Petition for the Reinstatement of Don Imus

Every morning I get up and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror beside my bed and I think, Wow, G-d really has a sense of humor.

I am, what one of my friends affectionately calls ghost white; with more freckles than anyone should ever have. Truly. Im so pale, in fact, that I offend myself most days. I get sunburned walking to the mailbox and back. In the winter Im almost translucent.

Nevertheless, my best friend tells me that I am quite possibly the angriest black woman shes ever met. This may be the truest absurdity of all if youre going to go on complexion alone.

So Im going to tell you what I think about this entire crusade against Don Imus, beginning with what I think of his statement about the Rutgers University basketball players.

What Mr. Imus said was offensive, insulting, deplorable, and reprehensible. It makes me physically ill to hear such ignorance still being spouted in spite of the supposed gains we have made in race relations over the years. Having been my shade of human and having been in love for many years with a man of a different shade of human, I can tell you first hand that those gains are few and far between. But as a society, wed like to think weve made progress; and maybe, to an extent, we have. And then something like this comes along and were forced into a panic mode of sorts, that were back to square one with the whole race thing, but, are we really?

This is not the point where I will tell you how many friends of other races, cultures, countries, religions, sexual orientations, and/or sexual identities I have. Its completely irrelevant. I like to think of myself as a humanist, and so Im for people. Every last one of us is a gift to be treated with care and respect because, contrary to popular belief, we are fairly fragile beings. Bodies, as well as egos and spirits are easily broken, and, not as easily mended. I think this is what upsets me most about the comments that Mr. Imus made.

This is the point, however, where I will tell you what has really got me angry. If there is anything I cannot stand it is a hypocrite.

What I find particularly insulting is that Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have become the moral compass for the community at large. Al Sharpton should be particularly careful about throwing stones, given his role in the Tawana Brawley debacle. And Jesse Jackson the man who once wrote Every time Im walking down the street and I hear footsteps behind me, I look over my shoulder to make sure its not a young black man. The one who had an extramarital affair from which a child was born, the man who once referred to New York as Jaime town - should also mind his glass house. As both of these men are Reverends, I would ask them to keep in mind a very basic tenant: Judge not lest thou be judged. In fact, before we begin crucifying Don Imus, perhaps we should all take just a moment to reflect on our own transgressions. Something said or thought out of anger or frustration. Something that may have been racially motivated, culturally, or otherwise. I would challenge anyone to step up and make the bold statement that they have never said or thought something that would be considered socially inappropriate.

Finally, what I find to be the most offensive, egregious and hypocritical remarks were the ones made by owner of BET who made the rounds on the news programs, denouncing Don Imus for making racist and sexist comments towards African American women, and women of all races, when the network he runs perpetuates the very stereotype the unfairly given, and extremely uncharacteristic stereotype of African Americans. Ironically, the very same comments he so boldly condemned on national television.

My point is, that while what Mr. Imus said was, to put it mildly, inexcusable, I do not think that his being fired is the answer. I also do not think that he is bad, or malicious man. I want every one of you to think about something youve done that youre not particularly proud of. Then I want you to think of the many things youve done that you worthy of being shouted from the mountaintops. Then I want you to imagine that you are given the harshest sentence imaginable because nothing good that youve ever done matters. That you are solely defined your entire existence, on one regrettable action.

I have a friend sitting on death row for a crime he committed with three accomplices. There is more of a shadow of a doubt about whether he played the role which ultimately earned him death by lethal injection. For all the good hes done in his life, this one event now defines his life, and will so define his death. I cannot believe that this fate that he now owns is entirely fair. Just as I dont think its entirely fair to judge Mr. Imus on this, singular event.

On a side note, I must say that it is also incredibly disheartening that MSNBC has decided not to air his telethon for his ranch for kids with cancer. To sentence these children to the same punishment handed down to Mr. Imus is not only unfair, but incredibly cruel.

I dont know what I hope to achieve by writing this letter. I do know I would like to see Don Imus on the air each morning as I always have, listening to his ornery rants and sometimes really bad choices in music. If for nothing else but to show people can make amends, and by making amends himself, perhaps he can touch others who would like to make these amends themselves, in their own lives; with the people in their own communities.

I cannot stress enough how very much I despise those spoken words; how damaging and hurtful they were. But I also cannot stress enough that we are all human, therefore its a given that we all make, and will continue to make mistakes. Lets not make another one on top of the one he made. We are all capable of forgiveness, and compassion is the most precious gift we can nurture and bestow on others. If we are truly the better than him people we think we are, then this shouldnt be a difficult thing to do.

If youve read this and dont agree with me, then not signing below is the thing to do. If, however, you do, and you want to make a change, please add your name to the petition and pass it on.