[Rhodes22-list] Don Imus

[DCLewis1 at aol.com]

Wally,
 
Your post and others suggest there’s a double standard in the black  
community when it comes to Imus and rap.  If black people can sign up to  the violent, 
demeaning, vulgar language that are in rap then they shouldn't have  an issue 
with Imus calling their daughters whores?
 
Certainly rap is a dominate cultural standard in the black community, but  if 
you’ve interfaced with hispanics, white, and asian youth ( and I do  
regularly, although my observations are limited to the DC area) you’ll  know it’s 
just as dominant a influence in their ethnic communities as  well.  So while it 
is a black cultural thing, there are a lot of other  ethnic groups very 
substantially involved.  Rap isn’t just black, it’s  broadly accepted by the youth 
of the white community.  If anyone on this  board doubts this and has a teenage 
son or daughter check their music  collection - you're going to find some 
rap, maybe a lot of rap, maybe all  rap.
 
And the adult white community is no more active in decrying rap than the  
adult black community.  The response has been about the same - we’ve got  other 
more important things to worry about.  Yes white adults have  spoken out 
against vulgar. violent, and demeaning rap, but the reality  is that a number of 
black leaders of the black community that have  spoke out against it also -Cosby 
has been leading that parade for years, he may  have started the parade.  I don
’t see a lot of support for rap among adult  blacks, I see the adults heading 
for the First Hallelujah Southern Baptist  Church - seriously, they’re a 
church going bunch.
 
Bottom line: there’s not a lot of difference between the adult black  
community and the adult white community when it comes to rap.  Nor is there  a lot of 
difference between the youth black community and the youth white  community 
when it comes to rap.  Rap is an age segregated, as opposed to a  race 
segregated, phenomena.  Ask Eminem, a white rap "star".  Ask my  white Irish Catholic 
neighbor who sent his kid to a Jesuit high school  for 4 years, then to a 
private college; after graduation his kid formed  a rap group and is trying to 
make a buck (he hasn't quit his day job, I  hope he doesn't).
 
So if acceptance and involvement with rap is the key factor that  should 
require the black community to allow their children to be called  whores, and the 
white community is not substantially different from the black  community when 
it comes to rap, and you are a white man,  you should  have no problem with 
your daughters being called whores.  And if you don’t  have daughters, your 
mother or wife should be acceptable female extensions as  targets for a little 
ribald humor.  As Slim would point out, it's just for  entertainment.
 
The offer I made to Slim stands, who on this board wants to offer up their  
mother, daughter or wife (ex-wives to don’t count) to be the butt of some 
ribald  humor - strictly for entertainment of course.  I'll need their name  and 
mailing address.  Their telephone numbers would also help -  we could post that 
to other boards "for a good time call xxx-xxxx".   I’ll  be happy to mail the 
transcript of the posts back to her when we’re done so that  she, like the 
black youth and their parents, can know what went on.  I’m  sure your mother, to 
pick one target for our humor, would understand -  right?  I’m sure her 
husband would understand - right?  I'm sure  there'd be no issue with our dragging 
her good name through the gutter - for  entertainment, of course. 
 
And if you’re not offering up your mother, wife, or daughter to be the butt  
of some ribald jocularity take a good look in the mirror and reconsider whose  
got the double standards.  Is it the black community, or is it  you?
 
Probably it's because I'm an old man, but I was raised with the quaint  
notion that the men in a family should defend the good names and reputation  of the 
women and children in their families.  I endorse that concept.  I have a 
pretty good sense that my father would try to kill whoever called  his wife or 
daughter a whore.  I do not accept some jackass  calling another man's daughter a 
whore for the benefit of his national  audience.  I'm frankly surprised at 
the acceptance of Imus behavior by the  men on this board, I see it as a 
reflection on their manhood.  It's not  about race, it's about decency.  In my book 
there are some things you just  don't do - even for entertainment, no make that 
especially just for  entertainment.  And when I say you, I mean every man 
amongst us - to  include any jackass to has decided to designate himself as a 
shock-jock as a way  to make a buck - there are no special passes, especially for 
entertainers.
 
Dave




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