Imus show suspended due to racial comments

[Carlene 12]

I can't speak about the Labour Laws in the US but in Canada that sort of statement is grounds for dismisal. If I make a sexist or racist remark at work and someone overhears me they can lodge a complaint and I can be fired. Saying sorry is not a defense even if the individual who was affected accepts my apology.

Not firing Imus could lead to further litigation, I would feel strongly that CBS and MSNBC did the due diligence required and decided that the safest course of action was termination.

Freedom of speach is protected in the US constitution, freedom from sexism and racism in the work place is also protected. Imus is unemployed because he said what he said at work.

Good Point. My DH was a crew chief for AA and it was like working at the United Nations. He had a black guy from Nigeria who complained one night about his assignment, so my DH said, "I could put you on interiors but you'd have to work with Kenneth and he doesn't believe that Lincoln freed the slaves." (Kenneth was anal about interior repairs and had the reputation of not giving anybody a break. He wrote up every tiny little imperfection and made the guys fix them ALL.)

The guy from Nigeria complained to the general foreman about DH, claiming that he had made a racial slur. DH apologized. Nigeria guy did not believe he was "sincere", so he nixed it. DH had to literally beg this guy for forgiveness. It was not a joking matter. DH's job was seriously on the line. Had he (Nigeria guy) taken his complaint higher up, it would have been the end of my DH's 35 year career in the airline industry.

[reqgoddess 0]

Yes, but IMUS's JOB was to be a SHOCK JOCK and a COMIC!!!! Is everyoone forgetting this? He is NOT supposed to be Dan Rather. Ask any politician who has been on his show. My Goodness, Ask TRUMP!! I remember when he and IMUS were haveing a "feud". WoW, they were both offensive, but they were funny and ratings soared (the CEOs of CBS were very pleased). So, if your JOB is to make a joke and you make a very bad one, you should be written up, maybe suspended for a week or two, but NOT FIRED.

[Sunta 4]

Over privileged applies to ALL WHITE MEN???? Seems to me you are quite the little stereotyper yourself Sunta.

I wish I had time to teach you a Freshman-level college diversity class, but since I don't, this list of privileges can start you on the road to being a better educated person on race and society:

(Adapted from "Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy Macintosh)

White Privlege:

I can be pretty sure that my neighbors will be neutral or pleasant to me.

I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.

I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.

When I am told about our national heritage or about "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.

I can be pretty sure of having my voice heard in a group in which I am the only member of my race.

I can go into most/majority of supermarkets and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into most hairdresser's shop and find someone who can cut my hair.

Whether I use checks, credit cards or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.

I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them.

I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.

I can be pretty sure that my children's teachers and employers will tolerate them if they fit school and workplace norms; my chief worries about them do not concern others' attitudes toward their race.

I can talk with my mouth full and not have people put this down to my color.

I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty or the illiteracy of my race.

I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial.

I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.

I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.

I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who constitute the world's majority without feeling in my culture any penalty for such oblivion.

I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.

If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven't been singled out because of my race.

I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys and children's magazines featuring people of my race.

I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance or feared.

I can be pretty sure that an argument with a colleague of another race is more likely to jeopardize her/his chances for advancement than to jeopardize mine.

I can be pretty sure that if I argue for the promotion of a person of another race, or a program centering on race, this is not likely to cost me heavily within my present setting, even if my colleagues disagree with me.

If I declare there is a racial issue at hand, or there isn't a racial issue at hand, my race will lend me more credibility for either position than a person of color will have.

I can choose to ignore developments in minority writing and minority activist programs, or disparage them, or learn from them, but in any case, I can find ways to be more or less protected from negative consequences of any of these choices.

My culture gives me little fear about ignoring the perspectives and powers of people of other races.

I am not made acutely aware that my shape, bearing or body odor will be taken as a reflection on my race.

I can worry about racism without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking.

I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race.

If my day, week or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it had racial overtones.

I can think over many options, social, political, imaginative or professional, without asking whether a person of my race would be accepted or allowed to do what I want to do.

I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.

I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.

I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.

I can arrange my activities so that I will never have to experience feelings of rejection owing to my race.

If I have low credibility as a leader I can be sure that my race is not the problem.

I can easily find academic courses and institutions which give attention only to people of my race.

I can expect figurative language and imagery in all of the arts to testify to experiences of my race.

I can chose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin.

I can travel alone or with my spouse without expecting embarrassment or hostility in those who deal with us because of our race.

