Some thoughts on "You people" -- Open letter to Al Sharpton

I don't give a shit about Don Imus. He wears a cowboy hat indoors, for god's sake; if you place more trust and value in his words than you would in a used car salesman's it's your fault and your problem. He is paid to go on the radio and say things that will get advertisers to give up their money, the intermediate steps in that equation being fairly clear and understood (who would listen to him otherwise?).

Having said that, there are some events related to his appearance yesterday on Al Sharpton's radio show which must be commented on (which is also on video here; unfortunately I can't now find the full-length one I watched yesterday).

Let's recap a few facts: Don Imus used some stupid, ill-thought-out words to refer to some women who are part of a college basketball team. Refer to the first paragraph for my thoughts on this. Al Sharpton then calls for Imus to be fired. Please note that it is not WHAT Imus was saying that merits his dismissal, according to Sharpton, but what WORDS he used. This is the same attitude in people who recoil in horror of the word "nigger" regardless of WHAT is being said (if the reader has an issue with my using that word now then please stop reading as that is the only thing you will remember anyway; I applaud your efficiency).

Imus then invites Sharpton to his show so they could talk things out. Sharpton understandably is reluctant to do that; instead he invites Imus to his show. I personally see this as reasonable and comparable to

"You called my cousin a cunt."
"OK, that was a mistake. I would like to apologize in person in front of your whole family. Would y'all like to come over this afternoon?"
"Actually, I'd rather you came over."
"No problem."

i.e., one person knows who has the upper hand and is willing to play in the other party's "home field".

So, now Imus is on Sharpton's show. He is unqualifiedly apologetic. He does not try to defend his words; barely even attempts to explain what was being said (i.e., meaning and intent) at the time he used the words (which any reasonable person would consider a necessary step; how can you apologize for something if it is not understood for what you are apologizing?)

This is the point at which Revered Al Sharpton, a self-described man of God and a follower of Jesus Christ, having invited to converse a man who has "sinned" (and who is expressing deep, personal, remorse for his transgression and is seeking personal as well as public forgiveness), chooses to do this during a call-in segment with a member of congress (quoted from the NY Post, linked off the entry header):

Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, questioned whether Imus fully understood how he hurt black women. That's when Imus lost it.

"I do understand that. How do you assume that I don't understand that? Of course I understand that! It's like the old country song, 'God may forgive you, but I won't. Jesus loves you but I don't.' So I can't get any place with you people, but I can get some place with Jesus"
[...]
"Who is 'you people,' Mr. Imus?" asked Sharpton.

"You and this woman I'm talking to," Imus responded to Sharpton. "Don't try to hang that on me. That's jive."

"What's jive?" Sharpton shot back.

" 'What do you mean by 'you people?' You know what I meant - you two people," Imus angrily answered. "That's not even fair. You said you were going to be fair. Keep your word!"

"I'm being very fair, I'm being fair. I'm keeping it real," Sharpton said. "I'm in charge here, I'm in charge here. I asked you the question!"

(The phrase "you people" is associated with Ross Perot having used it in an ill-received way during a speech to the NAACP in 1992 and has since been used to "out" those who speak it and will not obligingly manifest themselves as racist as the listener would like them to be. Please note that, with a very small sucking sound, the nature and content of the speech has been lost to the ages.)

This is what I take exception to; it may seem a small matter (or worse, a defense of Imus; it is not) but my point is that Don Imus is a radio jock. He is neither, to take three random examples, a man of the cloth, nor a person who at one point expected to be taken seriously as a presidential candidate, nor somebody who is seen as a "civil rights leader" by enough people for it to be a problem.

Mr. Sharpton, you have built a career out of slicing racial indignation into thinner and thinner slices, always choosing to loudly vocalize about that indignation rather than making the truly hard choices that peaceful resistance leaders in the 50s and 60s made in order to be taken seriously. You incite strife where there is none; you self-servingly destroy where there is an opportunity to learn and create.

I imagine you think to yourself, "Why would anybody listen to me otherwise? How could I make the advertisers give up their money otherwise?"

Mr. Sharpton, you people make me sick. And by "you people" I mean disingenuous, self-serving, race-baiting jackasses who prey on the intellectual weaknesses of others.


-- Juan Molinari, April 10, 2007, NYC