I want to start by saying that I like Al Sharpton. I agree with a lot of what he has to say, but when it comes to Imus he is wrong and to a certain point a hypocritical. As a commentator/comedian I believe no one should get fired for a joke. I understand that people get offended, but a joke, however bad is just that, a joke.
The reason why I say Sharpton is acting like a hypocrite is because he is only opening his mouth about this because the joke was about black people. But lets not forget, the reverend has been in the Cris Rock show and said nothing about the jokes Cris Rock says about white people. Cris Rock has said as a joke that he hates white people, he has generalized all white people as being racist. why not say anything about that? That does not help race relations does it? No it doesn't help, but you know what? It shouldn't hurt either. IT IS A JOKE! See I have a problem every time someone tries to control language. Religion, Politics they all try to control language because that is how you control thought.
By getting Imus fired, Rev Al and everyone involved effectively eliminated the good things that Imus did. His cancer camp, his fund raising for different causes. All because of a stupid joke. Al Sharpton put himself ahead of kids with cancer, and the tomorrow's children fund. Come on reverend, it is not the words that make the man, it his actions. Why are we so afraid of words? words are meaningless, it is actions that tell us who the person really is.
I love freedom, we all do. IMHO freedom of speech is the single most important freedom we have, but how can we have freedom of speech if when you use it, that means that your livelihood can be destroyed?
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