Where are YOUR apologies, Jesse and Al? General thoughts on Imus and the lacrosse cases

The Imus controversy couldn’t have happened at a better time for the Democrats’ favorite racist Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. The mediots are so focused on their ‘righteous outrage’ over racial comments Don Imus made about the women’s Rutgers basketball team that they are largely ignoring asking them what their thoughts are on the news that the three lacrosse players whom the Reverends proclaimed as guilty were being cleared of all charges and had been declared “innocent” by the NC Attorney General, citing a rogue Democrat district attorney by the name of Mike Nifong.

There’s no question that this farce of a case fanned the racial flames of this state, and to a certain extent the country, because you had “priveleged” white men (“elitist” lacrosse players, at that!) at a prestigious university accused of raping a ‘poor, down on her luck black stripper.’ The mediots blanketed and planted themselves in the area after the allegations were made. Of course, the in-state media had a field day. One female columnist, Ruth Sheehan from the Raleigh N&O, wrote a piece calling the silence of the lacrosse team ‘sickening’ and accused them of ‘knowing’ what happened that night but ‘refusing to come forward.’ There were ‘anti-hate’ protests all over the place, candlelight vigils were held in support of the ‘victim’, a group of 88 faculty members from Duke University acted as judge and jury within weeks of the allegations, essentially accusing the alleged perps of being guilty of what the accuser, Crystal Gail Mangum, alleged that they did, and the MSM – in particular the New York Times – did their part in stirring up the atmosphere of supposed guilt on the part of the lacrosse players while playing up the race angle. The remainder of the Duke lacrosse team’s season was cancelled, and their coach stepped down. And let’s not forget how this was a reversal of course for the left, who are supposedly “fairness obsessed” (as Glenn Reynolds described it here – hat tip: MD) but who have once again been exposed as hypocrites.

Since this has been the month for calling for ‘apologies’ from alleged racists, I’d say apologies are in order from a multitude of sources who commented on the Duke lacrosse rape case by labelling the players guilty as charged within days of the accusations and who engaged in the practice of ‘soft racism.’ But I’d especially like to hear the apologies from the hardcore racist Reverends, considering how they’ve been front and center in the eye of the Don Imus storm, screaming that comments like Don Imus’ shouldn’t be tolerated anywhere at anytime. I agree they shouldn’t be tolerated, and not just from the mouths of white folks, but racist black Democrats like Sharpton, Jackson, and other race hustlers who make their livings keeping the flames of racial tension burning strong because it lines their pockets.

While we’re at it, I’m eager to hear round house condemnations of rap music by those who are serious about not tolerating violent lyrics which degrade black women, glorify killing authority figures – among others, and laugh at normal lives that don’t involve drugs, drive-bys, and killings. Two weeks ago, two Charlotte police officers were murdered, and the guy suspected of killing them may have been listening to a violent rap song called “Murda Man” the night he allegedly shot the officers. I’m not saying that the music ‘made him’ commit the crimes (if indeed he did do it) but it factors in nevertheless. And I’m not implying we should ban rap music. The free market should speak for itself. Prominent figures white and black need to spread the message that the hatred preached in many rap music songs even less acceptable than some talk show host calling the Rutgers women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hos.” Sales of rap music are declining, which is a good thing, but it’s not enough because while sales may be falling, rap music continues to garner ‘artistic praise‘ from some of the same people who would not tolerate that type of outrageous racism, sexism, and violence if they were to witness it – or become a victim of it – personally on the street.

If the people screaming about how evil and disgusting Don Imus supposedly is are truly serious about being offended by such comments and how they have ‘no place’ in public discourse, then their focus needs to be on where the real problem is: in the ‘leadership’ of liberal black organizations like Rainbow/PUSH, the National Action Network – organizations that claim to want to ‘help’ black people – and in the thuggish street culture which thrives in certain segments of the black community.

I was listening to black radio talk show host Michael Baisden this afternoon on the way home and he got it right. He said that if the people who were clapping and cheering after finding out Don Imus had been fired from both MSNBC and CBS felt like the mission was accomplished, then their mission was all wrong because the larger issue in the black community is not Don Imus but instead the tolerance of the types of lyrics (with behavior to match) which make Don Imus look like Mary Poppins.

Columnist Jason Whitlock nails it:

Thank you, Don Imus. You’ve given us (black people) an excuse to avoid our real problem.

