Pollen and Don Imus (you just knew it was coming)
I hate this weather. The wind is aggravating my allergies, so subsequently, I am stuck in bed in a really bad mood.
But two things I want to talk about:
When the anti-gay industry is fully exposed, it will be not be because of one person. It will be due to the efforts of a myriad of people and blogs who are continuously working to expose their lies and tactics.
Some of us may be considered major players, some may be considered minor players, and many of us will be considered as bench warmers. But all of us are important. Please let's not wrap ourselves in embracing "prominence" that we forget the hard workers on the grassroots level.
Enough said about that.
The Don Imus situation has been all over the place and as always, many truths are being left out.
There seems to be the drumbeat of columnists and commentators who are attacking the black community for our supposed double standard regarding racial remarks. Leading this drumbeat is columnist Cal Thomas.
Thomas, who has to "answer for Santino" for his helping to spread anti-gay propaganda in the early 90s (I haven't forgotten it, Thomas) is echoing many who claim that we black people give racial slurs a pass when some of us are saying them.
But this is not necessarily true.
As it is, Jesse Jackson has criticized how many of us use slurs to refer to ourselves. Al Sharpton has also. So has Minister Louis Farrakhan and other black leaders. I have. Many in my community, including politicians and pastors have.
The thing is that you don't hear about it because the powers that be don't warrant it as important. Sure, when Bill Cosby took some of us to task for low expectations, that got a lot of play, but only to pit Cosby against other black leaders.
The only reason the Don Imus situation has gotten any attention at all is because Imus is a white man who got caught with his foot in his mouth. And look at all of the folks rushing to defend him.
Please notice that on almost every show talking about Imus, there are no black commentators already employed. Where are the ones on Fox News other than Juan Williams. We all know how much power he has as opposed to a panel of white folks. And where is the black commentator on MSNBC or the other programs?
For that matter, just how many issues indigenous to solely the black community get discussed on these programs?
If this was the case, then folks would know that racial slurs used in the black community is not a case of a double standard, but one that has been grounds for a wide discussion. Many black people have spoken out against it. You don't hear about it because the powers that be don't think of it as important enough. And when it does get air time, who do they choose to speak for our community? Someone like Larry Elder.
And to put it nicely, Larry Elder is the type of black man who would criticize events like Black History Month but turn around and give other events like St. Patrick's Day a free pass.
Let's face facts. Brit Hume, Michelle Malkin, Bill O'Reilly, and the rest of the moneyed media don't care about black people. They don't care about issues that affect us. They have taken this Don Imus situation and created an argument about a "double standard" that is not only false but dangerously simplistic when it comes to understanding the concerns and complexities of the black community.
They merely dipped their toes in the water then expect everyone to think of them as an expert.
The Don Imus controversy is yet another example of a lazy, biased media. And it makes me fear for this country when our news gatherers get paid so much for doing so little.
