I don't know this family but I would like to offer my condolences to the family of the late Jake Rocker. He was the driver of an SUV that had a collision with a dump truck near my community. Jake Rocker was killed in the accident.The accident occurred on a major road leading into the city where I live. I drive the road daily and had to detour because of this accident in the morning rush hour.
The family of Jake Rocker is surely mourning the unexpected loss of their loved one. However the local newspaper chose to report this fatal accident by reminding the public of Jake Rocker's son. His son happens to be a former baseball player. Jake Rocker's son is former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker.
Thats where the story should end. The Rocker family lost one of its members in an automobile accident. There was no reason for the media to go into any details of past events that had NOTHING to do with the man and the tragic car accident that happened yesterday morning. I won't mention any of those past events as the world has moved on from those events. But appearantly the Macon Telegraph has not.
I have said recently that I am all about freedom of speech. That speech should be used with some respect under circumstances like this. The family has to deal with a death and funeral. Let them mourn in peace.
My condolences to the Rocker family at their time of loss. No family deserves to lose anyone in a horrible accident like that.
and my contempt for the news media for their reporting of the event. It wasn't necessary to include the history of the deceased' son's controversal career.
Just my opinion.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Don Imus was fired, now what?
OK, now Don Imus has lost both his radio show and the TV simulcast. He has been fired by both companies. He is history.
He did make a stupid mistake. People were offended and he was punished for it.
NOW WHAT?
It hasn't solved anything. You still have a lot of people INCLUDING those who led this protest who are guilty of racial activity. So are people going to put a stop to their madness? Will the advertisers who pulled away from Don Imus also pull away from others who are just as guilty? Or are all of these overreacting people who were protesting going to slide back under their rocks and celebrate a hollow victory.
Remember this the next time you listen to a rap song or a foul mouthed comedian. You'll be listening to a hyprocrate.
He did make a stupid mistake. People were offended and he was punished for it.
NOW WHAT?
It hasn't solved anything. You still have a lot of people INCLUDING those who led this protest who are guilty of racial activity. So are people going to put a stop to their madness? Will the advertisers who pulled away from Don Imus also pull away from others who are just as guilty? Or are all of these overreacting people who were protesting going to slide back under their rocks and celebrate a hollow victory.
Remember this the next time you listen to a rap song or a foul mouthed comedian. You'll be listening to a hyprocrate.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
"YOU PEOPLE" are a bunch of "NAPPY HEADED" HYPROCRATES
I assume that if I were a public figure then I would get into a lot of trouble for writing this blog. Especially with the title I have for it.
Unless you have had your head in your butt for the past couple days, then you must know about the controversy over a radio talk show host's comments about a college basketball team. Today I have been listening to the reaction, the demands for the radio personality's firing, the attempt at an apology by the host, the additional so-called offenses made within the apology and a whole lot of "spin" from every other radio host and their callers.
For the most part, the majority of what I have heard is from people taking advantage of the airwaves and every other public outlet by jumping on the bandwagon to throw their worthless two cents in. And to some of us who actually took the time to think about the situation BEFORE reacting to it, this has become yet another soap-opera starring people who are nothing more than publicity whores.
So now I will name the stars of this media circus.
Don Imus, a New York based radio broadcaster of over four decades whose radio show is syndicated nationally and simulcast over the cable television network MSNBC. He is a radio legend and known for a certain type of behavior and for making comments that some have deemed offensive. It has always been part of his "act" and hardly different than many radio hosts.
Don Imus is currently under fire for referring to the Women's basketball team at Rutgers University of New Jersey by using the words "nappy headed ho's" while talking with his radio sidekick/producer about a recent college basketball game. And in that same conversation BOTH men used words that some African-Americans consider offensive. The word "jiggaboo" was also used.
