...we need to look at our society as a whole, and how we can make it better

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/benamon/070414

That's exactly what America is on the path of doing...digesting the cold, hard truth. That foul language is grotesque and does not belong on the airwaves.

As a country, we've been in the gutter so long that many of us think it's a right for anyone to publicly bash a person with foul language on the basis of free speech. Civility a bygone trait it seems like. But there was a ray of hope when Don Imus paid for his remarks about the Rutgers ladies basketball team.

The media is abuzz about the "fallout" after Don Imus was booted from CBS and MSNBC. There is no need for a "falling out" over this incident. It is being blown out of proportion, as the media wonders, "what's next for him?" I could care less. Imus made his bed, now he has to lie in it.

Others are making this incident out to be a racial one. It is not racial to call someone to account for what comes out of his/her mouth that is clearly offensive. We must start somewhere, and now, America can clearly look at part of what is dragging down our society. Don Imus was only parroting what our society has produced...those in the entertainment business who think it's fine to put down others with foul language.

The Don Imus incident has caused many to want to put a stop to degrading comments in the media and to confront it. That is what is occurring, and thank goodness!

Black conservative blogger Akindele Akinyemi is one of many people who lament the troubles of the black community. The following are his thoughts, meant to acknowledge the problems of the black community and to hopefully urge others to step up and correct what is sadly wrong in our communities:

"...I feel it's a d-mn shame that Black liberals are always protesting and demanding White people be fired for saying something stupid yet we give Blacks who consistently call or sisters bit-h-s and h-es on a regular basis a free pass. We degrade our race by trying to live like Good Times or live out our lives in poverty. We enjoy sagging our pants in public, even in church where it is supposed to be a House of God.

Imus was right about something. Those sisters on the Rutgers Basketball team were sporting tattoos. I have been saying all along that why would you risk getting Hepatitis with those needles? How can you get a decent paying job with 20 tattoos on your body? I mean both arms, legs, neck and for sisters a tat on your a--?

We call Black women freaks, hizzoes, h-es (yes even nappy head h-es), tramps, pigeons, dy-es, jiggas and skanks. We call each other ni--ers (oh I forgot we graduated, now we call each other ni--as), fa-s, and other dreadful names. We never demand Wendy Williams from being fired or other Black personalities who call other races disrespectful names. I have heard Black personalities and Black liberal leadership call Whites "cra-ke-s" and "redneck hillbillies" but if a White person call us "h-es" we demand the removal of that person from the station.

What about Black radio promoting sex, soft porn and violence on the air? I did not see anyone protesting Black radio but you are protesting someone who gave a stupid comment. The images that are shown on Black TV can be compared to a minstrel show. We show brothers and sisters straight screw-ng on TV (not making love), calling each other bit-hes on popular Black situation comedies, and showing the most un-Christian images on TV. Will you ever see Al Sharpton demanding positive images on TV? H-ll no unless it has a liberal twist...."

View the entire blog segment here:
http://onedetroitnetwork.blogspot.com/2007/04/black-liberals-need-to-stop-double.html

As Mr. Akinyemi mentions the liberalization of the black community, he is accenting and is showing his concern of the way the "anything goes" mentality has been pervasive among blacks. Because conservative blacks would not allow or condone such vile behavior.

As one can see, this sort of behavior is manifested everywhere. And not only in the black community either, we have a problem with our overall culture as Americans. Don Imus was but a blip on the radar screen in all of this. But truly, the only way that the black community and America as a whole can recover is to take on the filth on the airwaves and hopefully, in the music videos and in the rap and hip-hop music.

Will the black community hold itself to account? We can't point the finger and say one person should be fired for demeaning comments about blacks and females when our own behavior is just as vile.

Looking at the music in today's society...how can those who see vile behavior and negative music lyrics appropriate, elevate themselves in society when they are too busy "rump-shaking" it such offensive music? If you look around, you will notice just how music has an affect on the morals and behavior of our society. Why are there so many deadbeat-dads and such a surge in irresponsibility when it comes to sex and a lack of accountability for one's actions? Music seems to glorify the negative these days. Tell me how that is helping our young people achieve their dreams?!

Allow me to time travel for a little bit. I remember in the 1980's when the music was over-the-top silly, it was about having fun and mixing good beats and experimenting with sounds. There were successful love ballads that were not degrading that made it big on the charts as well. The music surely had an affect over the overall mood of the country, and it was a fairly good decade. How have we gone from such a good era in music to now pushing filth on the airwaves?

Yes it's time to digest the fact that we have allowed the filth to go on for too long. And something needs to change. And it is not political correctness to want action taken against someone in the public eye who consistently uses degrading comments to express themselves.

It's time to digest that yes, Imus was fired and should have been.

America needs to pull herself from the gutter, shake Herself off, be the society that exemplifies respect towards all, and be a society that inspires.

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