The Lynching Of The First Amendment & Don Imus

Shock jock Don Imus, the veteran of 40 years in broadcasting, is quickly finding himself under intense siege for the kind of sophomoric humor that his radio program has been known for years. He's now being forced into a two week suspension by some like the extremist Rev. Al Sharpton who have deliberately overreacted to the kind of silly humor that the viewer can expect on THE DON IMUS SHOW.

Certainly the statement that Don Imus made about the Rutgers girl's basketball team were very silly. The girls only played in a major event, and the Imus remark probably more reflected that they had a tough, competitive look more than anything. The statement probably wasn't intended as racist at all, but simply reflected the team's tough look. And any girl attending a fine university like Rutgers would certainly have a great deal going on. This school is very tough to get into. Certainly only fine students attend a good school like this. Imus' statement could be viewed as nothing more than sophomoric humor by most persons. But maybe after losing the basketball game, the team and school is looking for someone to blame other than their own performance against the other team. Blaming Don Imus for this loss is wrong, as is the overreacting to his brand of silly humor.

It is very sad that once again, it is the inflamatory statements of Rev. Al Sharpton that are at issue again. Sharpton was once successfully sued for his part in phony Tawana Brawley racial attack incident, and ordered by a court to pay his share of a $345,000 judgement. Sharpton was also accused by some of helping to incite the Crown Heights Riot by an ethnic slur against Hasidic Jews, referring to them as "Diamond merchants". In another example, Sharpton acted as a spokesman for a car title loan company that many believe is part of a loan sharking problem that victimizes the poor including many from the African American community. This past year, under Sharpton's leadership, or lack of it, the dignified transportation of the body of singer James Brown became fouled up, and the body was transported to the Apollo Theatre in the back of a borrowed van. Now Sharpton, who is in no moral position to be throwing stones at others is out to ruin the 40 year broadcasting career of Imus for his silly little comments about the Rutger's girls basketball team.

Another sharp critic of Imus, the Rev. Jesse Jacksom admits to spiting into the food of White customers at a restaurant that he once worked for, and at one time referred to New York City as "Hymietown" in a slur against Jewish residents of this major city. Jackson is hardly a moderate or reasonable voice on the Imus issue. Where's Jackson when Dave Chappelle or Chris Rock go off on their latest wild racial sterotype joke?

Today Rutgers University held a press conference on the Imus, continueing to make a mpountain out of this molehil, if even that. Naturally you hear about how far all the students have come regardless of background, race, etc., yada, yada, yada. Yet few probably ever heard the Imus comment when first broadcasted, and only jumped on the Imus attack bandwagon earlier. Is no one at this susposed place of learning intelligent enough to tell that the comments of Imus were a stupid joke? Does this university need to include classes on humor so they can understand that outrageous remarks are made to emit laughter? This isn't rocket science here.

Most persons expect shock jocks to make crazy statements. This goofy entertaining chatter along with serious guests has made THE DON IMUS SHOW a real treasure among morning broadcasting. Imus shouldn't be suspended, nor forced to endlessly apologize everytime he tells some goofy off-color joke that offends someone. His treatment in this incident is very unfair and shabby. Once again the First Amendment is being beaten up by a few loud extremists like Sharpton who want to dictate culture for the U.S. under his own terms.

Morning shock jocks like Imus are not good without some goofy edge. Howard Stern, Larry Flynt, many comics and other outrageous personalities have their own following as well, because they make outrageous silly statements that make some laugh, and say. "Oh my!". Without this sort of edge, many comics like Imus would not be all that funny. Certainly many of the jokes on THE DON IMUS SHOW, go over the edge sometimes. But what good is a shock jock if the "shock" portion is missing. Cultural extremists cannot be allowed to dictate what level of free expression should allowed in the U.S. Once again the First Amendment is under a terrible assault and being threatened by the political correctness facists.