I Must Not stand for this I-mass Confusion
Once again the ugly but valid issue of race in America has surfaced as a hot topic. This time it’s because an American broadcasting icon put his foot in his mouth (Don Imus). He and his personally selected on-air staff called a group of Black Rutgers female basketball players “nappy headed ho’s,” among other racist and sexist disparaging remarks. The two white team members were, for all intents and purposes, ignored.
“Nappy headed,” “kinky haired,” “wooly haired,” “Nigger,” “pick-a-ninny,” are just a few of the words that White’s introduced into the lexicon of the American English language to demean, degrade, and dehumanize the slaves from Sub-Saharan Africa. This systematic campaign of negative racial stereotyping was necessary because the race-based and genetically inheritable form of slavery invented in colonial America by White American colonists was the first time slavery had been based on racial identity, made perpetually inheritable, and nearly inescapable by ordinary means. The negatively affected people were the enslaved ones, indelibly marked with their so-called Negroid features, dark skin, tightly curled hair, thick lips, and large widely spread nostrils. This set of easily identifiable physical characteristics facilitated easy identification and “recovery” of Black individuals who strayed from the bonds of involuntary servitude whether they had been legally sold and bought as slaves or not. The positively affected people were the White American colonists who found the key to exponential economic growth: a huge pool of unpaid and self-replicating labor populated by persons who could never inherit the fruits of that labor.
The power elite among the Euro-whites who colonized America were intelligent and educated. They were familiar with the political characteristics of the “classical” cultures they most admired. They knew that the Greeks, Romans, et al rose to dominance on the backs of slave labor. Slavery was recognized as the key to extracting more from an economic/political system than the system’s owners put into it.
The self-interested keepers of White moral and economic standards cleverly used pseudo-religious principles as tools to erect a cross upon which to crucify their Black victims as just sacrifices, ordained by God as a means for the deliverance of Whites from many of the labors attendant to gleaning wealth from the uncivilized and harsh continent upon which they found themselves (having fled or been expelled from their erstwhile “un-free” political environs in Europe and that little island). Faith and moral posturing were important then, as they are now. Recognizing that there might be a perceived disconnect between the principles espoused in their revolutionary rants and their actual practices, astute whites took institutionalized enslavement one step further by constructing a set of moral-sounding rationalizations for the nature of the institution, and the need to perpetuate it.
They cherry-picked phrases from the Bible, and what they could not support with direct quotes, they simply made up. Blacks were less than human in the eyes of God. They were bearers of the mark of Cain, and were thus deserving of lesser treatment. They looked different from “civilized” real humans. You could dress them up, but you couldn’t change their “animal” physical characteristics. They were progeny of faithless pseudo-cultures, created as a quasi-human “lesser” to be cultivated and controlled by the enlightened, White Christian “greater.” Ultimately, Pro-slavery White thinkers sold the idea that God sanctioned their actions. After all, they were only telling the “movers and shakers” what they wanted and needed to hear. To most it was an easy sell. (Even those who found slavery abhorrent tended to perceive Blacks as not quite human.) The framers of the Constitution and laws of the nascent nation wove racial discrimination into the legal and moral fabric of that nation. Thus the birth of a schizoid country began, and centuries later the schism is almost as wide as ever.
We are now in the 21st century and some wounds are still scabrous. Healing won’t be complete unless and until the scab falls off, the sensitive underlying skin is exposed to clean air, and the mending process is final. Imus’ infamous comments found their origin in an era when such disparagement was deemed to be necessary, and rationalized as morally correct. Now, neither its necessity nor its moral correctness is recognized as valid. Educated and intelligent Americans are (or should be) aware of their nation’s history, and the consequences of various actions taken along the way to the present. Still, when a White person gets busted for crossing the line of racial hatred and insensitivity, his/her first line of defense is always the trite, “Forgive me, for I know not what I do; the Bible obligates you to give me a break.” Over the centuries, White America has always used the Bible and the magical mantra of Christian forgiveness to get out from under the most vile, hideous, and hateful behavior against Black Americans. If that book was so important to them, that behavior would be less likely to still exist -- Unless, of course, they continue to hold a closeted belief in the validity of the racist propaganda promulgated in the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.
American Blacks must be the final arbiters of their own images. Note that I said “images,” not “image.” No single image can properly portray the realities of multiple millions of individuals, even if they share common physical characteristics. This is what freedom is all about. I am free to brand or tattoo myself. You are not free to brand or tattoo me without my overt consent. The pseudo-debate about how certain Black performers use disparaging terminology when referring to Blacks is the reddest of red herrings. It is an attempt on the part of proponents of the historic power of American Whites to continue to assert a dominant position over Blacks. After all, Black people couldn’t possibly be capable of deciding such issues for themselves -- or could they?
They can -- if they will. There are times when it is necessary to assert citizens’ rights regardless of the opinions of a majority that has been accustomed to framing the debate. To paraphrase others who have said it before, neither the Constitution nor cherry-picked biblical passages should be viewed as suicide pacts. Succumbing to a death by a thousand socially inflicted cuts is not an option. There are limits to forgiveness. Where my perceived need to forgive you is in opposition to my obligation to create a situation that will make it less likely that I and my progeny will have to endure a repetition of the affront that created the need for forgiveness in the first place, forgiveness loses. Accountability and appropriate behavioral modification are in order.
