Stop the Madness!

Okay the whole entire country is talking about the fallout from the Imus incident involving his racist and sexist remarks about the Rutgers University Women’s Basketball team, the Scarlet Knights. I just wanted to put my two cents in on the matter. As of this posting it has just been released that Imus has been FIRED by CBS who carries his radio program. I guess that in the end it just goes to show that when the advertisers start pulling out, it’s a big concern for CBS. But where do you think Imus heard these nasty words from in the first place? Where does it begin?

First of all, I’m always for free speech! That is a right as an Americans that I have come to cherish! I also believe that if something offends someone, than that individual (or individuals) have the CHOICE not to listen, watch or read the offenders ramblings. But whatever happened to using a public forum to promote goodness? And it just doesn’t start with Imus either.

The hip-hop culture has popularized the trend of using sexist, racist and homophobic lyrics for years! Even as much as I dislike connecting the word “hate” to anything, I make the exception when hearing the “N” word! It’s a word that is rooted in hate. Somehow today's young people think it’s a “term of endearment” to refer to each other as “my n***a”. True Imus is a white man who referred to a predominately African-American squad as group of "nappy headed hos". All of a sudden he is the "Michael Richards du jour!" All apologies aside, the genie is out of the bottle and it too late to undo the harm. But when are we [and I’m talking about all my people of color] going to stop calling ourselves by these hateful words? When I hear Kanye West rapping about a gold digger who doesn’t go for “a broke n***a” or Snoop Dogg rapping about “those hos” it makes me wonder: are lyrics such as this giving White America license to refer to us in these terms too? I know rappers like these guys (and many others) can articulate themselves better than that and STILL sell records!

While I’m on the subject of hateful words: I don’t’ think Isaiah Washington (Dr. Preston Burke on Grey’s Anatomy) should get a slap on the wrist and go to “rehab” for referring to his co-star T. R. Knight (Dr. George O’Malley on Grey’s Anatomy) by the “F” word. I can’t tell you how many times I hear gay men refer to each other by this hateful word also. I never liked being called it growing up and I’m sure if you ask ANY gay person if they hated hearing it growing up they will tell you the same. Does that give license for straight people to call it to us because we [and now I'm speaking to my gay brothers out there] call ourselves that too? No, it doesn’t!

To the women out there, think about this the next time you say "yo bitch" to your best girlfriend: Don't you hate it when a man calls you that in anger? Stop calling it to each other even as a "joke". I'm a man and I'm offended by it! Don't give that word any power in the universe.

I watched the team today on Oprah with their head coach, C. Virginia Stringer. They were very posed and dignified young women. I applaud their courage for withstanding the controversy. I am sure, we haven't heard the last from these young women. Beyond basketball, they will all one day be our nations leaders.

Either way you look at it has to stop SOMEWHERE! I have always believed that the goodness you put out into the world will come back to you. If people continue to spew hateful words out into the world about and against their fellow man, then what do you think it going to come back? If anything we have to think about the next generation of children that are coming up behind us. What will their world be like?

I think one of my favorite filmmakers, Spike Lee said it best in the last line of his film "School Daze" and in the very first line of his masterpiece "Do the Right Thing":

WAKE UP!!!!