Don Imus made a mistake – a large, unforgivable error in judgment.
He belittled the praiseworthy achievements of the Rutgers women’s basketball team, whose run to the National Championship game was a feel good story. They upset top-seeded Duke and beat Pacific-10 Conference power Arizona State, a reunion of an earlier game canceled by tragedy.
Even though Rutgers came up short of a title, losing 59-46 to Tennessee, they had to deal with CBS radio commentator Imus’ deplorable “nappy-headed hos” comment. The notorious shock jock, who regularly had politicians and celebrity figures on his show, deserved to be fired, as CBS did Thursday, effectively making it clear this derogatory speech isn’t acceptable.
Rutgers coach Vivian Stringer and her players made the media circuit. They denounced his comments and appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s show.
The Imus situation raises a bigger, more pressing topic: what is and isn’t acceptable to say nowadays? Who’s to decide what is or isn’t acceptable to say to a public audience? Clearly, Imus’ comments were wrong and worthy of punishment, but in other scenarios, the line isn’t always so clear.
Comedian Sarah Silverman says “I love chinks and who doesn’t?” on Conan O’Brien’s talk show. Sports commentator Jimmy Snyder said “The black is a better athlete to begin with because he’s been bred to be that way.” Or there’s comedian Chris Rock, who said “You know the worst thing about niggas? Niggas always want credit for some shit they supposed to do. A nigga’ll brag about some shit a normal man just does,” according to Time Magazine.
O’Brien and NBC apologized. Snyder was fired. Rock went without backlash.
I see uncertainty. What one person may see as acceptable speech is unacceptable to another. Part of what makes this country great is the freedom of speech. It’s the ability to express your opinion without punishment.
NBA great Charles Barkley regularly makes comments people might find unusual. He’s a big reason why I enjoy watching “Inside the NBA” and TNT basketball broadcasts. He’s not afraid to say what he feels. His opinions, sometimes brutally honest, occasionally leave people upset.
I may not always agree with what he says, but I can respect that he has the courage to say it. If I disagree with what he says, I can always turn the channel and watch something else. Why does everyone who voices out-of-the-ordinary opinions have to conform to other people’s beliefs?
If we continue to punish people for freely expressing themselves, society is going to be a whole lot more boring. What makes sports, entertainment and politics great is the diversity of opinion. By silencing these voices, by silencing people’s opinions, society is suffering for it.
I dreaded the day Howard Stern had to leave terrestrial radio and head to Sirius Satellite Radio. He’d been too bogged down by the Federal Communications Commission and had enough. Now, listeners have to pay to listen to a shock job who’ll express himself, darn the consequences.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t temper what we say. What Imus said was in poor taste. I’m saying that we should feel comfortable to express ourselves. We shouldn’t have to hesitate to speak our mind. Should society ever get to this point, where we are afraid to say what we want, then what’s the point of radio shows, of newspaper opinion sections, of having my own sports column?
I dread that day. Hopefully, that day never comes.
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