Yet another column about Imus’ remarks

Julie Knapp

If you watch the 24-hour cable news shows as much as I do, you have probably been inundated with the number of commentators about the controversy over Don Imus’ remarks last week.

The media detailed every apology, and tried to have at least 20 commentators every hour talk about the subject.

It is in my job description to write an editorial every week, and I’m told that a good editorial offers an opinion on to which side is right, and then gives some kind of solution as to how to solve the problem. If that’s the case, then I don’t think this is going to be a good editorial, because I think all sides in this debate contradict themselves and refuse to look at the conversation that has been going on for decades and how we have progressed.

CBS and MSNBC hired Imus to be a shock-jock of sorts, and when he shocked us, he was fired. Destroying free speech? It sure is. Being hypocritical? It sure is.

Media outlets have hosted commentators that have said the entertainment industry is bringing this on, and that by our support of it, this will never end. However, they ignore that discussion after all of these incidents being the movement. There are organizations out there trying to stop this, and there has been research on this saying Americans have been against this. Do Americans necessarily do what they think? Of course not.

The way I see it, there is no real party to blame, nor is there a real solution to this problem. The only way to find out if there is a solution is to try new things. Martin Luther King Jr. really stressed educating each other about our cultures and talking and communicating with one another. His efforts made major strides during the civil rights era.

However, people have the notion that he solved it all. The solution to this problem may very well be to have more situations like this so that we can continue the dialogue. Afterall, it was just a couple months ago that Michael Richards, better known as Kramer on “Seinfeld,” made racist remarks, and what has happened to that conversation? It became silent.

On another note, the letter to the right of this column has stirred some controversy this past week. I chose to print it because not doing so would stifle the dialogue that reminds us race is still a major issue.

I invite people to respond to the letter or the situation, and know that the Review will do what it can to further the discussion.