Don Imus is now facing the wrath of public scrutiny led by the other stars of this media circus, The Reverend Al Sharpton of New York City. Another legend in his own right as he has been an activist usually for race concerns. He became nationally known in the late 1980's through some highly publicized racial events in New York. Soon he got involved in situations outside of his New York home base through his organization The National Action Network. He has used his popularity to run for president and now is also a nationally syndicated radio talk host. Some consider Al Sharpton as a civil rights leader. I consider Al Sharpton to be a publicity whore, ready to take on any cause and make it a racial issue.
Another person considered a civil rights leader but I also consider to be the crown king of media whores (as Sharpton is the prince) is none other than Jessie Lee Jackson Sr, born in Greenville South Carolina and leader the Rainbow Push Coalition out of Chicago. Some of you might not know this but Jessie Jackson also has a nationally syndicated radio show. But you have to get up very early on Sunday morning to listen to it.
Now, to the issue at hand.
Don Imus definitely said something stupid on the radio. But my problem with the whole issue is with the reaction to it. The black community is so outraged at Don Imus for daring to call a mostly black female basketball team a bunch of "nappy headed ho's". And people SHOULD see this stupid comment for its offense. But have to I ask why this incident and why now? And why are we never as offended when we call ourselves these names? Even more baffling to me is why we continue to allow racist publicity whores like Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson to be the leading mouthpieces of the Black or African-American community.
YES I CALLED JACKSON AND SHARPTON RACIST as everything with them is a racial issue. They too have made inflamatory comments over the years. Everything with them involves blaming the white man and demanding that the white man and anyone related to him to pay us lazy ass black folks cash for past injustices.
And speaking about LAZY ASS BLACK FOLKS (yeah I said it!) who never take on a cause that makes sense and actually would have a positive effect on our lives. We sit on our fat black butts waiting for a handout and for someone else to do something for us instead of doing it for ourselves. And we criticize those who ARE doing things for themselves to get ahead in life. I catch that hell all of the time.
Why am I picking on BLACK PEOPLE? Because my so-called brothers and sisters are truly a bunch of NAPPY HEADED LAZY ASS HYPROCRATES! (yeah I said it!)
I am angry more about the response to Don Imus' remarks because I have been long tired of hearing people who look like me carry ourselves with no self respect. Then those of us like me who DARE to suggest that it is INAPPROPIATE to call ourselves "nigger" (notice I spelled it CORRECTLY) or our women "bitches" or "ho's" often get called nasty names ourselves. I cannot count how many times I have gotten into a conflict with a relative or neighbor whenever I challenged them for saying a word that we find offensive if someone of another race uses it.
So I dare to say this….How dare anyone get upset because some radio guy says something outrageous and then you make is a racial issue. HOW DARE YOU?
This is becoming an old question more often asked by people of other races but also asked by some African-Americans as well, you know, the ones who (like me) get accused of being a race traitor, uncle Tom, House N***** etc. The question is where is the outrage over RAP music, BLACK comedians and black politicians who spew RACIST comments damn near every time they open their mouths?
I have another good question to ask…..how many of the people who are so pissed at Don Imus ever heard of him before some so-called black leader told you that you needed to protest and get him fired? Hmmmmm?
I know the answers to this! How about LITTLE TO NONE or VERY FEW at the most. Black people who are so angry at Don Imus are most likely listeners of Steve Harvey, Doug Banks, Russ Parr, Tom Joyner or any local Hip-hop radio morning show hosted by some wannabe comedian with a dozen people in the studio with nothing important to talk about and usually everyone talking or screaming at the same time.
One radio host spent the first hour of his show angry about someone name John Imus. I guess someone had to call and tell him that the man's name was DON and not JOHN. So that was one of the many who reacted BEFORE really knowing what to react to.
Now, most of these radio hosts are joining the push within the black community to get Don Imus fired. Suspension is not enough for these people. Some of the radio hosts are planning to release the telephone numbers for the advertisers of Don Imus' show and the broadcasters who distribute it to have his career terminated and the listeners are going to make life hell for Imus for his stupid comments.