I have no difficulty finding neighborhoods where people approve of our household.

I will feel welcomed and "normal" in the usual walks of public life, institutional and social.

Male Privilege:

My odds of being hired for a job, when competing against female applicants, are skewed in my favor. The more prestigious the job, the larger the odds are skewed.

I can be confident that my co-workers won't think I got my job because of my sex - even though that might be true.

If I am never promoted, it's not because of my sex.

If I fail in my job or career, I can feel sure this won't be seen as a mark against my entire sex's capabilities.

The odds of my encountering sexual harassment on the job are so low as to be negligible.

If I do the same task as a woman, and if the measurement is at all subjective, chances are people will think I did a better job.

If I'm a teen or adult, and if I can stay out of prison, my odds of being raped are so low as to be negligible.

I am not taught to fear walking alone after dark in average public spaces.

If I choose not to have children, my masculinity will not be called into question.

If I have children and provide primary care for them, I'll be praised for extraordinary parenting if I'm even marginally competent.

If I have children and pursue a career, no one will think I'm selfish for not staying at home.

If I seek political office, my relationship with my children, or who I hire to take care of them, will probably not be scrutinized by the press.

Chances are my elected representatives are mostly people of my own sex. The more prestigious and powerful the elected position, the more likely this is to be true.

I can be somewhat sure that if I ask to see "the person in charge," I will face a person of my own sex. The higher-up in the organization the person is, the surer I can be.

As a child, chances are I was encouraged to be more active and outgoing than my sisters.

As a child, I could choose from an almost infinite variety of children's media featuring positive, active, non-stereotyped heroes of my own sex. I never had to look for it; male heroes were the default.

As a child, chances are I got more teacher attention than girls who raised their hands just as often.

If I'm careless with my financial affairs it won't be attributed to my sex.

If I'm careless with my driving it won't be attributed to my sex.

I can speak in public to a large group without putting my sex on trial.

If I have sex with a lot of people, it won't make me an object of contempt or derision.

There are value-neutral clothing choices available to me; it is possible for me to choose clothing that doesn't send any particular message to the world.

My wardrobe and grooming are relatively cheap and consume little time.

If I buy a new car, chances are I'll be offered a better price than a woman buying the same car.

If I'm not conventionally attractive, the disadvantages are relatively small and easy to ignore.

I can be loud with no fear of being called a shrew. I can be aggressive with no fear of being called a bitch.

I can ask for legal protection from violence that happens mostly to men without being seen as a selfish special interest, since that kind of violence is called "crime" and is a general social concern. (Violence that happens mostly to women is usually called "domestic violence" or "acquaintance rape," and is seen as a special interest issue.)

I can be confident that the ordinary language of day-to-day existence will always include my sex. "All men are created equal…," mailman, chairman, freshman, he.

My ability to make important decisions and my capability in general will never be questioned depending on what time of the month it is.

I will never be expected to change my name upon marriage or questioned if i don't change my name.

The decision to hire me will never be based on assumptions about whether or not I might choose to have a family sometime soon.

Every major religion in the world is led primarily by people of my own sex. Even God, in most major religions, is usually pictured as being male.

Most major religions argue that I should be the head of my household, while my wife and children should be subservient to me.

If I have a wife or girlfriend, chances are we'll divide up household chores so that she does most of the labor, and in particular the most repetitive and unrewarding tasks.

If I have children with a wife or girlfriend, chances are she'll do most of the childrearing, and in particular the most dirty, repetitive and unrewarding parts of childrearing.

If I have children with a wife or girlfriend, and it turns out that one of us needs to make career sacrifices to raise the kids, chances are we'll both assume the career sacrificed should be hers.

Magazines, billboards, television, movies, pornography, and virtually all of media is filled with images of scantily-clad women intended to appeal to me sexually. Such images of men exist, but are much rarer.

I am not expected to spend my entire life 20-40 pounds underweight.

If I am heterosexual, it's incredibly unlikely that I'll ever be beaten up by a spouse or lover.

I have the privilege of being unaware of my male privilege.

[Sunta 4]

PS: If there are any current women's studies or African-American studies majors out there, please assist me. It's been many many years since I was called on to delve back into basic race/society studies. Thanks!

[foodstampchamp 3]

Over privileged applies to ALL WHITE MEN???? Seems to me you are quite the little stereotyper yourself Sunta.

