Sunday, April 15, 2007

Imus in the Evening

When does a society that idolizes both diversity and toleration become mature? When public remarks, however hurtful, are placed into perspective and treated accordingly. This past week, Don Imus made hurtful and insensitive comments about the women's basketball team at Rutgers University. They were, at a best, insensitive, and at worst, racist. They were indefensible and attacked a group of young women whose actions, before and after the episode, showed them to be among America's finest young people. With that said, however, we need to ask ourselves whether the reaction heard throughout the country was justified by the action. To this, I answer NO!

Don Imus is (or was) a "Shock Jock." He made his living saying shocking and insulting things, and his audience tuned in to hear just those things that they knew few others would say. Some of his audience, certainly occupy fringe positions in society. They are racist, they are anti-semitic, the are isolationist, they are uneducated . . . "The Great Unwashed." Most, though, I suspect, tuned in to hear things with which they violently disagreed because it was their way of keeping in touch with the "other side." These are politicians, housewives, business executives . . . processionals of every ilk and political persuasion. The argument now rages about whether this type of behavior crosses some invisible line that we cannot allow to be crossed. Can we allow song lyrics that attack and degrade women and minorities, even if those songs are sold by the very people they degrade; African-American Hip-Hop singers that degrade other African-Americans, for example? My question is more fundamental, thought - does it matter?

Voltaire is quoted as saying, "I do not agree with what he says, but I will defend to the death his right to say it." To which Adlai Stevenson added that, " A free society is a place where it is save to be unpopular." I remember being appalled when Nazis marched through the predominantly Jewish area of Illinois. I fine it hard to take seriously the argument that Creationism should be taught as part of science in any school. I listen to the rhetoric of our enemies around the world who feel the need to blame someone for everything, and thus single out Jews because they are easy, and America because we are the King of he Hill, and wonder how others can even waste time paying attention to such drivel. Yet, given the chance to silence them, I would not take it. It is the very public airing of such views that makes us aware of the depth of feeling of such fanatic fringe portions of our society; and it is this awareness that allows us to take action to prevent thes view from growing larger and influencing our actions.

With war, disease, famine, pestilence, poverty, and the host of other causes of human suffering growing around the world, we need a discussion of these things much more than a discussion of Don Imus' insensitivity. We need to rein in power from those who would abuse it. We need to provide food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and education to those with the least access to them both here in the United States, and around the world. We need discussions of these things, and actions taken on them more than we need to be troubled by the irrelevant comments of a radio talk show host.

Should we decry racism? Certainly! Do the women at Rutgers deserve both apology and some act of contrition? Absolutely! Should we encourage the music industry to be more circumspect in the production and marketing of songs with lyrics that degrade others and encourage crime, sloth, and lack of education? Unquestionably! But should be waste one more minute of precious air time or public outrage over such a minor incident when humanity is suffering around the globe, and we stand at a crossroad that can lead us to self destruction and the loss of those very ideals that have set us apart from previous nations and generations? If you cannot answer that without me, then we've already lost.