Imus confused as can be over why the trashmouth shock jock should be fired for saying stuff that’s pretty mild compared to some rap lyrics nobody seems to have mounted any great to-do about.
UPDATE Akaky of the Passing Parade joins in the perplexity:
"…I am not sure why this week’s particular bit of nastiness from Don Imus set [Rev. Sharpton] off, though; one can hear African-American women called much worse on BET every day of the week…"
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 
I, for one, have been an “Imus in the Morning” fan for all the years his broadcast has been within my listening range. Like millions of others who listen, I know the man for his humor, his mistakes and most of all, for all the good he’s done for all minorities. Al Sharpton’s position on Don Imus at this time is discraceful because he knows Don too. He knows it was a horrible mistake for don to make that disparaging remark about those young female basketball players. But what is it that makes Sharpton want to inflict such a firm and permanent punishment on Imus for that mistake? The answer may be that older black generations that have listened to Imus know he’s a comedian and accept his light-hearted kidding and accept what he says the same way they would accept it from a black comedian. On the other hand, there are many more younger and uninformed black citizens who probably never heard of Don Imus or about his great accomplishments when it comes down to raising money and awareness for minority causes, plus his efforts on behalf of wounded Iraqi war veterans. As he has done time and time again, Al Sharpton is out there in self-serve mode building a whole new resevoir of votes for his next foray into national politics. He could be using his influence to repair the damage done, but he has chosen the inflammatory route. I am praying that the more upstanding Black community leaders will come to the aid of Don Imus at this time to provide the backing he deserves. As I write this, the news is out that MSNBC has fired Don Imus. I hope he gets picked up by another source, doubles his audience and is allowed to continue his fine show. We all need to put this in perspective.
Fine with me if he bobs back up after the sinking. I still don’t see why this one little thing is such a big deal, unless his bosses had been gunning for him all along.
The rule is, if you’re a member of a group, whatever the group is, you can use the ugly words that are used to put down that group. If you aren’t, you can’t.
So Frank Sinatra’s private plane was called “The Dago”, but you might well have been belted by Frank if you called him a dago or a guinea.
I don’t know if I agree with this rule, but Imus should’ve known better.
Yes, I’ve heard of this so-called rule. I figured that probably was what was at play here. But vultures like Sharpton like to impose it but not abide by it. They make a living belittling, if not outright ridiculing, white people, and many of us people of pallor would prefer they just go to hell and take their rules-for-you-but-not-for-me with them.