Much ado about Imus
W hen me sits down to write a post, there be a few general guidelines that me follows.
Me tries to focus on one idea or event everyday. That often does not give people time to read and comment on previous posts because they often do not scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Me also limits what me writes to something that can be read within the space of ninety seconds. Me reckons that be the optimum amount of time before folks get bored with what they be reading here.
(Cabo stuff be the only exception to the criteria)
This make it tough to get me point across- looks like me gonna hafta break the rules a bit.
It seems to me that these days, free speech ain't all that free at all.
Let's be realistic about this. It never really has been.
The price one pays to express ones mind can be dear, so if yer gonna spout make certain that it be somethin' you believe in.
The guys that set their names to the declaration of Independence were signing a death warrant. They did so because they believed that the words demanding freedom included in the statement were worth more than life.
During the McCarthy trials; where hundreds of talented folks lost the ability to work and live as "free" Americans. Many people suffered loss of employment, destruction of their careers, and even imprisonment in order to protect the freedoms that were fought and won for American citizens.
In the sixties millions marched to voice their opinions against racial injustice and war and were often met with violence and other severe repercussions.
This be the age of limited expressionism.
One may speak freely, but not so as to insult or denigrate any class of people or group that one don't belong to.
The ability to express oneself with negative terminology is limited within the sphere of your birth, sex, social class or economic status.
Political correctness has become overbearing and ridiculous.
The only groups that are fair game to the freedom of speech are those that are disliked by the country as a whole or are well to do, so they can't possibly be harmed by any derogatory speech; or are so small that they lack the ability to make their voices heard.
The absurdity and hypocrisy of restricting language, be to me, diametrically opposed to what the United States is supposed to represent.
You may not like what some people have to say, but you can't castigate them when they use the same words you do to describe things.
And if you don't like derogatory language than maybe you ought not use it yourself.
It's hard to cry foul when there's a rock in your own hand.
Lenny Bruce said it all more than four decades ago. He saw what was happening to us and tried to set us straight.
It be worth the time to read and listen to what he had to say.
This was written by Sleeveless Brian and it sums it up pretty well
Me no always tilting at windmills
21 comments:
Perhaps you have Imus in mind when you wrote this. We must remember that speech is free in this country. Imus was not jailed for saying the idiotic things he did. However, we are not free from the consequences of what we say. I may have the right to call "W" an idiot, but I can't be exempt from the consequences of saying that if I wish to run for public office and my opponent uses that against me.
{{{applause}}}
Well done, Scary Monster. And listen, forget the 90-second rule. You couldn't be boring if you tried.
Imus didn't say anything new. Their own kind say what Imus called the girl's basketball team.
I don't understand racism.
Maybe we should all agree to stop calling each other names.
The way I see the different races: We are all human beings and should treat each other as equals, simply because we are equals and should be treated as such.
Lynn Green~ Welcome to me home.
As you are a guest here Me must keep me stoming to a minimum.
This be also out of respect to ladies and your office.
Did you not read the title of this post? or the post in it's entirety?
Me agreed with most of the points you made, in fact after visiting your blog me sees that we have similar viewpoints on many things. We have even posted the same artwork; me just didn't state Me ideas in an obtuse or prolix manner.
The idea that speech is free is almost ridiculous. It be true that Imus wasn't jailed. Worse, he was silenced.
The people who hired him knew just what kind of moron he is. After all he been that way since me was a kid.
When things got hot, they didn't back him up. They dropped him and left him to flounder.
What can you say about a leader who doesn't back employees up when things get hot?
STOMP!
Hey SJ~ Did you know there is a car named after you? Me will try to get some pics and send them to you.
lambkins~ Me did it! Me finally got you to leave a lenghty comment.
STOMPALODEOOOOOOO!
You should see the post I wrote about it.
Been there lambkins. Left you a stomp.
You sweet, fluffy, perpetual motion blogger you.
P.S. Never go to New Zealand- you'll never come back the same.
