The Don Imus thing is hilarious, but mostly I laugh to keep from crying.
Where to begin? Let's go chronologically.
#1: The flap is out of proportion to the offense. Had the same comments come from Chris Rock, no one would bat an eye. Had Rock made analogous remarks about white athletes, no one would care, except maybe Rush Limbaugh using it to show why white people are the REAL victims of racism; and we would all have a laugh. What Imus said was wrong, but hardly worth the attention it's getting (including from this diary - now I'm part of the lunacy).
Even more ridiculous was...
#2: The fact that he apologized. What exactly is an apology worth? Does it fix anything? John Edwards has apologized all over the place for his war vote; and all his apologies have not brought back one soldier.
As far as I can see, the only value an apology has is if it reveals a sincere change of heart. Does anyone really believe Imus went on a show hosted by Al Sharpton to express a genuine change in his character? He apologized for one reason: to save his ass! He illustrated what Ambrose Bierce wrote in The Devil's Dictionary: that "apologize" is a verb meaning "to lay the foundation for a future offense." Imus apologized because he wants to retain his show where he can keep on offending, though perhaps now he'll limit his venom to targets with fewer defenders. This cheapens the whole idea of apology.
(Perhaps this is why I have more respect for Hillary Clinton than for John Edwards. Both voted for the war when it was popular, both vow to end the war now that it is unpopular. Edwards apologizes and is quickly forgiven by millions while Hillary continues to bear the backlash earned by her vote. It seems apology has simply become a way to slip responsibility.)
But what really pisses me off is ...
#3: The apology was even more offensive than what he apologized for. He said he wanted to apologize, not just to the athletes he insulted, but to their parents. What the fuck do their parents have to do with this?? It reminds me of the movie Unforgiven where the cowboy mutilates a prostitute and then makes restitution by giving horses to her pimp. The fact that Imus apologized to his victim's parents suggests he does not see these young athletes as individuals but as property of their parents.
Sadly, this isn't a first. A few years back, I heard John McCain on a local radio show. A caller asked him about a time he had made a joke at the expense of then-teenaged Chelsea Clinton. McCain responded that the matter had been settled because "I apologized to President and Mrs. Clinton, and they accepted." No need to worry about the young victim; just give some verbal horses to her owners and everything's fine.
Where's Clint Eastwood when we REALLY need some asses kicked?
I'll give Imus credit for this much: at least he INCLUDED the victims in his apology. But he didn't seem to think his victims deserved any more apology than their parents - or even their coach.
Imus owes every young person an apology for his apology. But unless it's sincere, I for one don't want to hear it. Do you?