Don Imus' Troubled Future, Al Sharpton's Troubling Past
The controversy over the racist commentary of Don Imus continues to boil over in the liberal blogosphere. But while there is general agreement with the calls by Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson for Imus' firing by CBS Radio and MSNBC, there is a disappointing silence when its comes to Sharpton and Jackson's own histories of hate speech and racial intolerance.
There is no doubt that for his slur against the Rutgers women's basketball team and track record of on-air bigotry, Imus needs to go. As AmericaBlog, MediaMatters, DailyKos and a host of others thoroughly document, Imus has long served listeners a steady diet of racist and misogynistic vitriol. No one should be surprised that his feeble apology and subsequent two week suspension wrist-slap has left Imus' critics unsatisfied, to say the least.
There is also no doubt that Imus' slanders differ little in kind or degree from a long roster of right-wing purveyors of hate. Just to name a few (space prohibits listing them all), Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage, Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter seamlessly deliver a brand of hate that is increasingly consistent with the rhetoric of today's Republican Party. It's no wonder that Al Sharpton and so much of the liberal blogosphere is angry and disappointed by the continued and surprising support for Imus from the likes of Howard Fineman, Tom Oliphant and others.
But when Al Sharpton becomes the self-appointed avenger of racist rhetoric, liberals of all stripes should be very concerned indeed. The Reverend, after all, has a long and unrepentant history of race-baiting and literally inflammatory language. It helped catapult him from civil right leader to a New York political player with presidential ambitions.
Sharpton, as you'll recall, was one of the perpetrators of the 1987 Tawana Brawley hoax in upstate New York. Despite a $345,000 jury award against him, Reverend Al never apologized for the role he played in slandering six policemen and local prosecutor Stephen Pagones over Brawley's spurious allegations of rape. Worse still, in 1995 Sharpon decried a Jewish business owner in Harlem as a "white interloper" as one of his associates urged protesters to burn the store. Several people were killed in the ensuing blaze. Only later in his career did Sharpton moderate his public statements, if not his private beliefs.
Jesse Jackson has hardly been a paragon of tolerance himself. During his 1984 presidential campaign, Jackson famously referred to New York as "Hymie Town." Two decades later during the Terri Schiavo affair, Jackson joined forces with the extremist anti-abortion vigilante Randall Terry in their failed effort to block court orders mandating the removal of her feeding tube. Those episodes alone should have been sufficient to complete Jackson's journey to the political wilderness.
At the end of the day, progressives are right to call for the sacking of hate merchants like Imus and his ilk. But hate is hate, intolerance is intolerance. Having Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson carry that message for the left does grave harm to the liberal ideal.
UPDATE: Gwen Ifill of PBS offers a very personal - and poignant - perspective on Imus and his history of casual hate speech.
Jon,
Sharpton and Jackson become the paragons of tolerance when we don't hear an immediate upcry from anyone else. They became that by default.
So, it seems amazingly inappropriate and hypocritical when comments are made on their so-called intolerance when no one else on the left (yourself included) immediately stood up and confronted the bastard Imus on his comments. A vacuum is filled with something, in this case a hate vacuum must be filled by the indignation from SOMEONE... anyone. I personally don't care who. So where was the indignation from the leaders of the left, those who supposedly represent the political interests of minorities? I didn't hear a damn thing from any of the leaders of the Democratic Party.
Moses,
I think there was no shortage of anger immediately in the wake of Imus' comments. Som much so, that as a periodic blogger, I felt I could add no value to the outcry from not only the blogosphere, but from many media outlets as well. But as I said above, Imus is beyond the pale and needs to go.
As for hypocrisy, I've got to disagee with you on that one. Perrspectives has pretty consistently taken politicians and pundits to task for trafficking in the language of intolerance and hate. For example:
- "Coulter and Conservatism's Brand of Hate."
- "The Amazing Race Card."
Not only that, Perrspectives criticized both Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton long before the Imus episode here and here.
Jon, that was a very good post on Ann Coulter. Thanks for posting the link and your response.
I've known Don for over 30 years. No. He's no more "racist" than we ALL are! And, anyone who claims to have NOT uttered a racial epithet at some point in their lives... Please! America, sad to say, is reaping all the "benefits" of centuries of denial about its almost 'unrootable' problem. Sad, but true. No. Imus is no more racist than the lot of us. The difference? He's on the air. When he blurts out a socially-charged remark, unlike most folks, millions of people have a chance to get outraged. Bottom line: Read about his off-the-air work and involvements. Don't crucify a man for a few ill-conceived comments on a show that prides itself on being outrageous. Rather, if he must be crucified, do it because of his deeds. And, over the course of a long career, the 'good' deeds have been more than a few.
BTW, I am a... former newscaster and Black Man!
Imus served himself up because he did not restrict his abuse to a celebrity figure or a generic population--instead he targeted young college female athletes who had reason to be proud of their achievements. And he did so on qualities they cannot ever change--their race and their sex.
When Imus started "damage control" he did not contact this team or their coach to offer up an apology for pain his seemingly unthinking remarks could have caused them. Instead, it was on to media comments and the Sharpton show.
Perhaps Imus would understand if a different shock jock made a personal attack aimed at a group of autistic kids that participate in the charity work that Imus supports.
This team was innocent of anything. Imus was abusive and caused pain on innocents. It's really as simple as that. That Imus doesn't quite "get it" is his personal tragedy. Those of us who do "get it" are quite glad that his entire career may have terminated itself.
I don't get all the rightous indignation. It makes me want to puke.
You hit the nail on the head by framing the deeds of Sharpton & Jackson. Pseudo preachers and wannabees.
Aren't preachers supposed to preach forgiveness?
All the talking heads pervert the situation move than it deserves. The girls have every right to respond but they don't need to be "coached or guided" as to their real feelings.If their pissed then fine, speak up.
Most people respond to situations that teens/students face with the logic "Well kids are tough and resilient, they bounce back."
Imus made a stupid comment. It happens.
You can't turn on Fox News without hearing another and another.You want really stupid comments, replay Bush's SOTUAs. Any of them.
We have become way to PC. If people don't like Imus then tune in something else.
Freedom of speech and freedom of choice as adults. What a concept!
Al Sharpton needs to be called to task for his white racism and selective attacks! He keeps talking about offensive material on the public airwaves but will NOT make similar demands on the black rappers out there who say extremely offensive things about black women, including 'ho'on almost all of their songs!! If he is against offensive language then he needs to be 100% against it wherever it's found, including from his own race. I am so sick of hearing his holier-than-thou white-hatred-filled speeches! It's not the terminology he hates. It's the white race he hates. He isn't on a mission to stop all offensive speech, just the speech of anyone white!! Imus, of whom I am most definitely a fan, is a jerk for saying the stupid thing he said! BUT HE SHOULD NOT BE FIRED. The marketplace could and should have taken care of that! If we start allowing this to go on, it won't be safe to say anything! Think about it!!! Would YOU want to risk your very livelihood over one stupid comment YOU might make?
In my last post, I meant to say I am NOT, that is NOT! a fan of Imus. I don't listen to him...don't agree with most of what he says. But firing him was wrong. And frightening if it set a precedent for the future of free speech.
Imus Fired? My God! Does America 'really' want to plunge down this road? First it's Imus, and next it's (fill in the gap)...
Yes, what he said was indeed offensive. But fired? Come on. History teaches that once you stifle speech, then every other freedom begin to topple. Slowly, very slowly... Mark my words folks.