Imus: Race Remark Was "Sarcastic"

(CBS/AP)  Don Imus said Tuesday morning on his radio show that he was trying to "make a sarcastic point" in his latest on-air remarks about race, but that they had been misunderstood.

Imus resurrected his radio career six months ago with a pledge to mend the wounds caused by a racist and sexist comment he made about a women's basketball team.

On Tuesday he said he was following the spirit of that promise by calling attention to the unfair treatment of blacks - in this case the arrests of suspended Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones.

"What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason," Imus said. "I mean, there's no reason to arrest this kid six times. Maybe he did something once, but everyone does something once."

He called the flurry of criticism surrounding the comments "ridiculous" and said that his program's cast is now more diverse than ever - and includes a black producer and two black co-hosts.

"How insane would I have to be? What would I be thinking?" Imus wondered aloud.

Co-host Karith Foster - who is black - came to Imus' defense during Tuesday's broadcast, saying, "People who interpret what you said as racist clearly didn't hear the whole thing, and they don't know who you are and what the program is about - and they obviously haven't been listening."

The latest comments by Imus to come under scrutiny were aired on Monday's broadcast. During a conversation about Jones' run-ins with the law, Imus asked, "What color is he?" Sports announcer Warner Wolf said Jones - formerly known as Pacman - is "African-American." Imus responded: "There you go. Now we know."

CBS News correspondent Andrea Stassou reports that Imus issued a statement on Monday night explaining, "I meant he was being picked on because he's black."

The on-air exchange came months after Imus' return to work on a new show on WABC-AM following his firing from MSNBC and CBS Radio for calling the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos."

When he returned to work, Imus gave a lengthy on-air apology and pledged to use his new show to foster an open dialogue on race relations.

Stassou reports that Reverend Al Sharpton, who was instrumental in Imus' firing after the Rutgers comments, says that he will wait a day or two to decide what, if any, action his group will take this time.

Jones told the Dallas Morning News in Tuesday editions that he's upset by Imus' comments and plans to pray for the radio host.

"I'm truly upset about the comments," Jones said. "Obviously Mr. Imus has problems with African-Americans. I'm upset, and I hope the station he works for handles it accordingly. I will pray for him."

WABC and Citadel Broadcasting Corp. Vice President Phil Boyce said Monday that it was unlikely the broadcasters would take disciplinary action against Imus.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Everybody will, in their life times, experience some type of prejudice. Maybe Blacks should stop playing into the hands of the racists and just ignore them. All they''''re trying to do anyway, is get under their skin. Ignore them and look like the better person." Posted by TruUSA

Ignore them, and we will be the dead person. The kkk, aryan nations, and their representatives in the public eye, like the Pats, both Robertson and Buchanan, David Duke, and their ilk, if allowed to spew their filth unchallenged, will cause the same agitprop to be dirested against "Blacks", that now has most of America hating innocent people because they are Islam, and so excusing and supporting Bush''s genocide.

We absolutely cannot ignore them, they will not go away. If they feel they can agitate against "Black" people unchallenged, they will just grow bolder, and move back towards open terrorism.

[von_marko]

I''m voting Democrat because the real cure for racism includes preferential policies based on race -- particularly in presidential voting. If you believe that a black candidate ought to be qualified, as well as black, you''re worse than Adolf.

[toldyouso12]

hey loved those hate speeches? They should have suffered like Imus. THEY SAW NOTHING, HEARD NOTHING. Liars... I can not vote for racists.

Posted by Mercurygrand at 07:20 PM : Jun 24, 2008


Shadddup you whiney beeyotch--YOU are the racists--stop trying to hide it with deflection. Any time any in the HRC camp call racist--we know we are looking at a gen-you-whine--Billybob. LMAO

PS kilroy--listening to a racist does not make a person one--but trying to not support a person and blaming it on guilt by association maketh you look like a primed, rimmed up, putrid ***.

[toldyouso12]

Awww, ain''t this sweet--ol'' Imus wants some attention. Sort of like a has been--saying just anything to be relevant--but knowing deep down, that the world has moved on and they no longer matter. Poor Imus--maybe if he attacks Jews or the flag next, he can get a rise out of somebody. LMAO

[peacedreamer-2009]

Sheesh. Is that guy still trying to get back into radio? Oh well, radio''s pretty much a dead medium anyway...I guess they can only find old guys like Imus and Howard Stern to be on-air personalities. At least they''re not junking up the internet with their old bathroom humor. It''s best to keep them on the radio where only old people will hear them.

[hsinco-2009]

I didn''t support Imus last time he screwed up

But this time I agree with him. This is totally misunderstood.

[smurfcrusher]

Imus is right, kindof. Yes, the player was picked on because of his race. But not by others - by Imus himself.

Is Imus so stupid to make such a statement, which could reasonably be interpreted as racist, hoping to pass it off as sympathetic to the player? Apparently not, since he didn''t immediately explain his comments, and since he was the one to bring up race in the discussion.

Sounds to me like he was validating his suspicions; therefore Imus would not be expected to immediately add a comment to the effect that it''s unfortunate that African-Americans are being picked on because of their race.

No, that happened later, as part of a carefully calibrated backpedaling plastered over the National news.

[ingram102]

SharnCedar

WELL SAID

[ingram102]

Imus is right, this is ridiculous.

[sharncedar]

The disease of the black community is racism. But it is important that we the rest of the country:

a) set a good example for them by not having a bunch of racists get away with it in attacking blacks or Obama or whatever, and

b) enforce with supreme violence the rule that blacks will not be allowed to practice any racism, to speak racist statements, or otherwise indulge themselves.

Criticizing that ''ho Imus is step a), but we need to get on with step b), it is useless to fight racism, when its strongest point fo support is the exclusive and paranoid and out-of-control black community.

The biggest segregationists in the country today are blacks, the biggest racists are blacks, the worst haters are blacks. Any more progress must come from dismantling the "black community" by whatever means, including forceful integration and suppression of racist groups.