A Victim of a Nation's Hypocrisy

An infamous radio talk show host was canned in a hypocritical frenzy of shameful finger pointing.

Don Imus, who has received more than his fair share of criticism and verbal abuse over this issue, was fired by CBS and MSNBC Thursday.

Imus referred to the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos" during his April 11 broadcast.

He met with Rutgers team members and their coach, Vivian Stringer, Thursday night at the Governor's mansion in Princeton, NJ.

After the meeting, Stringer told reporters that it was very productive and that "hopefully, we can put all of this behind us."

She did not say whether her team forgave Imus; but that statement implies it. She, like most people interviewed on the issue, feels that everyone makes mistakes and are entitled to forgiveness.

That is a sentiment that the gatekeepers of media are not willing to accept.

Imus said he was an "equal opportunity offender" and has proven that on more than one occasion.

So what was so different this time?

Somewhere along the line, someone all of the sudden decided to take offense. Just by chance, the wrong person was listening. And all it took was that one circumstantial listener to bring the legendary shock jock down.

It's unfortunate that all it takes is one individual or a small group to bring down a proud giant who has been doing the same thing for over two decades.

What he said was inexcusable, racist and just plain wrong.

But to oust the man over that particular issue is also wrong. One, because he's been saying similar, if not worse, things on the air during his long broadcast career. And two, other shock jocks like Howard Stern have said and done far worse, yet they are still on the air.

Granted, Stern made the move to Sirius Satellite radio to avoid such fiascos. But before that, his CBS radio programs featured naked women performing indecent acts, sexual and often offensive behavior and all sorts of discriminitory remarks in the name of humor.

Yet he remained on traditional radio for years, and still remains on the air with Sirius. Yes, the FCC has tried to bring him down. But he's still alive and kicking.

So how is it that someone like Don Imus, who has done far less offensive radio, gets brought down in course of week?

Because it's a hypocritical world where people are quick to point out other people's mistakes and not acknowledge their own.

Take the hypocrisy of the Reverend Al Sharpton. Last year, Sharpton said that the three Duke Lacrosse players were guilty of raping a stripper at a team party. He said there was no doubt in his mind that they did it.

But Thursday, the charges were dropped because there was no evidence to support the prosecution. North Carolina's attorney general stated in a public address that those players were innocent.

Where was Sharpton's apology to them?

He was quick to leap down Imus's throat at the blurting of three simple words. Yet he can't own up to his own mistake of publicly accusing three innocent college students.

Both Imus and the brave athletes from Duke University are victims of a hypocritical nation.

It's just a shame that ignorant people, especially those in the public eye, do not have the ability to see how their words can strip an individual of their life.

The truth is, we are all guilty of passing judgement where we should not. But it takes courage to admit when we are wrong.

Don Imus did that; and the Duke Lacrosse athletes have had their innocence proven. Yet people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson continue to nail them to the cross in the name of racism.

It's easy for Sharpton and Jackson to blame flaws on racism because they can't see past the color of their own skin.