Al Sharpton’s Beam v. Don Imus’ Speck

Far be it from me to defend Don Imus’ characterization of the Rutgers Women’s basketball team as “nappie headed hos.”  Imus himself has characterized his words as “repugnant” and they certainly were.  Imus has sincerely apologized.  He is being drawn and quartered by the Left and its media machine.  He will lose advertisers. He will lose prestige.  He will lose in more ways than can be calculated. And in many respects he ought to lose.  But should he lose his living – his source of income – because he said something stupid and without racial intent?

And now we hear from the women he ostensibly offended.  Do we really need to parade the team out for a press conference, as if putting them on display will somehow prove that what Imus said about them isn’t true?  We all know what Imus said wasn’t true.  When Imus spoke the words he himself knew they weren’t true. My momma always said that just because someone called you a name didn’t mean that was who you were. The harder you tried to prove you weren’t what they called you, the more you looked like you were. So just let it go. The person you really are will be finally determined by the life you live, not by what others say about you.

Imus isn’t the hypocrite here.  Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and the entire leadership of the (liberal) African-American community are the hypocrites.  Truth be told, Sharpton and Jackson have more racist tendencies than Imus has compassion for disadvantaged children (and Imus has a TON of compassion for disadvantaged children). And if Sharpton and Jackson were truly concerned about the portrayal of African-American women in the media, they would have used their platforms to rid this country of the deplorable rap music industry.

When talk radio host Glenn Beck pointed out to Al Sharpton that the lyrics of rap songs written and performed by black rappers show more disrespect to black women than Imus’ 30 second comment, Al Sharpton excused the rappers on the grounds that they don’t have nationally syndicated talk shows.  What?!?!  Here’s a partial transcript of the exchange:

BECK: This is what really bothers you, right?

SHARPTON: Absolutely. I mean, that is what hits me to the core. As I said, I have two daughters. And when I heard that, I heard him calling my daughters, who are not thugs, not in the street, not doing wrong, in college.

It`s like she said, when you excel, people call you that anyway. I had to come forth, and many others have come forth.

BECK: I have to tell you, it`s — I have — I have three daughters, and it`s not just if they excel. Calling your daughters — this is why this story reaches me, is because it is just so offensive on so many levels.

But here`s some women who have really accomplished something and to call them, you know, nappy headed hos is offensive.

However, Ludacris has a song called “Hos”. “Can`t turn a ho into a housewife,” apparently good advice from Ludacris.

How about Tupac: “I get around, all respect to those who break their neck to keep the hos in check.”

Notorious BIG: “Ain`t that a slut who” — and it goes into describing things that she does with her butt, different kinds of showers she likes and calls her a ho. DMX: “It`s all good. I`ve done it all to hos. Dominican hos, country hos, from sister to country hos.”

Three-six Mafia: “I heard it`s hard out there for a pimp. Couldn`t keep up with my hos.” Uses the “N” word. I mean, this is everywhere with rap.

Now I know you`ve given — you know, you`ve gone out, and you just had a press conference a couple of weeks ago. Will you tell me that you are trying to get these guys fired from their record contracts as much as you`re trying to get Don Imus thrown off the radio?

SHARPTON: No, what I will tell you is I`ve said that these record companies — ironically, the same conglomerate owns some of the record companies that you`re talking about, owns the radio station that Imus is on. These record companies ought to be hit so that we will take the profit out of that.

BECK: But you are not saying that with Don Imus. You are saying…

SHARPTON: With Don Imus…

BECK: You are saying, “I want you fired.”

SHARPTON: Don Imus is on a federally regulated radio station and television. If these guys were talk show hosts, I`d be marching to get all of…

BECK: These guys are being played not only on radio stations, but they`re also connected right to our daughter`s ears with their iPods.

SHARPTON: Glenn Beck — Glenn Beck…

BECK: This is much more hazardous.

SHARPTON: I am surprised. You have a good research department. I was surprised that when I met with the FCC about this about 18 months ago…

BECK: What I`m asking you…

SHARPTON: You don`t want the answer to that.

BECK: I do want the answer. Al, you and I have talked about this.