You’ve given Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson another opportunity to pretend that the old fight, which is now the safe and lucrative fight, is still the most important fight in our push for true economic and social equality.

You’ve given Vivian Stringer and Rutgers the chance to hold a nationally televised recruiting celebration expertly disguised as a news conference to respond to your poor attempt at humor.

Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victimhood, protest like it’s 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our self-hatred.

The bigots win again.

[…]

I ain’t saying Jesse, Al and Vivian are gold-diggas, but they don’t have the heart to mount a legitimate campaign against the real black-folk killas.

It is us. At this time, we are our own worst enemies. We have allowed our youths to buy into a culture (hip hop) that has been perverted, corrupted and overtaken by prison culture. The music, attitude and behavior expressed in this culture is anti-black, anti-education, demeaning, self-destructive, pro-drug dealing and violent.

Rather than confront this heinous enemy from within, we sit back and wait for someone like Imus to have a slip of the tongue and make the mistake of repeating the things we say about ourselves.

It’s embarrassing. Dave Chappelle was offered $50 million to make racially insensitive jokes about black and white people on TV. He was hailed as a genius. Black comedians routinely crack jokes about white and black people, and we all laugh out loud.

I’m no Don Imus apologist. He and his tiny companion Mike Lupica blasted me after I fell out with ESPN. Imus is a hack.

But, in my view, he didn’t do anything outside the norm for shock jocks and comedians. He also offered an apology. That should’ve been the end of this whole affair. Instead, it’s only the beginning. It’s an opportunity for Stringer, Jackson and Sharpton to step on victim platforms and elevate themselves and their agenda$.

I watched the Rutgers news conference and was ashamed.

Martin Luther King Jr. spoke for eight minutes in 1963 at the March on Washington. At the time, black people could be lynched and denied fundamental rights with little thought. With the comments of a talk-show host most of her players had never heard of before last week serving as her excuse, Vivian Stringer rambled on for 30 minutes about the amazing season her team had.

Somehow, we’re supposed to believe that the comments of a man with virtually no connection to the sports world ruined Rutgers’ wonderful season. Had a broadcaster with credibility and a platform in the sports world uttered the words Imus did, I could understand a level of outrage.

[…]

I don’t listen or watch Imus’ show regularly. Has he at any point glorified selling crack cocaine to black women? Has he celebrated black men shooting each other randomly? Has he suggested in any way that it’s cool to be a baby-daddy rather than a husband and a parent? Does he tell his listeners that they’re suckers for pursuing education and that they’re selling out their race if they do?

When Imus does any of that, call me and I’ll get upset. Until then, he is what he is — a washed-up shock jock who is very easy to ignore when you’re not looking to be made a victim.

No. We all know where the real battleground is. We know that the gangsta rappers and their followers in the athletic world have far bigger platforms to negatively define us than some old white man with a bad radio show. There’s no money and lots of danger in that battle, so Jesse and Al are going to sit it out.

Bang on. I found especially interesting his comments about how the Rutgers coach and team handled this. They’ve been widely praised, but my thoughts about them fall along the lines of “are you for real”? Are they really ‘scarred for life’? Does the team really think Imus’ comments ‘ruined’ their season? Please. No one can ‘take away’ your glory without your permission. So Don Imus made a stupid, racist comment. That doesn’t change their season, nor does it make their NCAA run any less magical. These women are champions to their families, friends, college, and a lot of other people and need to stop acting and being portrayed as victims. Be strong, and don’t let punks like Imus get you down.

Oh, BTW – I just heard on CNN that tears were actually shed by some of the Rutgers players while meeting with Don Imus in the Governor’s mansion in NJ tonight. Sheesh.

In any event, could we be seeing the beginnings of a real and honest dialogue on race issues? Let’s not hold our collective breath. We can only hope.

Related: New Black Panther Party ‘general counsel’ and ‘respecter of women’ Malik Shabazz called Michelle Malkin a ‘prostitute’ on tonight’s O’Reilly Factor, where she’s subbing the next couple of days, in a debate about the Duke lacrosse rape case. Also, here’s a clip of Michelle talking to talk-show host Opio Sokoni, who blamed rap music on ……. George Washington.

More: Jon Ham makes a great point. Will Oprah have the three vindicated lacrosse playeres on her show as she did the women’s team from Rutgers?

Fri AM Update: Today’s must-read: Imus, The Duke Boys And Our Bloodlust by Dick Myer