Posted by
arandomguy on Saturday, April 14, 2007 2:18:42 PM
The best way I've heard Al Sharpton described, is as a "racial arsonist." While perhaps a bit blunt, the argument was that he looks for little racial fires, and throws racial gasoline at them - somebody made this point earlier today on Fox News (though I can't remember who it was to give proper credit. Just know that it wasn't me).
It is because of this that Don Imus will come out of this situation looking like the good guy. Yes, it was he who screwed up. His "nappy-headed hoes" comment was the source of all this public outrage. Yet Don Imus did the stand-up right thing. He did not attempt to make excuses for his comments. He said it was stupid, he said "I did a bad thing," and he apologized publicly, and privately to the Rutgers University team whom he insulted.
He also took being fired like a man. He didn't complain and say it shouldn't have happened. He didn't try to fight CBS and MSNBC to remain on the job. He took his two week suspension, and eventually his firing standing up, and did not let it phase him. This doesn't justify what he said, but it does show him to be a more stand-up public figure then others in the past (Sharpton and Jackson included).
Al Sharpton wanted a fight. Al Sharpton gets fame and publicity by fighting with people. If Don Imus had taken the fight back to Al Sharpton - which he did not, rightfully - Sharpton would have come out ahead, because Don Imus would have looked like a racist, old, southern white man. The fact is, he is likely not a racist, and because of his refusal to challenge Sharpton, looks better for it.
Not that Sharpton shouldn't be challenged. Sharpton deserves to be challenged about Tawana Brawley, about his stance on the Duke University case, about his stance on many other issues, as well as comments he has given in the past that are very racist in their own ways. However, after insulting a generally black team publicly, Imus was certainly not in the favors of black people. So for Imus himself to take Sharpton on would have been a foolish PR move.
Instead, Imus said his apologies, and then dropped the issue - as the Rutgers team asked. Imus did not complain when he was fired from both his jobs, and did not try to fight his bosses, or Sharpton. Certainly he is upset - seething even - inside, but because he didn't publicly start to fight back, he looks like the winner.
Al Sharpton was deprived of his fight, and looks like an idiot (which he is). Al Sharpton cannot make a bigger issue out of this, because Imus was fired, taken off the air, and that's the end of it. There is nothing more Sharpton can do. This is bad for Sharpton, who makes his living off of "racial arson."
While I don't applaud Imus for what he said, and think it was despicable, I have to applaud Imus for how he handled the aftermath. He took it standing up, like a man (or woman - I'm no sexist) should, and did not try to fight back the bigots and racists who were after his scalp. He issued his apology publicly and privately, and has done all that should be expected of him.
It is Imus therefore, that will come out of this as the stand-up, winner (except of course, to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, to whom nobody non-black can EVER be a winner). Sharpton and Jackson look stupid, and will continue to look stupid until they finally drop this issue. Imus looks good because of how he handled himself after all hell broke loose.