SHARPTON: I`m the guy that went to FCC and talked about this language and violence in hip-hop. “Nightline” even did a extensive report on this. So you don`t have to sell me. I want to know where all the people, including Mr. Imus, who claimed to be outraged by it, where were they when I were raising this, because it was…

BECK: I will be with you any time. We just don`t put people out of business, out of political correctness. Let`s encourage people to shed that.

SHARPTON: You cannot correct the rapper if you don`t have the same courage to stand up to people like Don Imus.

The lyrics of black rappers repeatedly referring to black women as “hos” and much worse, are played on radio stations around the nation and not a peep about those racial slurs from the so-called leadership of the African-American community. Yet Sharpton says that because rappers aren’t talk show hosts he won’t march to stop them from characterizing black women as hos.  He blames the lyrics of black rap on the “conglomerates” rather than on the black artists who write them! What a hypocrite!

Shouldn’t the leadership in the African-American community get the beam out of its own eye before it goes messing with the speck of dust in Imus’ eye? Truth be told, it isn’t the speck in Imus’ eye Sharpton and Jackson are after.  It’s his wallet. Once Imus’ writes the check to the black activist group of their choosing, this will all go away.

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About Paul Edwards

Paul is the Executive Director of the Center for the Study of God and Culture in Detroit, Michigan and Founding and Teaching Pastor at Redeemer Church of Waterford, Michigan.

9 thoughts on “Al Sharpton’s Beam v. Don Imus’ Speck

  1. Man, I thought I would be able to go back and download and listen to the entire broadcast from today but I guess I can’t. So once again I only caught the tail end of the show.

    Well Paul, I have to say that on one level I can understand your compassion for Don Imus since you are also a radio man and since the gospel is an offense to many, it is true that in time the masses will come after people like you, demanding your job. All I can say is keep on telling the truth and God has your reward for you in the end. You’ll know that you’re okay as long as you’re obeying Him.

    One thing that bothers me with that though, is that I think there’s a VAST difference between preaching against homo-sexuality, (or any other sinful behavior for that matter) — and spewing hateful comments towards a particular group of people. I find that many people do not know the difference. I got in a discussion with some old college buddies about homo-sexuality and I wasn’t saying anything degrading about gay people, all I said was that the Bible teaches that it is wrong and ungodly, and we should love gay people enough to tell them the truth about it. I didn’t degrade them or name-call, but my goodness, they acted like what I said was akin to the words of Isaiah Washington and Tim Hardaway. I spent a good amount of time trying to explain the difference between my words and theirs. I THINK they got it, but still, it is too bad that many don’t see the difference. I think it is something that we should make sure we explain.

    That being said, what Don Imus said IS akin to the words of Isaiah Washington and Tim Hardaway (yes I do think Isaiah Washington should have been fired). Once again, I’m not trying to deny Imus his 1st Amendment rights at all, I don’t think he should go to jail for what he said or get physically harmed or anything like that. I just believe that there should still be a strong consequence for saying things, particularly as hateful and harmful as that. Paul, I think using King David was a bad example. You said that in spite of what David did, even though he had to suffer consequences, at least he kept his job…Paul…people DIED because of what David did. You don’t think that David would have given up his job for the lives and dignities of his kids?

    Anyway, I don’t mean to ramble, but I guess in closing I’ll just say that in spite of what anyone might think at this point, I am praying and hoping the best for Don Imus, that somehow as a result of this his heart will be pricked and that even perhaps the Lord might be able to use him to His glory in some kind of way. I pray that God will sustain him and transform him, and that it all works out for good in the end. Sometimes it takes getting “knocked off your horse” in order to be a real champion for God. Regardless of whether he gets converted or not, though, I’m pretty confident that the man won’t go hungry.

    Angie – Farmington Hills

  2. Hey Paul,

    Love the show! As a participant in the music industry, I find Al Sharpton’s comments regarding the filth that is spewed against black women by rappers, that the “white-owned” record companies should be the ones to suffer the consequences for this behavior is typical. Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Julian Bond and those who promote their political agenda depend on creating victims. If there are no “victims,” they have no platform to crusade against the injustice they have suffered because of the white man.

    This is a great country and if any man, black, white, blue, green, orange or purple decides that they want something better in their life, their biggest obstacle is their own fear and hesitation. Are they guaranteed success? Absolutely not, but the true equality in this country is in opportunity, not outcome. The biggest question Sharpton’s supporters should ask themselves is, how has the black cause been advanced and what do we have to show for it? As with all liberal attempts at “compassion,” results don’t matter, only the intention of the heart. Meanwhile, nothing ever changes and we get taxed into oblivion by thousands of government programs that don’t make any difference but keep sucking tax money from all of us.

