Imus: The Unfortunate Scapegoat       

By Alexander Rivero 4/30/2007

I’d like to publicly thank Don Imus for his remarks about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. It really opened up my eyes to something that I had known for years, but was never fully able to put into a coherent set of words. I do think it is a sad day in the United States of America when a radio shock jock, a man who is paid for saying outrageous things, is fired for doing just that. However, according to the reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, and many other angry citizens, Imus’ comment was a tad bit too outrageous. He truly crossed the line. The rights of free speech do not and should not even apply to this situation, and Imus should not only be fired, but he should be made to permanently drop his radio gig, adopt a career in hairstyling, and take up residence in New Orleans as a volunteer barber, relieving Katrina victims of having to pay for haircuts. It would be a nice “hands on” experience in bringing some comfort to an area of the U.S. where 68 percent of the population has a ‘nappy’ head.

On a lighter note, we sure took a giant leap forward in stopping racism in the U.S. when we fired him. Excellent job once again, Reverends Jackson and Sharpton, for squashing yet another racist little cockroach that dared to crawl onto your spotless kitchen floor and challenge your stance as highest ranking generals in the war against racial abuse. We will not stop until every racist is silenced, every media outlet realizes that your people are victims of oppression of the bigoted and misinformed, and Ludacris is elected Senator of Georgia. Your fight for rights is just, noble, and I only wish I could be as integral a role-player in it as you are.    

     But may I just make a suggestion, sirs? I know I’m only a 21-year-old Cuban-American, merely a bystander, a spectator, a pom-pom shaker in this glorious battle you’re leading. I can no longer control myself, though, and have to come forth with some valuable information that I believe will greatly strengthen your cause, fortify your reputation amongst your incensed critics, and hasten your pace to reach overall victory in having every member of the black community rightfully treated as a genuine first-class citizen and saluted for the foundation they have provided in building this nation’s greatness for 250 years. First, allow me to outline what I see as the problem.

As a long-time avid fan of hip-hop, reading about the outrage that has resulted from Mr. Imus’ comment amuses me. Here we have a white radio host – or, for the sake of example, a host of any racial ethnicity – satirically referring to a group of black women as, ‘nappy-headed ho’es.’ I think we can all come to an agreement that we’ve seen outrage coming out on the airwaves and in the press solely over the comment. Your anger and apparently deep-seeded frustration are directed entirely towards Imus and the white folks who don’t have the audacity to articulate their thoughts as he does about blacks. You have the right to be mad at Imus; after all, is there a more derogatory way to refer to a woman than to call her a ‘ho’?’ Our mothers are women, and women are mothers, the quintessential caretaker, the giver of life, the nurturer of our race – the human race. In that regard, Reverends, you and I are in total agreement.

However, it is because of my knowledge of the violent, oppressive, offensive, demeaning nature of hip-hop lyrics that I feel it is of the utmost importance to fill you in on a little secret that you, as men of the Church and leaders of Operation Censor the White Man, probably aren’t aware of.

            The only reason why an old, washed-up white man has any remote knowledge that a slang word (actually, a partial word) such as ‘ho’’ even exists, is because of the ever-increasing integration of hip-hop culture into our society and our acknowledgement of this culture as a form of expression rather than a danger to our youth. Rather than blame the gun-toting, weed-selling, compulsively materialistic “artists” of the hip-hop industry, the black community of America now has a brand new scapegoat on which to place their bitter frustrations. Artists such as Cam’ron, 50 Cent, Ludacris, Young Jeezy, Jim Jones, and Papoose are the people that you, Rev. Sharpton, and you, Rev. Jackson, should be rallying against. After all, it is thanks to these gentlemen, and a cast list of others, that the word ‘ho’’ is floating around in the first place. Instead of confronting the enemy of racism from within – from its root — you sit back and wait for a white person to commit some sort of verbal slip-up, allowing you to criticize him for simply repeating the things you say about yourselves within your own community.

            So please, sirs, if you would be so kind as to take my suggestion and consider it, toss it around, brainstorm, I would appreciate it. I think that social criticism – done in a right way and towards the right people – will, indeed, go along way in helping your cause. But be careful not to fall into that extremely tempting trap of pride, sirs, that idea that you are always right, that your cause cannot welcome criticism and suggestion, and the idea that it is impossible for real, true social improvement to commence from within your own community, to cloud your vision. Remember, I’m rooting for you guys. Fo’ life.