(no subject)

[novapsyche]

Critics Demand Imus Ouster

The frightening thing is the message board for this story. Because one of the critics is Al Sharpton, a good number of responses have treated this story like it's ridiculous. (Psst, America: the issue of race has import irrespective of the personalities involved.)

You also have people mistaking the right to free speech with some vague "right" to interject one's opinions over the airwaves. Just because one has the right to express one's opinion does not entitle one to a national platform.

Then you have things like Message #24 (last msg on page 2).

My response on the boards:

Some of the people posting here have a misunderstanding of the First Amendment. The right to freedom of speech does not guarantee someone a national platform from which to broadcast one's opinion. This is NOT a freedom of speech issue.

The fact that one of the critics is Al Sharpton does not discount the actual issue here, which is that racist sentiments were broadcast on radio and television. I don't care how you feel about Al Sharpton. The issue is not Al Sharpton.

The issue is whether an obviously racist remark like "nappy-headed hos" should be tolerated. Judging by a great deal of the responses here, it's apparent that many here are apologists for racism. This, considering the history of the United States, is not surprising, but it is certainly disheartening, especially considering the progress in race relations during the 20th century.

The problem with statements like Imus' (as well as those uttered by Mel Gibson and Michael Richards last year) is that they provide cover for more hard-line racist sentiments. What I fear is a return to a time when Birth of a Nation was considered perfectly normal entertainment and only controversial to Black critics.

Racial tolerance is gained or given up by degrees. These small steps by the above celebrities are, make no mistake, steps in the wrong direction. It was only 50 years ago that drinking fountains were designated by race and 40 years that water cannons and dogs were acceptable to break up marches in the South. That's a generation and a half. We are still in danger of returning to those "values."

Comments

[mehinda.livejournal.com]

My God, people are still bringing up Tawana Brawley? And comment #24 is horrifying.

I usually make it a point not to read comments to political blogs, news stories, or the like. Even when such comments aren't filled with racist bile, it's so depressing reading them and finding out just how ignorant *and* opinionated people are.

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

I usually don't read message boards like this, either. (I mean, I frequent DailyKos, but that's part and parcel of the format.) I really don't know what caused me to take a look at these messages.

Message #24 is so disgusting that I chose not to replicate it here. I don't want to skim through old posts and come across such... God, I don't even know how to term it.

[brendand.livejournal.com]

Just curious: Why did you choose that icon for this post?

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

It's one of my "stern" icons. The one above is my other.

I need more.

[guttaperk.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting.

And people say American racism is dead...

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

Heh. Who says that?

[guttaperk.livejournal.com]

People of privilege.

[supergee.livejournal.com]

The message board wants me to install a new Internet Explorer to read it. Screw that.

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

Well, that's interesting. What version are you running?

[supergee.livejournal.com]

Firefox 1.5.

[guttaperk.livejournal.com]

It's not doing that with FF2, by the way.

Just a FYI.