So, the latest in a long line of racist filfth to emerge from the geniuses behind the Imus in the Morning Show was directed at the players on the Rutgers University women's basketball team. "Nappy-headed ho's" he called them.
WFAN Radio and MSNBC, Imus's radio and TV broadcast homebases, have issued the usual expressions of shock, and have promised to put Imus on a tighter leash going forward.
As an African-American who has had to put up with shit like this from Imus and others of his ilk over the years, I say, "Too. Fucking. Late."
I agree with the National Association of Black Journalists; Imus must go.
It might be one thing if this had been the first time anything like this had been heard on Imus's show.
Or the second time.
Or the third.
Or the fourth.
Or the fifth.
But the fact is Imus has an extensive history of making or allowing blatantly racist commentary and "jokes" on his morning radio show.
Like calling tennis star Serena Williams an "animal." Or calling national journalist Gwen Ifill "the cleaning lady." Or calling national journalist William Rhoden a "quota hire." Or likening the appearance of certain black NBA players to "apes." Or referring to residents of Harlem as "moolignans" (an Italian anti-black slur). Or referring to the black wife of former Secretary of Defense William Cohen as a "big-haired ho." Or suggesting that Hillary Clinton will try to connect with black audiences by flashing the hand signs of the Crips street gang.
Not mention that he was basically forced to admit in a 1998 "60 Minutes" interview that he had hired a producer specifically to do "nigger jokes."
Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page once forced Imus on his own show to promise to drop the racist references.
As we can see, Imus has a problem keeping some promises.
That's why, as far as I'm concerned, Imus has long used up his chances for redemption. His show should be terminated. Immediately.
Further, entities which sponsor "Imus in the Morning" need to be put on notice that they are going down as sponsoring a multi-repeat offending racist program. And it will not be forgotten.
****************************************************************** From Michael Savage referring to inner-city children as "ghetto slime,"
to Rush Limbaugh saying, "The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies,"
to Bob Grant, who in hanging up on black callers would dismiss them with, "I don't need my toilets cleaned today!" or "I don't need my windows washed today!"
to Bill O'Reilly, who once cracked about a black singing group that was late for a live performance he was hosting, "I hope they're not in the parking lot stealing our hubcaps,"
to William Bennett, musing that "you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down,"
to Niel Boortz, who described the appearance of African-American Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney as like a "ghetto slut,"
nationally-syndicated racist radio hosts have gotten away with a ton of crap over the years. They rarely suffer any significant repercussions, thereby enabling the next display of bigotry.
No more. MSNBC, WFAN, and Imus himself can all stuff their apologies and perfunctory expressions of dismay. They must end his reign of terror. That is the only response from them that will be acceptable. The ONLY response. Otherwise, they are racist-coddlers. Period.
I'm tired of being treated like a nigger by the media. Imus screwed-up big time. He must not survive this.
So help me God, he will not survive this!