I will begin with a number of factual tidbits obtained from wikipedia.com.
Don Imus helped raise over $10 million (and personally contributed $300,000) toward Center for the Intrepid, a Texas rehabilitation facility. Considered to be the largest technological center of its kind in the country, it is designed to help treat disabled veterans and help them with their transition back into the community.
In the 1990s, Imus and his wife founded the Imus Ranch, a working cattle ranch near Ribera, New Mexico, 50 miles southeast of Santa Fe. The Imus Ranch is a charitable organization for children with cancer, as well as siblings of SIDS victim
Don Imus is a man who has given to the community more than most people could possibly want to give in their lives. Don Imus is a Pulitzer Prize winning radio broadcaster. Don Imus is an American who not only has opinions, but stands by them. And in the case of this latest controversy, Don Imus has proven himself to be a stand-up man that will admit his own wrongdoing when necessary.
Can Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson say any of that about themselves?
Don Imus called the Rutgers University women's basketball team a group of "nappy headed hoes." Jesse Jackson called three Duke University lacrosse team members rapists. Is there not some sort of double standard that is being held by the majority of America, the majority of the black population in America, and more importantly, the media? The Duke players and the Rutgers players, they are only college students -- nothing else. They both have wrongfully been accused, or disrespected, but in the wake of each situation, the way they have been handled are as different as black and white (no pun intended).
In the Rutgers scenario, the accuser (Don Imus), immediately stood up and apologized for his remarks. He put himself into the fire by going appearing on Al Sharpton's "radio" show, he publically and privately apologized to the team themselves, and now has accepted his fate of being unemployed. The media has ripped him to shreds and has wrongfully discussed only one side of the topic for fear of alienating their black audiences or, perhaps, for fear of being accused of being racist themselves.
In the Duke case, the accuser (not the "victim," rather Jesse Jackson), was on record on CNN saying that the Duke lacrosse players are rapists. One day after the charges were dropped, where is the apology? How come there isn't a call for him to be banned from speaking to any media outlet? The man called a group of young, quality, intelligent American citizens rapists. To accuse someone of being a rapist is a far worse crime than calling someone a ho. There is no debate.
The Rutgers women basketball team will be allowed to live the rest of their lives, and quite possibly will looked at as heroes for their race. The accused Duke lacrosse members will have to live the rest of their lives being known as alleged rapists. They have had everything normal taken away from them and will no longer be able to live a completely normal life. Where is the justice?
I am calling for an apology and a retraction of any statements made by people that accussed the Duke men of being racist. This is a racist double standard that is being held by the media and the majority of black America. I am like most level-headed humans, and I want to live in a world where everyone is treated equally. This begins with everyone taking responsibility, not just Don Imus.