I wish I had time to teach you a Freshman-level college diversity class, but since I don't, this list of privileges can start you on the road to being a better educated person on race and society:

(Adapted from "Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy Macintosh)

White Privlege:

I can be pretty sure that my neighbors will be neutral or pleasant to me.

I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.

I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.

When I am told about our national heritage or about "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.

I can be pretty sure of having my voice heard in a group in which I am the only member of my race.

I can go into most/majority of supermarkets and find the staple foods which fit with my cultural traditions, into most hairdresser's shop and find someone who can cut my hair.

Whether I use checks, credit cards or cash, I can count on my skin color not to work against the appearance of financial reliability.

I can arrange to protect my children most of the time from people who might not like them.

I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection.

I can be pretty sure that my children's teachers and employers will tolerate them if they fit school and workplace norms; my chief worries about them do not concern others' attitudes toward their race.

I can talk with my mouth full and not have people put this down to my color.

I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty or the illiteracy of my race.

I can speak in public to a powerful male group without putting my race on trial.

I can do well in a challenging situation without being called a credit to my race.

I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group.

I can remain oblivious of the language and customs of persons of color who constitute the world's majority without feeling in my culture any penalty for such oblivion.

I can criticize our government and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider.

If a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven't been singled out because of my race.

I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys and children's magazines featuring people of my race.

I can go home from most meetings of organizations I belong to feeling somewhat tied in, rather than isolated, out-of-place, outnumbered, unheard, held at a distance or feared.

I can be pretty sure that an argument with a colleague of another race is more likely to jeopardize her/his chances for advancement than to jeopardize mine.

I can be pretty sure that if I argue for the promotion of a person of another race, or a program centering on race, this is not likely to cost me heavily within my present setting, even if my colleagues disagree with me.

If I declare there is a racial issue at hand, or there isn't a racial issue at hand, my race will lend me more credibility for either position than a person of color will have.

I can choose to ignore developments in minority writing and minority activist programs, or disparage them, or learn from them, but in any case, I can find ways to be more or less protected from negative consequences of any of these choices.

My culture gives me little fear about ignoring the perspectives and powers of people of other races.

I am not made acutely aware that my shape, bearing or body odor will be taken as a reflection on my race.

I can worry about racism without being seen as self-interested or self-seeking.

I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race.

If my day, week or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it had racial overtones.

I can think over many options, social, political, imaginative or professional, without asking whether a person of my race would be accepted or allowed to do what I want to do.

I can be late to a meeting without having the lateness reflect on my race.

I can choose public accommodation without fearing that people of my race cannot get in or will be mistreated in the places I have chosen.

I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me.

I can arrange my activities so that I will never have to experience feelings of rejection owing to my race.

If I have low credibility as a leader I can be sure that my race is not the problem.

I can easily find academic courses and institutions which give attention only to people of my race.

I can expect figurative language and imagery in all of the arts to testify to experiences of my race.

I can chose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my skin.

I can travel alone or with my spouse without expecting embarrassment or hostility in those who deal with us because of our race.

I have no difficulty finding neighborhoods where people approve of our household.

I will feel welcomed and "normal" in the usual walks of public life, institutional and social.

Oh I see. You are assuming I am uneducated. Wow, you are not only a stereotyper but you also assume a lot of things about a lot of people. You honestly think white people don't go through ANY of these things? Thanks for speaking for all white people since you know they don't go through these things. Geez, all of a sudden Al Sharpton doesn't seem like such a bad representative compared to you. How do you find time to write on this message board while also knowing all the white people in the world. Talk about multi-tasking. You are AWESOME!:clap2:

[daniethegirl 0]

But the Big Question is....if the hip hop recording millionaires can use certain words, if one part of a community can call each other various names....why is that not acceptable that ALL parts of that 'equal' society use the same words?

Well, that's because this society isn't "equal."

[foodstampchamp 3]

BTW Sunta- I have been looking for my father for about 10 years. You probably know how to get ahold of him (he's white so I know you know him) could you let him know? Thanks a bunch girlfriend!

[Sunta 4]

How do you find time to write on this message board while also knowing all the white people in the world. Talk about multi-tasking.

What are you talking about?

[daniethegirl 0]

Plus, how can you automatically assume I came from a upper-class family. Is it because of my more conservative views?

I'm sorry, my dear, what I assumed was that you would understand that the term "overprivledged" applies to ALL white men in our society, regardless of economic background.

