2:26 PM...I wanted to stay silent...But, in lieu of the last week's goinz on, I probably shouldn't.

I really didn't want to get in on the whole "Don Imus" action. I figured every single LJer would at some point. But, after an entire week of soaking things in, listening to what people have had to say, and finally, watching (of all people) Bill Maher last night, I decided I needed to finally go ahead and get out what has been going on up in my head.

Let me see if I can break this down...
The First Ammendment:
Alrighty, a lot of people will try to bring this little thing up. However, there's a saying I've always loved, "Your freedoms end where mine begin." Unfortunately for Mr. Imus, he stomped all over the rights of these young women to their rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Oh, and did I mention that his statement of "Nappy Headed Hos" could be construed as hate commentary? There are laws against that - it's all part of that whole, Civil Rights legislation. Pesky things, those.

Humour:
Okay, look. I know Mr. Imus is considered to be a "shock jock" type humourist. So is Howard Stern. I also would put Jim Rome in there (yeah, a girl who knows who Jim Rome is...how hot is that fellas?). However, I can't stand any of these men. So, what do I do when it comes to the 1st Ammendment and Humour? I change the damn dial.
Now, as far as just humour, look at all the great comedians...they point out the flaws of society, of government...basically, the ludicrousness of life in general. They do not prey upon the weak, the suffering, or the truly deserving. You have never seen a comedian go on a USO tour and take potshots at the troops. Why would any true humourist then, take shots at a deserving group of young, teenage women?

The Media:
Really not making things much better. Most of these young women probably hadn't heard of Mr. Imus until someone pointed out what was said. Like Bill Maher said, we are living in a "gotcha!" society, between YouTube, the paparazzi, and watchdog groups (ie: the PTC), nothing can be said anymore. Look at what happened to Michael Richards while doing a small standup gig? Who would have known about that? 15 years ago, it would have been some random thing to random guy #52 - "Hey, that guy who plays "Kramer" on Seinfeld went apeshit on stage man." That would have been the end of it for the most part. Now, we have pictures of Britney Spears vagina on the television while she goes crazy and shaves her head.
These young women are not the demographic for Mr. Imus. Yes, what he said was hurtful. Yes, it was wrong. But were it not for watchdog groups and our crazed media culture, it would have gone relatively unnoticed. I hate to say this, but our young people today are almost too sensitive. We live in a world that is being sanitized, sterilized, and antibacterialized. If they don't hear it now, when they are 30, and are shocked when they travel and someone drops the "N" bomb on them, what's going to happen? How will they react?
I will not defend Mr. Imus. But I will say this, previous generations have fought harder and longer and against bigger adversaries, dealing with much more terrifying situations. I really don't want to hear bitching and griping over someone who gets called a name on a playground that can easily be walked away from.
The media has made too much of this. They needed a juicy story and they found a great one, particularly with the help of the "Reverends" Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, neither of whom I see as being anything but people out to further their own careers...kinda like ambulance chasers out to build up their firms. They are even jokes within their own community. I really don't want to hear any more from them.

The Players Themselves:
These young women should fear nothing at this point. I can say nothing bad about them. For one, they were all smart enough to get into Rutgers. I doubt Mr. Imus can say the same. Not only were they smart enough to get in, they also have the ability to balance their school work with their team schedules and work outs at one of the most esteemed universities in the country. This is something that the media has conveniently left out in lieu of repeating the phrase, "Nappy Headed Hos" over and over again, making the wound deeper. If Mr. Imus is a "shock jock," what then does that make the media, who refuses to acknowledge the skills of these young women, on and off the court?

All in all, I would say that there is a time coming when we will have to figure out our priorities where it comes to our entertainment. Do we want the "realism" we love so much on television? We love watching people be hurt, both physically and emotionally on "reality TV," but if a person makes a statement using some sort of "trigger word," such as "faggot," "nigger," or "slut," then immediately, they are red-flagged as being a bigot, regardless of the context of their words.
It happens all the time ladies and gentleman. And the media latches on, quickly. As individuals, and as a community as a whole, we need to start deciding, do we want THEM to tell us what we want, or should we start figuring out what is right and wrong for ourselves?
Last time I checked, everyone was always so strangely patriotic, but no one can remember the Bill of Rights or the Constitution. And seeing as how everyone is so goddamn patriotic, why don't you start acting "American" and utilize those rights you have and stop letting the government run your lives...before we end up like so many other "democratic" countries in Europe (oh that's a whoooole other blog...but, for the record, see: FRANCE, banning of religious outter wear).