Sunday, April 15, 2007

Don Imus

Got tired of watching Don Imus the whole last week on every news channel. I think what Don Imus said on air waves was deplorable and he deserved a punishment. However, I believe that the issue was blown way out of proportion and Don was over-punished. I think Reverend Al Sharpton's actions in this issue are hurting the country than helping it on racial unity.

We must remember that Don Imus admitted his guilt and repeatedly apologized on various mass media. He sounded remorseful. We all make mistakes and I agree that we should be accountable for them, and face proper consequences for our actions. I think that a temporary suspension without pay would have been a punishment befitting his crime. If he repeats his slander again, then he would deserve a stronger punishment.

I sensed vengefulness in Reverend Al Sharpton. Didn't the Bible say "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:13)"? By forgiveness, I don't mean to say that murderers and rapists should be allowed to roam freely on our streets. They should be punished, restrained if necessary, and FORGIVEN. Getting even is never a good thing.

I thought that Coach Vivian Stringer's words "...the healing process must begin..." were ridiculous. I noticed that everything in the US is increasing being described as a "process" or a "system" - fancy terms for needless exaggeration! What used to be a tooth brush is now a teeth cleaning system (coz it vibrates) and then we have "sleep systems" like sleep number beds! These guys talk as if humans were not sleeping for thousands of years.

Instead of simplifying our lives, we tend to make things lot more complex than they should be. Why can't we be like kids in some ways? When kids fight, egos flare up for a short period and then they get over it soon and start behaving as if nothing has happened. Just because someone made a stupid statement, we need not got to shrinks to initiate a "healing process" and work towards a "closure".

Why should Coach Stringer make such talented athletes feel like they were doomed and their lives were shattered? I am sure that it hurts to hear derogatory remarks. But when they knew that what Imus said is utterly baseless, they need not feel like they hit the rock bottom. If we get offended by some one's remarks, it means one thing for sure - at least somewhere deep down, we believe that there is an element of truth in that statement. I think the majority of blacks wrongly (and strongly) believe that they are inferior. This is when the problems start.

For example, if I accost a Japanese guy and say "electronics in your country suck!", how would he feel? Sure, it might hurt him initially, but he probably wouldn't lose his sleep over it. He will likely dismiss me as a lunatic. Or, he may even jokingly agree with me! Because, my opinions need not matter to him. After all, most of the world knows that the Japanese are world leaders in electronics. Their actions speak louder than my criticism. So, if Rudgers team members feel strongly that they are victims, they BECOME what they think.

Re: Reverend Al Sharpton, I am upset that no TV interviewer played him one of the offensive rap songs that degrade women (which is not hard to find) and asked him what actions is he taking to stop that song from reaching the media like MTV. I guess the timing is not right yet to challenge Reverend Sharpton's hypocricy.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gopa,
CBS might have taken the decision based on Business considerations also. He is already 66 and it will take some time to build his image back. But by that time he might have to retire anyways.

Anonymous said...

Yes rap music is very offensive to women,but if people want to get simple and be outraged by the firing of don imus and the many racist slurs he has made over the years, about blacks, jews, chinese people and never once made a racist slur about his own race, feeling to hisself that they are the inferior race, Then the question should have never been a question. SHOULD DON IMUS BE FIRED? tHE QUESTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM 30 YEARS AGO. REMEMBER THE SAYING DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO. Don Imus is a grown man he knew better, just because he hear a certain group of people saying offensive and disgusting things aout a gender or a race, do not mean it has to part his lips. The United States has placed sex as a market degrading women on commercials, movies, music. Lets not only focus on the rap industry ,lets also focus on the united states as a whole. Sex sales in the USA, and beleive me in every corner people are monopolizing on it for the profit gain. Racism is on the uprised, but in the USA selling sex for money in any form degrading women in many forms has always monopolized.