SO I ASK AGAIN……
When are we going to slam the advertisers and broadcasters who sponsor violent and racially offensive comedians and rap performers? Why is it that when we see a rapper driving a Cadillac Escalade and calling someone a bitch or ho, we want to drive a car just like the one in the video? Why can't we inform General Motors and the Cadillac division that the video is offensive and they should not associate their product with the offensive material? Do you see that ever happening?
I am rambling here, but I am annoyed. I also defer to FREEDOM OF SPEECH and with that, someone like Don Imus and even Al Sharpton should be able to have their say whatever that say is. NEITHER of them should lose their jobs for whatever offensive things they say or do UNLESS it is in direct violation of company rules and FCC regulations! I have not heard of the words "nappy headed ho's "as being any of the "forbidden" words within FCC rules. Now if they were included among the forbidden words or phrases, then most of the newer music out there and even some of the performers names would be banned from broadcast. (Isn't there a group or person who calls themselves "Nappy Brown"?)
Even some old songs could be banned for offensive lyrics like Stevie Wonder's song "I Wish"…."Looking back on when I was a little nappy headed boy"……
Well, this latest controversy didn't stop with the "nappy headed ho's". As Don Imus appeared on Al Sharpton's radio show to "apologize" for his "nappy headed hos" remarks, he used another term that black people get bent out of shape over. And that term is the double word "YOU PEOPLE." I believe the statement Don Imus said was "I can't get anywhere with you people"
Don Imus tried to explain himself and apologized on Al Sharpton's radio show. However he was constantly under attack and the apologies were not being accepted. Sharpton and his entourage were playing a power play and Don Imus' reaction using the "you people' comment made things worse.
Something I learned very clearly when I was young is that Black people take the "you people" phrase as an insult. It is taken as if the person saying "you people' feels as if they are better than you. As if "those people" are inferior to "us" or something. It is an offense that I have never understood nor taken whenever it was said to me. I have even used the phrase "you people" without the intention of insult and I have no apologies for it. I do think that people need to get over it.
Sadly, black people are adding the "you people' remark into the mix that is this current controversy over words.The reaction to Imus saying "you people" is as if he disrespected people who in my opinion had not earned any respect.
Black people are in attack mode. They are not willing to compromise. Whenever someone allegedly "offends" us, then we want their livelihoods to suffer. We want people to be fired as a way to be held accountable. Or we want corporations or individuals to kiss our black asses and give away whatever we demand.
So as people are demanding that Don Imus be fired, his radio and TV bosses are suspending him for two weeks. There was no word about whether his suspension was with or without pay and his suspension is delayed a few days so that Don Imus can help promote a previously scheduled radio telefon for charity. The whole suspension thing itself is a bad a joke as the situation surrounding it. It is nothing more than a vacation for someone who already earns several million dollars a year.
I am not sorry to say this as it is my opinion, but the only thing Don Imus needed to do was apologize for his comments and move on. As I am typing this, Don Imus is planning to meet with the women's basketball team and their coach to hopefully apologize to them in person and to bury the hatchet. But this will not satisfy anyone. People want a hatchet job done to the man who committed a verbal "crime".
Well I want a hatchet job done on the record executives who allow recording contracts to be issued to thugs who record disrespectful, violent and offensive material and profit from it. I want a hatchet job done on people who profit from and who use people for their power trips as Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson have done for decades. I want a hatchet job for anyone who threatens FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
As I said earlier, I defer to Freedom of speech as a right we have in the United States of America, MY HOME! But I do so with the understanding and respect that having that freedom of speech has responsibilities AND consequences.
Freedom of speech should allow exactly what has happened with the Don Imus situation, the Mel Gibson incident and all of the others. They should be able to say what they want and what they feel. And if you don't agree, then you take action. Freedom of speech in the US gives you the right to express yourselves in protest, boycotting, or SIMPLY TURNING OFF THE RADIO OF TELEVISION and choosing other programming.
