UPDATE: CBS Does The Right Thing! Imus Fired! I Push For IDIC.

What a difference a few hours make. MSNBC announced that CBS Fired Imus! All code talk has been dropped and words now say what they mean. America gets a break from racist, sexist comments about awesome female athletes.

CBS follows MSNBC and does the Right Thing.

It's all very confusing for those of us who have noted the recent misogyny in the popular CBS shows, like: CSI, Cold Case, CSI:NY, and Without A Trace. Does this mean that the network will take action against the Bruckheimer trend of punishing any independent female character who wants a complete sexual life? Of course, not. The Bruckheimer dynasty rakes in the green; so his women will continue to be punished for wanting pleasure. (Strangely, he doesn't seem to mind if they are successful at work...)

"Shock jocks get fired all the time."

CBS did the right thing in Firing Imus. Who cares if they dragged their heals and gaged the reaction to MSNBC "canceling" his show? (I do.) Response has been largely positive from the African American community. Young white men, on the other hand, are shown on various networks as thinking Imus' firing was Too Much. Still others thought it could be all worked out and that Imus could be rehabilitated. And some are asking what I'm asking:

"Why all this righteousness after such a long delay?"

You don't get righteous nine days later. Righteous is heat-of-the-moment, it's part of the Now. In reality, Don Imus was probably Fired because major sponsors pulled out and made it entirely unprofitable to keep him on the air. Did these sponsors have a fit of righteous -- or were they afraid of boycotts? Maybe it doesn't matter all that much... I do know that African Americans and women who worked for some sponsors did the Right Thing and urged for their products to be pulled from the popular show; and they were.

I don't think it was all about the money. In the end, America has a good heart. We stepped up to the plate and drew a line, when it comes to Don Imus. Deep down, we all knew that it had nothing to do with Free Speech and everything do to with hate speech. We've come a long way since the Civil Rights Movement; but there are so many scars left to heal. I honestly hope that the ultimate end to what Don Imus said is to bring us together in diversity -- and that the Race dialog remains open.

Imus is still supposed to meet with the Rutgers team he verbally savaged.

The more I think about it, the more I think Star Trek's philosophy of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations is a good ideal to strive for. After all...

It's my very difference that makes me who I am.

©2007 SilenZ