Imus had to be fired. For decades he demonstrated a pattern of behavior. He inflicted social injury to those least able to defend themselves. It doesn’t matter that he was an “equal opportunity” insulter. It doesn’t matter that his insults were often directed towards persons of power who were well able to defend themselves. It’s the collateral damage that counts most. His vile vitriol couldn’t help but spill over onto members of the minority masses who couldn’t fend off the continuous attacks by Imus and his fans, too many of whom used his on-air ravings as rationalization for more directly harmful behavior against Blacks and other minorities. He feigned repentance before, and didn’t mean it. He agreed to modify his racist behavior before, and didn’t do it. Even this time, during his “repentance tour” of various media outlets, he reverted to his old, bullying self whenever confronted with the reality of his past and present behavior. He tried to use his many charitable activities as shields against criticisms about issues that had nothing to do with those charities -- and certainly nothing to do with tax-deductions. Imus is still extremely rich and extremely famous and extremely popular. His approach to entertainment was certainly not illegal, but it was, in the eyes of employing networks, their sponsors, many broadcasting professionals, and many others, unacceptable. His firing was not illegal, but it was appropriate, acceptable, and necessary. His firing was a non-crime that befitted the non-crimes of which he was guilty.
A precedent must be established if Whites are to really be believed about how they are in no way proud of the hypocrisy in race relations that continues to plague our society. It is incumbent for supporters of social equity to hold onto the ball this time.
Imus was the morning “wake-up coffee” that stimulated much of America. Many of his fans were comfortable pretending to reject racism, while reveling in its corrosiveness as promoted by this “Shock Jock.” Imus has been wearing the “Dayrider’s sheet” of racist America, and his followers have been hiding under it or behind it. The time has finally come for the racist underpinnings of so much of this nation and its history to be exposed. This is not a pleasant or comfortable situation. That is why so many are pushing for “forgiveness.” Instead of doing the hard things and making uncomfortable admissions, many Americans are desperately seeking to preserve the cover with which Imus had sheltered them for so many years. It is enlightening and saddening to observe so many prominent journalists, editorialists, and others grasping for rhetorical straws as they attempt to come up with ways to save Imus from himself and for themselves.
One would think that they should develop somewhat of an aversion for straws of any kind, having seen the effect of the proverbial straw that broke the Imus camel’s back. There was nothing covert about Imus’ presentation. He used his sponsors’ money to hire staff to do “nigger” jokes. Alarm bells failed to ring, or if rung, failed to be recognized as his powerful commercial and socio-political supporters subsidized his efforts to give America what they were certain it wanted. CBS, MSNBC, corporate entities, prominent politicians, etc. have not been oblivious to the Imus’ nature. They have benefited from it, and enjoyed the ride -- all the way to their respective banks. Blacks and others were expected to continue to retreat to the back of the media bus.
Majority individuals (and a few clinging minority sycophants) all over America are in shock and awe of the fallout from that one last straw. The straw that breaks the camel’s back generally has that effect when it’s least expected. After all, if it were expected, that last straw would never have been laid on. Imus’ "last straw event" caught him and millions of others by surprise, not because of the nature of the straw, but because of the effect of its placement.
The pro-Imus insurgency is now engaging in the placement of rhetorical IED’s. They are attempting to nullify and intimidate their critics by targeting Black entertainers via a censorship drive. They are deliberately confusing freedom of expression within an ethnic or racial group with ethnic intimidation from those outside the group. They are pretending not to recognize that there is a moral and legal difference. That must not be permitted. Neither White media mavens, nor Black go-to-spokespersons must be allowed to become complicit to relinquishing freedom of expression in behalf of all of Black America. This would not be freedom, and would not respect the fact that no single point of view legitimately represents 100% of the members of any major population. This stance is ultimately threatening to the freedom of all Americans, regardless of race and ethnicity.
Good taste is not required under the Constitution. To any cretins who confuse the production and sale of possibly offensive forms of expression directly to those who wish to purchase it, with generalized corporate support (via advertising dollars) of offensive forms of expression channeled via public airways to listeners and viewers who have not directly asked for it, but who are inadvertently exposed to it because it is intermixed with more palatable fare: GET REAL!!
Whites have to be accountable for their actions, as must we all. Blacks are not the creators of, nor have they been the beneficiaries of the American racism that has existed for so long. There is no need for anyone to accept the unacceptable from the majority just because many of them continue to believe they are entitled to be the sole arbiters of American moral legitimacy. The past was then. The present is now. There is no longer any reason for Blacks to accept being treated as though they are the spawn of the Devil only because of their inherited physical characteristics.
Imus doesn’t need to stay on air to keep the dialogue going. He doesn’t need to stay on the air to remain rich. His good deeds in behalf of various causes can continue whether he remains in broadcasting or not. Jerry Lewis, for example, hasn’t been an actively performing “A-lister” for years, but he continues to do good through his annual telethons. If Imus is looking for a new cause he could probably raise a boatload of dough by hosting a huge pity-party benefiting the social redemption of the poor, downtrodden majority Male. He could call it Party In Sincere Support Of Majority Oppressiveness Forever and Forever (PISSOMOFF). A true Shock Jock would appreciate the acronym.
Kidding aside, it doesn't seem likely that Imus will be trodding the path toward redemption any time soon. One of his more revelatory statements was, "If you expect me to have a come-to-Jesus moment, that ain’t gonna happen!"
If he really becomes dejected about having received the broadcasting "death penalty," he can replace the words to his familiar six note theme tune with, "Imus is in mourning."
posted by Cassandra Paine at 11:42 AM
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