Observations

Hypocrisy Rules in Imus Flap

Don Imus has fallen victim to the Political Correctness Hypocrisy Bandwagon Tour. Like Michael Richards and Mel Gibson before him, he is now the target of choice for the publicity pimps who, with their mouths watering are going out of the way to show their righteous indignation because Don Imus did the other day precisely the same thing he has done five days each week for decades.

Only this time, he said it about black people and, horrors, he said it about young black females who play basketball. But wait, he says stuff about black people frequently. He says stuff about Republicans, conservatives, the Irish, Democrats, liberals, white people, Asians, Hispanics … literally no one is immune; he is an equal opportunity basher.

However, today honest criticism has become a caricature of itself. When someone trips the alarm, everyone jumps in with teeth chomping and slobber dripping from their jowls, and Imus had the misfortune to have come along when the sharks were starving, not having anyone to chew on since Michael Richards’ whetted their appetite.

And look at the luminaries whose righteous indignation has been aroused: Al “Tawana Brawley” Sharpton, and Jesse “Hymie Town” Jackson, two of America’s most … Well, you fill in the blanks.

Don Imus said nothing about blacks that black comedians and rappers haven’t already said a thousand times, but, you see, Imus isn’t black, and that really is his crime. You can only say nasty things about blacks if you are yourself black.

I think he’s done more than required to shut down the criticism. He has apologized, multiple times. He went on Al “Tawana Brawley” Sharpton’s live radio program, where he was set upon by the good reverend and some Congresswoman who attempted to trap him. He held his own. Now it’s time to be quiet and let the small minds run on and on until they wear themselves out.

He has been suspended by CBS radio and MSNBC, because they don’t have the strength to withstand the criticism. But Don Imus has done at least as much good in this world as he has done bad, raising money for worthy causes, not the least of which is his support for the black victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

But that was then and this is now. The blacks want to know, “What have you done for me lately, Don?” It would serve CBS and MSNBC right if Imus decided to move on.