Don Imus the idiot

April 14, 2007 by RevLurch.

Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press had some interesting thoughts about the Don Imus incident. He used the back drop of Major League Baseball’s honoring of Jackie Robinson. Mr Sharp wrote in part:

If we remember anything about Robinson, we all should take a much clearer picture of the true depths of human depravity and the mindless stupidity of an aging radio talk show host with little reach beyond the Boston-New York-Washington corridor doesn’t come anywhere close to reaching that deplorable standard.

You want another example of truly virulent hatred merging with sports? Ask Henry Aaron about the utterly vile correspondence he received from his fellow countrymen during the winter of 1974 as he awaited the start of the new baseball season, sitting one home run away from tying Babe Ruth’s record? Aaron couldn’t walk anywhere without a bodyguard, ducking in and out of team hotels on the road through loading-dock entrances to divert attention.

He still has the letters as reminders, some possessing genuine names and return addresses. So brazen in their revulsion, they didn’t even care about concealing their identity.

It is insulting to Robinson’s legacy and Aaron’s recollections for anyone to dare place the Rutgers women’s basketball team on the same intolerant plateau solely because of one man’s idiocy. You’re giving Don Imus more credit as a pop culture icon than he deserves.

If Jackie Robinson were alive, he would provide everybody with a much-needed refresher course on what truly constitutes hate-mongering.

Read the whole thing here.

What Don Imus said was ugly and idiotic. He deserves to be rebuked for what he said. At some point, though, we have to let words go and focus on real issues.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »