Guest Column
Bigot is as bigot does
- Bigot is as bigot does
- By Robert Miranda
- Nonetheless, Imus took away the glory of these women when he espoused these wicked and hurtful words. His words continued the path of hate, and no matter what he does on his tour de remorse, the harm has been done.
- Belling and Imus…Bigot is as bigot does.
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- Robert Miranda, a frequent contributing columnist to HispanicVista.com (http://www.hispanicvista.com/) is a national award winning columnist, Latino community activist and Publisher of the Milwaukee Spanish Journal. Email at: http://webmail.coxmail.com/agent/MobNewMsg?to=rmiranda@wi.rr.com
(Editor’s Note: Don Imus was first suspended by CBS for two weeks. On April 12, CBS announced that his program had been canceled as the aftermath of his remarks described by writer, Robert Miranda, in his article Bigot is as bigot does.)
The ten-gallon hat wearing talk-shock cowboy fronting as a political commentator on national radio is sporting a new look this week. Red-faced and red-eared with embarrassment, Don Imus looks more like an old-tired farm hand than an American icon of free speech.
A couple of weeks Don Imus called women students who play for the Rutgers University women’s basketball team a bunch of “nappy-headed ho’s.”
The remark was more than shocking; it is an example, indeed, a symbol of racism in America. The remark was clearly intended to impugn the Rutgers basketball team composed mostly of black women players.
After the remark Imus did what every bigot who utters racist words does; he began his tour de remorse and started dancing the Waltz of Apology around the media circuit. Mr. Imus even went on Rev. Al Sharpton’s radio show. Why? Did Imus think that Rev. Sharpton would look past the shock talker’s words and allow for people to express their outrage, indignation and, then eventually, give him solace for expressing his deepest and most profound regret? Whatever Imus thought his appearance would do on Sharpton’s radio show it did not work. Sharpton still called for his firing.
There are many others calling for Imus to be fired as well. Truth be told, Imus, like many other right-wing radio blow-hard shock talkers on the air today, have spoken racist words for many years. The racism is coded with words like “those people” “stupid” “lazy” “the dark side” “native” and “ignorant”. Over the years the listening audience has gotten used to these terms and it now seems that these idiots are looking to use the more direct language to describe people of color in order to establish themselves as trailblazers of free speech.
After making the comment, Imus wondered aloud on his show what the big deal was. He said people should not be offended by “some idiot comment meant to be amusing” - another way these bigots explain away their offensive words.
MSNBC, which simulcasts Mr. Imus’s show on cable television, issued an apology calling the comments “deplorable.”
For years Imus has made blatantly racist remarks. The corporate media has allowed him to use their airwaves to spread worthless racist rants masquerading as political commentary. His words made them money; his words also fed racists notions and ideas in the minds of millions.
Milwaukee is not immune to this kind of bigoted talk radio. Locally, we have Mark Belling of WISN Radio, Clear Channel Communications. Belling has over the years coded his racist’s rants in much the same way his counter part Don Imus does.
In October 2004 Belling uttered a racist slur against the Hispanic community. Milwaukee’s most vocal bigot was just a smidgen away from being fired before Clear Channel struck a deal with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, giving Belling reprieve over the objections of many in the Latino community.
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