Firing of Don Imus

To the editor: Thursday, April 12, 2007, marked the beginning of the end of America, as we stood by to witness the public lynching of Don Imus. As surely as we crossed from one world to the next on 9/11, 4/12 will stand as the day we surrendered ourselves to a new chapter in our nation’s history, a chapter that the vast majority of us will live to regret. As 9/11 was more about the high-jacking of a religion than of commercial aircraft; 4/12 was a high-jacking of sorts as well. Although, what Mr. Sharpton took from us on 4/12, he did not take by force, we gave it to him. Each and every one of us from the David Gregory’s and CBS’s, to even myself who is speaking up after the fact! There is no question that the Rutgers Women have become victims. But as demeaning, insulting and hurtful as the words of Don Imus may have been, he simply does not have the power to make anyone a victim who is unwilling to become one! On the other hand, the artful and manipulative tactics of the greatest race-baiter in history were brutally effective. Unfortunately for us all, these young women took the bait and in so doing allowed them selves to fall from champion-hood to victim-hood. What is particularly disturbing about all of this to me is that while both Sharpton and Imus feed from the underbelly of our culture, only one has always been completely honest about it! That the mastermind and perpetrator of the Tawana Brawley hoax is somehow able to exert a Pied Piper like influence over so many is one of the greatest human character tragedies of our time! His is the constituency of victim-hood and it appears to be growing. So, on April 12 we lynched the Cowboy and elevated the Reverend to “Sheriff” to watch over our system of dialogue and expression. And quite lucky for him, from this lofty perch he should have no trouble spotting future victims.for without them, he would surely fall. Chip Murray Warwick