I am just uniformed but Europe does not seem to have the same problems???

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I know that...the point I'm trying to make was you don't hear much complaining from the other enslaved groups.

I also don't think it's right to use stuff that happend to your ancestors as can excuse to behave a certain way.

Well, they're Americans now because we brought them here. They're free to be what they want to be. Even if its an excuse.

 

[Paladin]

Well, they're Americans now because we brought them here. They're free to be what they want to be. Even if its an excuse.

From the looks of things, they would have been here anyways even if "we" didn't bring them. We are the melting pot of the world afterall.

And just because I'm white, I don't think I should be included in this "we." My family didn't come to America until well after the slaves were emancipated.

 

[LionRun]

No. He has freedom of speech and media, and furthermore, for all the garbage Howard Stern and others have spewed forth, calling someone a ho or whatever pales by comparison. Imus is a shock jock just like the others. But they have a right to be that. Not that I like what they do by any means.

But, that does not mean that we do not have freedom of speech to say, "Enough!". I think the same, if not worse of Howard Stern. And, the same goes for anyone else, regardless of heritage or religion, who repeatedly shows disrespect and/or hostility towards others. I don't know what the solution is.

But, I am am exercising my right to freedom of speech when I say that I am ashamed to call people who have thoughts in their minds such as what Imus expressed, fellow Americans.

Lion

 

[Annie]

The Rutgers coach has been giving a very moving speech at a press conference. Good for her. It is very moving and I agree with her. I hope they replay it. It is still going on and is tremendous.