Let the marketplace decide who keeps their job! If there is a proven lack of support then you take a different course which in this case may mean a replacement in programming.
What happened to people making a choice? It is obvious that I am not a fan of Al Sharpton or Jessie Jackson and because of that I choose to NOT listen to their radio shows and I have never voted for either of them when they ran for office. I also choose to NOT listen or watch Don Imus' radio program. It is not my type of programming. I never had any interest in his show. And unlike most of those who supposedly are in an uproar right now, I have actually heard of him and listened to his show a few times. And I moved on when I realized that it was not my cup of tea.
Perhaps the most important issue with me is that one should look in the mirror before being so critical of others. And find your priorities! We have so many more important issues to deal with than the words of an idiot especially when we have this terrible habit of giving a pass to "one of us" just because it is "one of us". It is a double standard that will continue to keep race relations in the dismal state that we are in right now.
And sadly those who are keeping us down are the ones who claim to honor the lives of those who died in the struggle for civil rights.
Those people have got to be turning in their graves.
I am done rambling on this issue. I just hope that it will die down soon and somehow we put this passion into matters that affect us more than the words of a radio man that so few of us even listen to.
Unless you have had your head in your butt for the past couple days, then you must know about the controversy over a radio talk show host's comments about a college basketball team. Today I have been listening to the reaction, the demands for the radio personality's firing, the attempt at an apology by the host, the additional so-called offenses made within the apology and a whole lot of "spin" from every other radio host and their callers.
For the most part, the majority of what I have heard is from people taking advantage of the airwaves and every other public outlet by jumping on the bandwagon to throw their worthless two cents in. And to some of us who actually took the time to think about the situation BEFORE reacting to it, this has become yet another soap-opera starring people who are nothing more than publicity whores.
So now I will name the stars of this media circus.
Don Imus, a New York based radio broadcaster of over four decades whose radio show is syndicated nationally and simulcast over the cable television network MSNBC. He is a radio legend and known for a certain type of behavior and for making comments that some have deemed offensive. It has always been part of his "act" and hardly different than many radio hosts.
Don Imus is currently under fire for referring to the Women's basketball team at Rutgers University of New Jersey by using the words "nappy headed ho's" while talking with his radio sidekick/producer about a recent college basketball game. And in that same conversation BOTH men used words that some African-Americans consider offensive. The word "jiggaboo" was also used.
Don Imus is now facing the wrath of public scrutiny led by the other stars of this media circus, The Reverend Al Sharpton of New York City. Another legend in his own right as he has been an activist usually for race concerns. He became nationally known in the late 1980's through some highly publicized racial events in New York. Soon he got involved in situations outside of his New York home base through his organization The National Action Network. He has used his popularity to run for president and now is also a nationally syndicated radio talk host. Some consider Al Sharpton as a civil rights leader. I consider Al Sharpton to be a publicity whore, ready to take on any cause and make it a racial issue.
Another person considered a civil rights leader but I also consider to be the crown king of media whores (as Sharpton is the prince) is none other than Jessie Lee Jackson Sr, born in Greenville South Carolina and leader the Rainbow Push Coalition out of Chicago. Some of you might not know this but Jessie Jackson also has a nationally syndicated radio show. But you have to get up very early on Sunday morning to listen to it.
Now, to the issue at hand.
Don Imus definitely said something stupid on the radio. But my problem with the whole issue is with the reaction to it. The black community is so outraged at Don Imus for daring to call a mostly black female basketball team a bunch of "nappy headed ho's". And people SHOULD see this stupid comment for its offense. But have to I ask why this incident and why now? And why are we never as offended when we call ourselves these names? Even more baffling to me is why we continue to allow racist publicity whores like Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson to be the leading mouthpieces of the Black or African-American community.
