For those of you who have missed the uproar, radio host Don Imus caused quite a stir this past week by referring to the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos" following their second-place finish in the NCAA women's basketball tournament. A flood of criticism followed, with prominent political figures, journalists and the Rutgers athletes speaking out against his controversial words. Mr. Imus, who is known for off-color comedic dialogue, was punished with a two-week suspension from MSNBC and CBS Radio, and has since apologized for his remarks.
His apology was not sufficient for many, most notably Rev. Al Sharpton, who has been vocal in calling for Mr. Imus' immediate firing. Yet Mr. Sharpton's criticism has not only been excessive but also malicious. After unequivocally apologizing for his hurtful remarks, Mr. Imus visited Mr. Sharpton's radio show to further discuss the issue, only to be accused of being a racist. As Mr. Imus continued to express both his lament and desire to meet with the athletes, Mr. Sharpton continued to persecute his guest, declaring "I'm not going to let you off the hook for last Wednesday." So much for Christian forgiveness.
Truth be told, Rev. Sharpton should not be calling anyone a racist. Given his checkered past, his self-proclaimed moral authority to speak on issues of tolerance and race should be laughed at.
In the 1987 Tawana Brawley scandal, Mr. Sharpton falsely accused white men of the abduction and rape of a black teenage girl. Still to this day, he refuses to apologize after he viciously slandered their names, even though they were never found guilty of crimes. A few years later, he mobilized hundreds of demonstrators in a Jewish neighborhood of Brooklyn after a Jewish driver killed a black child in a vehicle accident. After Sharpton publicly referred to Jews pejoratively as "diamond merchants," the protest turned violent and a rabbinical student was stabbed to death amid chants of "Kill the Jews!" Years later, Mr. Sharpton's National Action Network organized a protest when a white landlord raised the rent on a black-owned business. The protest turned violent, with seven employees of the white man's store being murdered.
I fail to see why Mr. Sharpton, who seems to have more in common with David Duke than the peaceful pluralists he tries to cater to, should get coverage in the mainstream media for calling for Mr. Imus' ouster. I have never heard Mr. Sharpton publicly call for Comedy Central to fire Dave Chappelle or Carlos Mencia — two far more racially incendiary comedians — after every insensitive remark they make.
Why? Because the right to free speech trumps any momentary stupidity from these entertainers. So MSNBC and CBS Radio should resist external pressure to fire the shock-jock and instead allow the free market to determine his fate. If advertisers and sponsors shy away from associating with Mr. Imus in the future, fire him. If listeners tune in to something else, ditch him. But for arrogant, self-promoting loudmouths like Rev. Sharpton to think they dictate which people have the right to speak in America is offensive.
It's unfortunate that Mr. Imus said what he did, but the man apologized repeatedly, and he's already reaching out to the athletes he badmouthed. The only thing that will result from his firing is a chilling effect among social commentators and comedians, who will be forced to avoid race and gender more than they already do in the name of political correctness enforced by race-baiting fear. If his listeners want him gone, he'll probably be fired by the end of the month. But until the market speaks, Rev. Sharpton need not.
Will Smith ([email protected]) is a freshman majoring in political science and religious studies.
