Imus Gets Fired. World Saved?

Last Night, Don Imus' simulcast was "canceled" by MSNBC. In TV parlance, "canceled" means Fired. MSNBC, being a major news provider, really needs to get off it's corporate tucas and say what words mean. Don Imus was Fired for saying nasty, racist things about awesome female athletes. I say that Imus should've been canned immediately -- and now let's take a good look at the culture of gangsta rap that thinks it's perfectly fine to degrade women on a songly basis; but what do I know? I'm just a gimp on the dole.

Being a disabled woman, I'm often at the wrong end of the talk radio stick.

My friend Thomas, much to his chagrin, made me aware of how the disabled are portrayed on right wing talk radio. I must say that I was shocked that on conservative talk radio programs, Social Security for the disabled is equated with welfare. It's not. After I picked my chin up off the floor, I explained the difference to Thomas. And I thought about just how "acceptable" it is for talk radio hosts to degrade the disabled. I thought about how Rush Limbaugh talked about Micheal J. Fox while mimicking Fox's physical movements. Limbaugh's implication was very clear: Fox is faking and exaggerating the effects of his Parkinson's Disease. Sanctions didn't rain down upon his widdle head. Limbaugh's still spewing his own personal brand of Hate.

This just goes to show that the disabled make good targets because we're less visible, because we often prefer adaptation to activism.

I'm guilty of invisibility. I Passed. Now that I'm out of the disability closet, I try very hard to be seen. It's not easy.

Interestingly, I found out about Imus being Fired from a fellow Union Member, who thought I was quite possibly insane for not thinking the whole Imus Thing Going On was about the First Amendment. (She also pointed out that Imus is an equal opportunity bigot.) I replied that it was about Hate, Racism, and Misogyny -- none of which should be tolerated on a basic cable "news" show. My friend asked me that as a writer, didn't I believe in Free Speech? I replied:

"Damn straight, I do! I believe in the First Amendment as it was written. I just don't believe casual Hate has any place on a news channel. "

MSNBC did a brave thing in correcting their initial "suspension" of Imus. It would be great if CBS Radio would step up to the plate and remove Don Imus from the air.; but they won't. You wanna know why? I'll tell you why: Hate is alive and well on talk radio. It thrives there. And as far as I can tell, it isn't going anywhere. In my opinion the FCC is pretty lax when it comes to hate on the radio. Evidently, on the radio, Hate is Free Speech because it's profitable.

"Why does Imus even matter?"

He matters because he has a powerful Voice and people listen -- they learn to think his "humor" is not only funny but acceptable. That's a very scary thought. But words are a double-edged sword: they can wound but they also can heal. Only when we call Hate out for what it is does it lose it's grip. I say, Good On You, MSNBC. Let's keep the Race dialog open and flowing. And let's really take a good listen to what gangsta rap is saying and ask ourselves, not only why but what can we do about viral Hate?

Imus Gets Fired. World Saved?

Not by a long shot. Imus and Anna Nicole are just distractions from what really matters: we're still in a war over oil. And our brave service men and women are still being killed. Viral Hate is running rampant in the world, on TV, and the internet, and on our ipods. I don't know if the world can be saved from itself. I do know, however, that we all have a Voice. It matters very much what we say with that Voice. It's all about choice. I choose to use my voice for Good.

©2007 SilenZ

PS: My momma taught me that we're all equal and equally flawed. She also taught me to read things for myself. Here's the full text of the First Amendment for your own self: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.