YES I CALLED JACKSON AND SHARPTON RACIST as everything with them is a racial issue. They too have made inflamatory comments over the years. Everything with them involves blaming the white man and demanding that the white man and anyone related to him to pay us lazy ass black folks cash for past injustices.
And speaking about LAZY ASS BLACK FOLKS (yeah I said it!) who never take on a cause that makes sense and actually would have a positive effect on our lives. We sit on our fat black butts waiting for a handout and for someone else to do something for us instead of doing it for ourselves. And we criticize those who ARE doing things for themselves to get ahead in life. I catch that hell all of the time.
Why am I picking on BLACK PEOPLE? Because my so-called brothers and sisters are truly a bunch of NAPPY HEADED LAZY ASS HYPROCRATES! (yeah I said it!)
I am angry more about the response to Don Imus' remarks because I have been long tired of hearing people who look like me carry ourselves with no self respect. Then those of us like me who DARE to suggest that it is INAPPROPIATE to call ourselves "nigger" (notice I spelled it CORRECTLY) or our women "bitches" or "ho's" often get called nasty names ourselves. I cannot count how many times I have gotten into a conflict with a relative or neighbor whenever I challenged them for saying a word that we find offensive if someone of another race uses it.
So I dare to say this….How dare anyone get upset because some radio guy says something outrageous and then you make is a racial issue. HOW DARE YOU?
This is becoming an old question more often asked by people of other races but also asked by some African-Americans as well, you know, the ones who (like me) get accused of being a race traitor, uncle Tom, House N***** etc. The question is where is the outrage over RAP music, BLACK comedians and black politicians who spew RACIST comments damn near every time they open their mouths?
I have another good question to ask…..how many of the people who are so pissed at Don Imus ever heard of him before some so-called black leader told you that you needed to protest and get him fired? Hmmmmm?
I know the answers to this! How about LITTLE TO NONE or VERY FEW at the most. Black people who are so angry at Don Imus are most likely listeners of Steve Harvey, Doug Banks, Russ Parr, Tom Joyner or any local Hip-hop radio morning show hosted by some wannabe comedian with a dozen people in the studio with nothing important to talk about and usually everyone talking or screaming at the same time.
One radio host spent the first hour of his show angry about someone name John Imus. I guess someone had to call and tell him that the man's name was DON and not JOHN. So that was one of the many who reacted BEFORE really knowing what to react to.
Now, most of these radio hosts are joining the push within the black community to get Don Imus fired. Suspension is not enough for these people. Some of the radio hosts are planning to release the telephone numbers for the advertisers of Don Imus' show and the broadcasters who distribute it to have his career terminated and the listeners are going to make life hell for Imus for his stupid comments.
SO I ASK AGAIN……
When are we going to slam the advertisers and broadcasters who sponsor violent and racially offensive comedians and rap performers? Why is it that when we see a rapper driving a Cadillac Escalade and calling someone a bitch or ho, we want to drive a car just like the one in the video? Why can't we inform General Motors and the Cadillac division that the video is offensive and they should not associate their product with the offensive material? Do you see that ever happening?
I am rambling here, but I am annoyed. I also defer to FREEDOM OF SPEECH and with that, someone like Don Imus and even Al Sharpton should be able to have their say whatever that say is. NEITHER of them should lose their jobs for whatever offensive things they say or do UNLESS it is in direct violation of company rules and FCC regulations! I have not heard of the words "nappy headed ho's "as being any of the "forbidden" words within FCC rules. Now if they were included among the forbidden words or phrases, then most of the newer music out there and even some of the performers names would be banned from broadcast. (Isn't there a group or person who calls themselves "Nappy Brown"?)
