Imus, you're outta here

Months ago I listened to radio talk show host Don Imus flap refer to a female college basketball team as a bunch of “nappy-headed ho’s." Imus said he was only using language popularized by black rappers. Maybe so, but it was a stupid thing to say. Imus was castigated nationwide for his offense, humiliated publicly in New York, and ultimately fired from his job. In an attempt to rehabilitate himself, he apologized personally to the team (which included a white student) and even made an appearance on the air with black talk show host Al Sharpton.

You’d think Imus would have learned when to keep his mouth shut, but apparently not. Rehired a couple of months later at another station, he asked a co-host day before yesterday the skin color of a Dallas Cowboy football player who had been arrested numerous times. When the co-host answered “African-American,” Imus remarked, “There you go, that says it.”

While some people might think this is funny, others won’t because of what Imus said previously. Looked at in context, he clearly meant that black football players are more likely to get in trouble than white ones. That might be true but it’s not true across the board and to suggest that it is not only smears black players who stay out of trouble, it excuses white players who don’t.

Imus entered rocky territory when he asked about the football player’s color. He set himself up no matter what the other broadcaster said. Athletes of all colors get in trouble mainly because they are young, rich and irresponsible. They have more money than they can spend, generally have an attitude, and think they can get away with anything.

Imus falls into this category too. He’s not young but he is rich and a media star with an attitude. And while it’s true a ranch he owns rehabilitates youth, he apparently thinks he can say anything on the radio and get away with it. He doesn’t understand that words are like arrows — once they leave the bow they can’t be brought back.

Imus is now saying he meant that police pick on black people. As a retired cop myself, I find that statement troubling. Imus shot his mouth off again because he was playing to his audience and trying to be funny. Funny is one thing, but stupid statements are another. Imus deserves the axe one more time, only this time it should keep him off the air permanently.