Perception vs. Reality - Imus, Race and the Influence of Hip-Hop/Rap...

As we all know, Don Imus was fired from CBS Radio yesterday, thus probably ending his radio career -- for the moment. In addition, he met the Rutgers Women's Basketball team at the governor's mansion in Trenton, NJ.

Well, it's a shame that a man had to get fired, but Mr. Imus went to the well one way too many times. A lot of disgusting stuff was said by Imus (a shtick that has been done time in and time again), but this time he caught and run out of business.

However, I don't even think the problem is Imus -- it is the culture at large.

I am going to hold Imus to a higher standard than your run-of-the-mill hip hop artists and rappers who have to engage in such language.

As long as hip hop and rap artists use derogatory terms to describe women, and executives can make millions peddling the stuff, then it will give guys like Imus and others reinforcement to use those stereotypes.

If black people demean each other in that fashion, what would those outside the community think?

Everyone asks why Imus would say what he did? Well, look at MTV, VH1, BET and listen to the radio on a daily basis.

I don't even want to get into the role of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. I see them both as opportunists and instigators who both have their own and well documented baggage.

However, I find them both to be irrelevant n this case, but their roles as activists has to be really taken at face value.

In the end, it has shown all of us that the issue of race is still the 'third rail' in society.