You sure do talk about this "me" character a lot...what's his deal?
revree~ Me be me, and we, and thee.
Thanks fer stomping by.
Thank you Scary. I so TOTALLY agree with you. They act like this is some outrageous crap Imus is saying. This is nothing new for Imus. My bet is now he wanders over to XM with Howard Stern.
Hey corn dog~ Me don't really know everything that be going on with Imus and Me don't know what XM be either, but me do understand that people have a tendancy to blow things way out of proportion when it comes to race relations. Especially when it serves their political interests.
Me mom says that the feeling in New York be quite tense and very uncomfortable
I'm with Corndog. I bet Imus gets a fat contract with satellite radio now.
I never understood what Imus was doing on MSNBC to begin with. I do agree, he was just doing what he does best. I don't care for what he said, but then again, I don't care for anything he has to say and therefore don't tune in.
Slow news cycle..I think..and everyone turned away from more important issues like this ongoing disaster in Iraq. As a matter of fact..no one paid much attention to the fact that the Iraqi Parliment took a suicide bomb hit...shouldn't we be making THAT the number one story? How about Alberto Gonzalez and the lies that continuosly permeate this administration.
Imus, like Rush Limbaugh, like all the other loud mouths, feed the hate wars in this country..but it is a free country and they have a right to spew all their disparaging remarks, but we also have the freedom to not listen.
ok, I feel better now..
tfg~ Amazing how shit floats, ain't it?
Leelee when we were teenagers Imus was a joke. He still is. Me problem be not with the man, but with the inability of folks to see through such idiocy and the fact that his employers succumbed to extortionists and left him out in the wind.
Love having you at me place, glad me wrote something that got to you.
Yes, Scary, I did see what you were talking about.. yes, the powers that be actually hired teh man because of who he is and what he does and they succumbed to politics and fired him after his remarks. I am always amazed and confounded by how muc the will of the politicians can out weight the will of the people...well perhaps I am not really that amazed. Just look around..
SM...many of your posts "get to me" Unfortunately I seem to be a slow and thoughful processor and only wish I had more time to put my thoughts in order enough to respond as I would like. I read you diligently and always enjoy your posts and do think about much of what you write about..only wish we could sit down and discuss in person. I wish that for so many of the bloggers I read...I was thinking the other day, what terrific dinner parties I could have if I could invite you all over..wow...I think there would be some fun and interesting meetings for sure.
Me would dish out the airfare for such an event.
Especially if me could wake up the next day and lounge by your pool.
I posted about the Imus ordeal as well. It is 'unfortunate' in many ways. The thing that gets me is all the energy spent on this when there are men and women dying in Iraq... and we dont give that even a fraction of the airtime.
Nice scary post! =]
What, Scary? A car named for MOI?! Does it run?:)
I don't care for Imus, never have. Most people have the good sense to simply tune out something they don't want to hear. Still, these teacup tempests blow up every now and then. I'm with Corn Dog and TFG -- he'll end up on satellite radio. I wouldn't be surprised if it's not already a done deal.
pardon my typos in my last reply SM...I was so caught up in the writing I never bothered to correct my typing mistakes...oh well...you CAN read "typo" correct??
Thanks again for this thought provoking post..
Awwww leelee you can typo me anytime.
Stomps.
We have this political correctness idiocy in the UK to an extreme. Over and over, the news tells us of someone who's gone to prison for making a 'racist remark'.
Now, I'm against racism in all forms, including verbal insults, but prison for it?
I can't help seing it as -
'Mr Policeman sir, that man called me a bad name.'
'Never you mind, we'll lock him up so he can't call you bad names again.'
And they do!
Meanwhile, shootings and stabbings abound. But that's apparently less of an issue, as long as the stabber and stabbee are of the same race.
At the moment, I don't think race is a problem in the UK. The biggest problem we have is political correctness.
Trouble is, if you try to do something about it, they'll lock you away!
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