No Capital Crime

A two-week suspension for three off-hand words — nappy-headed hoes. Seems about right in the United States in 2007, where freedom of speech and expression has been obliterated by outcry from self-proclaimed political leaders and the fear of corporations from losing listeners, viewers and advertisers. Don Imus is a radio legend, the winner of three Marconi Awards for excellence in broadcasting and a member of the Radio Hall of Fame. And he made a mistake, trying to squeeze humor from an admittedly stupid remark about the women’s basketball team at Rutgers University. But, three words do not a career make. And three words should not a career ruin. Black leaders such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, both of whom have made provocative, racially-insensitive comments about white men and women without redress throughout their careers, have called for Imus’ firing. CBS and MSNBC, the radio and television networks that air Imus’ program have responded with a two-week suspension, the start of which has been delayed until Monday so that they may air a radio-thon Imus is participating in to raise money for the Tomorrow’s Children’s Fund and the C.J.’s Foundation for SIDS. Yell. Scream. Shout. Call for the cranky old cowboy to fade into the sunset. But, don’t ruin his life. Don’t kill his career for an off-hand remark, the way the legacy of Howard Cosell was tarnished by the utterance of “Look at that little monkey go,” or how the football prognosticator Jimmy the Greek Snyder lost his job and his reputation for intimating that black athletes were superior to white athletes. No. To do that would be ignorant. To do that would be more disgraceful than anything Imus has ever said or done.