Don Imus has been fired: YAY! I was going to post this on the boards, but realized that those arguing there aren't worth my time. However, I felt like it was important enough to share with the people I do give a damn about (a compliment it was, to you the readers of my journal)
Many are saying that this shows that you can have freedom of speech but not freedom of consequence for your speech on the airwaves. I like to think this goes beyond airwaves though. For example, for those of you not working in radio that believe this is so unfair. Try going into your bosses office tomorrow morning and saying "So did you hear, the jigaboos beat the wannabes!" Loudly within earshot of other employees.
If you find that you're suddenly being fired, try to defend your actions with free speech and you'll discover that "at will" employment trumps free speech at the work place. Employers have no obligation to defend your right to free speech in anyway what so ever. Don't like it? Too bad, it is how it is.
If Imus worked for me, I wouldn't have waited. He would have been fired on the spot for breaking company behavior rules. It doesn't matter that I would be taking personal offense to his comments, fact is I get to decide who I pay and who I don't pay. He pissed off his employer with this latest garbage and is dealing with it. CBS are not censoring his right to say anything, they've decided they don't want to work with him. I applaud them for demonstrating their company has some fortitude when it comes to issues such as racial slurs.
As for the repeated, well look at what black people do to make it worse slant that some people are taking. The most unfortunate problem is confusing causation and correlation.
I am not saying that the urban art is a positive influence on the realities facing non white citizens of this "open armed" country, however it is hardly the cause of racism and blaming the "rap" music for the problems of people with a particular skin color is ridiculous.
It is an easy target, but how about targeting government and city policies that leave predominantly black neighborhoods seriously underfunded when it comes to basic social needs such as education and public safety? Oh, but wait they're all going to go to prisons anyway, which happen to be funded really well?
Many are saying that this shows that you can have freedom of speech but not freedom of consequence for your speech on the airwaves. I like to think this goes beyond airwaves though. For example, for those of you not working in radio that believe this is so unfair. Try going into your bosses office tomorrow morning and saying "So did you hear, the jigaboos beat the wannabes!" Loudly within earshot of other employees.
If you find that you're suddenly being fired, try to defend your actions with free speech and you'll discover that "at will" employment trumps free speech at the work place. Employers have no obligation to defend your right to free speech in anyway what so ever. Don't like it? Too bad, it is how it is.
If Imus worked for me, I wouldn't have waited. He would have been fired on the spot for breaking company behavior rules. It doesn't matter that I would be taking personal offense to his comments, fact is I get to decide who I pay and who I don't pay. He pissed off his employer with this latest garbage and is dealing with it. CBS are not censoring his right to say anything, they've decided they don't want to work with him. I applaud them for demonstrating their company has some fortitude when it comes to issues such as racial slurs.
As for the repeated, well look at what black people do to make it worse slant that some people are taking. The most unfortunate problem is confusing causation and correlation.
I am not saying that the urban art is a positive influence on the realities facing non white citizens of this "open armed" country, however it is hardly the cause of racism and blaming the "rap" music for the problems of people with a particular skin color is ridiculous.
It is an easy target, but how about targeting government and city policies that leave predominantly black neighborhoods seriously underfunded when it comes to basic social needs such as education and public safety? Oh, but wait they're all going to go to prisons anyway, which happen to be funded really well?