Even some old songs could be banned for offensive lyrics like Stevie Wonder's song "I Wish"…."Looking back on when I was a little nappy headed boy"……
Well, this latest controversy didn't stop with the "nappy headed ho's". As Don Imus appeared on Al Sharpton's radio show to "apologize" for his "nappy headed hos" remarks, he used another term that black people get bent out of shape over. And that term is the double word "YOU PEOPLE." I believe the statement Don Imus said was "I can't get anywhere with you people"
Don Imus tried to explain himself and apologized on Al Sharpton's radio show. However he was constantly under attack and the apologies were not being accepted. Sharpton and his entourage were playing a power play and Don Imus' reaction using the "you people' comment made things worse.
Something I learned very clearly when I was young is that Black people take the "you people" phrase as an insult. It is taken as if the person saying "you people' feels as if they are better than you. As if "those people" are inferior to "us" or something. It is an offense that I have never understood nor taken whenever it was said to me. I have even used the phrase "you people" without the intention of insult and I have no apologies for it. I do think that people need to get over it.
Sadly, black people are adding the "you people' remark into the mix that is this current controversy over words.The reaction to Imus saying "you people" is as if he disrespected people who in my opinion had not earned any respect.
Black people are in attack mode. They are not willing to compromise. Whenever someone allegedly "offends" us, then we want their livelihoods to suffer. We want people to be fired as a way to be held accountable. Or we want corporations or individuals to kiss our black asses and give away whatever we demand.
So as people are demanding that Don Imus be fired, his radio and TV bosses are suspending him for two weeks. There was no word about whether his suspension was with or without pay and his suspension is delayed a few days so that Don Imus can help promote a previously scheduled radio telefon for charity. The whole suspension thing itself is a bad a joke as the situation surrounding it. It is nothing more than a vacation for someone who already earns several million dollars a year.
I am not sorry to say this as it is my opinion, but the only thing Don Imus needed to do was apologize for his comments and move on. As I am typing this, Don Imus is planning to meet with the women's basketball team and their coach to hopefully apologize to them in person and to bury the hatchet. But this will not satisfy anyone. People want a hatchet job done to the man who committed a verbal "crime".
Well I want a hatchet job done on the record executives who allow recording contracts to be issued to thugs who record disrespectful, violent and offensive material and profit from it. I want a hatchet job done on people who profit from and who use people for their power trips as Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson have done for decades. I want a hatchet job for anyone who threatens FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
As I said earlier, I defer to Freedom of speech as a right we have in the United States of America, MY HOME! But I do so with the understanding and respect that having that freedom of speech has responsibilities AND consequences.
Freedom of speech should allow exactly what has happened with the Don Imus situation, the Mel Gibson incident and all of the others. They should be able to say what they want and what they feel. And if you don't agree, then you take action. Freedom of speech in the US gives you the right to express yourselves in protest, boycotting, or SIMPLY TURNING OFF THE RADIO OF TELEVISION and choosing other programming.
Let the marketplace decide who keeps their job! If there is a proven lack of support then you take a different course which in this case may mean a replacement in programming.
What happened to people making a choice? It is obvious that I am not a fan of Al Sharpton or Jessie Jackson and because of that I choose to NOT listen to their radio shows and I have never voted for either of them when they ran for office. I also choose to NOT listen or watch Don Imus' radio program. It is not my type of programming. I never had any interest in his show. And unlike most of those who supposedly are in an uproar right now, I have actually heard of him and listened to his show a few times. And I moved on when I realized that it was not my cup of tea.
Perhaps the most important issue with me is that one should look in the mirror before being so critical of others. And find your priorities! We have so many more important issues to deal with than the words of an idiot especially when we have this terrible habit of giving a pass to "one of us" just because it is "one of us". It is a double standard that will continue to keep race relations in the dismal state that we are in right now.
And sadly those who are keeping us down are the ones who claim to honor the lives of those who died in the struggle for civil rights.
Those people have got to be turning in their graves.
I am done rambling on this issue. I just hope that it will die down soon and somehow we put this passion into matters that affect us more than the words of a radio man that so few of us even listen to.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)