    As fas Don Imus is concerned, you hit the nail on the head. What he said was horrible and there should be consequences. The fact that he has apologized for the “umpteenth” time doesn’t matter to the liberals. they only want a chance to destroy somebody in order to advance their own political agenda. Make no mistake. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Julian Bond are liberals first and the fact the they are black leaders only serves that purpose.

    Paul, you have been one of my best friends now for over 35 years and I am so pleased that your show is doing so well. You are living proof that deacon’s kids do grow up to be great servant’s of God! Take care my friend.

  3. Angie, As a white conservative male I would like to thank you for a well thought out, balanced, articulate position. I personally do not land on either side of this issue, but you have provoked me to think.

  4. You know, I’ve been tuning in to “God and Culture” for a good couple of months now and I really enjoy you Paul and believe that you are a man of God and all, but I have to say that your insensitivity to the black plight in America becomes more and more apparent the more that I listen to your show.

    I only caught the last few minutes of the show today and so I can only really speak on what I heard, but I was really flabbergasted to hear you say that you believe that Imus should keep his job because he offered an apology, and that people who don’t believe he should retain his job as a result of his actions are not obeying the Bible by forgiving him as Jesus has forgiven us.

    It was my assumption that even babes in Christ understood the difference between being forgiven and still having to pay the consequences for your actions. To give an analogy, if a young lady has sex outside of marriage, she can ask God for forgiveness and be confident that He will forgive her according to His Word, but that does not mean she won’t become pregnant or catch a disease as a consequence of her actions. Another analogy, if a man sexually harrasses someone at work, he can apologize all the day long, he can even be sincere, but he has to get fired.

    Nobody is trying to deny the man his freedom of speech. Nobody is demanding that his tongue be cut out or his mouth nailed shut. However, freedom of speech should never trump the safety or dignity of a person, and when that happens, there should be consequences for that. This is not the first time that Imus has exhibited this type of behavior and so it is quite obvious that he has a deep-rooted problem of the heart that I don’t believe deserves the platform that he has in the form of a nationally syndicated radio show. I’m deeply disappointed at best that you don’t agree with that stance.

    Does this mean that I’m okay with gangsta rap? Of course not! But to hear how people like to throw that in black people’s faces as we try to take Imus to task for his behavior is very reminiscent of the sinner tossing your own faults in your face when you confront them with their sin in an effort to excuse themselves. The rap industry should not be excused, but even if they have been so far, does this give Imus a free pass for his hateful behavior?

    I’m not a fan of Jesse Jackson or of Al Sharpton and I do agree that they are VERY poor representatives of the black Christian — at the same time I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions about their motives with this any more than I would want it done to me, and I don’t think that was fair either. I guess I’m just pretty disappointed in your take on this, Paul.

    Thanks for the opportunity to express my thoughts.
    Angie from Farmington Hills

  5. Paul, You know what else I think it being lost in this whole thing is I am concerned at the outcome of this. I seems that people want to sensor our thoughts and words, meaning a loss of our first amendments rights. As a preacher, I am sure you value that, without it there is a lot of the Bible that we cannot speak as it is offensive to the world.

  6. How true Kay, But man that lieth with man as with a woman is still an abomination to the Lord. Their time has not come yet. An old time sermon titled “Payday Someday” is still relevant today! Let us be careful we do not become supporters of such filt that Imus represents in the name offreedom, let the world do that, this is their crowd.

  7. Like you say Paul it is hypocricy, Sharpton and Jackson do nothing to help the real root cause of the black communities. They simply use color as a way to springboard their own personal causes. They like to be thought of in the vien of MLK jr, they are far from it. I can’t defend and won’t defend Imus, but comon he said I’m sorry.

  8. It is very interesting that Imus is getting grilled for his comedic 30 second statment. Rosie O’Donnald gets a pass constantly on t.v. Black people can sing about it. Female lesbians can joke about it. Lets realy read between the lines:white straight men do not have the same freedom of speech and will be strangled with the politically correct tool in this country.

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