I believe Sunta here is talking about the invisible privelege that white people (especially white men) have. She is not referring to whether you grew up in a weathy household, went to an excellent school, etc. She is talking about the white privelege that ALL white people are born with...we can't see it, but minorities can. A really really good video (documentary) that attempts to explain this is called The Color of Fear. It has 8 men of all different ethnicities and races talking to each other about their race issues. Really eye-opening, and explains Sunta's point exactly.

[reqgoddess 0]

That was great suntra, not all true though. Now apply to women. I work in a male dominated field. I also had to "sue" my high school to have a girls track team. We have all had our crosses to bear. I joined an international club where we all used to tell racial and nationality jokes...what we did different was the Italian would tell the Italian jokes; the white the white jokes, the black the black jokes, the Irish the Irish jokes and so on. You need to learn to laugh at yourself. Oh, and by the way, there are reasons that there are stereotypes. because some of them are true. Some are not. Do Italians smell like garlic? Most likely, as we cook with it all the time. Many things about stereotyping aren't that bad, only the hateful part is. We, as a people, will NEVER all be alike. Hopefully, anyway. I like the diversity. There are some things I don't like, but some things i like. You take the good with the bad. You don't purposely try to hurt someone's feelings. If you do, you should Apologize and depending on the degree, you may be punished . But it is NOT the end of the world. We are not made of glass. And you know what? My daughter gets picked on because she is tall and has a speech issue. She is 7. My 14 yr old gets called "cracker" because she is white. Do I go running to the school? No (I would if things got more out of hand) but I do teach her to ignore people like that. I explain to them that all through their life they will be picked on or not liked for something. Learn from it. Be strong and move on. Do you really think it hurts less to be ignored or disliked or called names because you are a different color then it does because you wear store brand clothes instead of name brand? It DOESN'T. HATE is HATE and HURT is HURT. Why do you think there is so much peer pressure? There are many different colors of people and different nationalities. We will NEVER be the same. Don't fight the difference by walking on egg shells. Embrace the difference. And if someone is hateful, deal with it differently then if someone is trying to be funny by repeating a (BTW a BLACK directed movie geared towards a black audience) routine out of a movie even though it came out bad, or a bad attempt at humor. Again, this man has done more to help black kids then most black men, so don't judge a person just by what they say; judge by what they do.

[Sunta 4]

Oh I see. You are assuming I am uneducated.

No not at all. I said that you can be a "better educated" person on race and society, by learning more, just as we all can.

Since you brought it up, have you ever taken a "race in society", or diversity class?

[Persistance 0]

So ,let me see if I understood::tired

When I call somebody else a diminishing, racist, or discriminating word and then say:

“It was a joke” or “famous so and so did it too” or “ He/she call herself that word before“ or maybe if I say “ I apologize”… then I should be forgiven and I won’t lose my job???

If I do something good, like donating money to a good cause then I can get away with anything?:guess

The point is not if the basketball team forgave him. The point is, he knew thousands of people of many races were listening and still he said “Nappy hair Hos”. To be funny, cool, or whatever, he said that and now he is fired.:faint:

What is funny is that we could go against each other the whole day and this guy will never know about our opinions!!!! :bored

So…..NEXT TOPIC PLEEEEASE!!!!!

[foodstampchamp 3]

That was great suntra, not all true though. Now apply to women. I work in a male dominated field. I also had to "sue" my high school to have a girls track team. We have all had our crosses to bear.

what a coincidence. I also work in a male dominated field. I'm a gold miner for the largest gold company in the world. I'm the only girl on my 80 man crew. Also, we sued our jr. high so I could play jr. high football. Just thought this was kind of funny.

[Sunta 4]

I believe Sunta here is talking about the invisible privelege that white people (especially white men) have. She is not referring to whether you grew up in a weathy household, went to an excellent school, etc. She is talking about the white privelege that ALL white people are born with...we can't see it, but minorities can. A really really good video (documentary) that attempts to explain this is called The Color of Fear. It has 8 men of all different ethnicities and races talking to each other about their race issues. Really eye-opening, and explains Sunta's point exactly.

Thank you much, Daniethegirl. Now, if only people would actually be open to educating themselves on these issues, the world be a much better place.

But it seems that the suggestion of merely learning something new is highly offensive to some, unfortunately.

I will check out the documentary you recommend. It sounds like just the refresher course I need on this fascinating subject.

[Sunta 4]

Just an FYI everyone. I ammended the list to include a giant list of male privileges as well.