By Connie Kaplan, RegainAmerica Staff Writer, April 16, 2007

Imus finally crosses line of acceptable behavior even by media standards

So Don Imus finally goes over the top – and lands without a net. Initially he was simply suspended, but as the sponsors ran for the hills and the uproar continued, Imus was abruptly fired.

Imus, who, at age 66, really should know better, apparently thought that his rights of free speech combined with his 40 years on radio, his rep as a “Shock Jock”, and getting paid gazillions to be one, gave him a free pass to say whatever, whenever, wherever.

Not so Don.

Imus’ comment about the Rutger’s University women’s basketball team, wherein he called them “nappy-headed hos”, was purely gratuitous, mean-spirited, pointless, and just-plain-insulting.

Let us break it down for you Don.

Gratuitous – “uncalled for; unwarranted; lacking good reason” (Oxford Dictionary, Ninth Ed.)

Mean – “ignoble; uncooperative, unkind, or unfair” (Oxford Dictionary, Ninth Ed.)

Pointless – “lacking force, purpose or meaning” (Oxford Dictionary, Ninth Ed.)

Insulting - “speak to or treat with scornful abuse or indignity; offend the self-respect or modesty of” (Oxford Dictionary, Ninth Ed.)

Imus directed his gratuitous, mean-spirited, pointless, and insulting comment to a group of young women who are students at Rutgers University and who are, in addition, participating in college athletics. These young ladies are obviously upstanding and outstanding individuals. These young ladies are a credit to their families. These young ladies are role models.

So, is there anything that any of these young ladies could possibly have done that would invite, deserve and/or in any way possibly justify Imus’ disgusting slur?

Of course not!

This time Don Imus chose the wrong target. As the Boston Globe’s Joan Vennochi, observes, he “idly” chose to go after “young, black female athletes”.

Idly. Means “having no special basis or purpose”. (Oxford Dictionary, Ninth Ed.)

Imus and his public relations people have naturally gone into spin-control overdrive. Imus apologized. His wife, Deidre, praised the Rutgers team as being “unbelievably beautiful and courageous women”. And both Don and Deidre Imus reminded us all that they host ill and underprivileged children at their ranch.

But bells cannot be unrung and Imus’ apologies cannot excuse his loathsome verbiage.

Imus and his supporters have also sought to align him with the rappers who routinely invoke obscenities and other unsavory invective in their rap music. However, the rappers have made it clear where they stand on this issue. Per Rapper Snoop Dogg,

“It’s a completely different scenario. . . .[Rappers] are not talking about no collegiate basketball girls who have made it to the next level in education and sports.”

Point being – Snoop Dogg is saying that Don Imus is nothing like him. And that is a point well taken. Strained as the logic of rap music may be concerning appropriate language, Imus’ statement ranks somewhere below.

After 40 years in radio Don Imus forgot there are lines that should not be crossed.

After 40 years in radio Don Imus forgot that his well-paid for blather was in fact going out over the public airwaves.

And Don Imus’ statement finally stands alone as a statement of nothing more than pure naked hate and stereotypical prejudice of the worst sort.

And none of us need that. America doesn’t need that.

So, Don, you of course retain your rights of free speech, along with your millions of dollars and your Imus ranch, but your ability to spew your invective on the public airwaves is, thankfully, at an end.

Don Imus, today is the first day of the rest of your life. Let it please not be an idle one.