Nappy-headed Ho’s of the World Unite!

My first thought, when the Don Imus scandal broke, was: What gives a guy with a full-frontal comb-over the right to criticize anyone’s hair? Don, Don, don’t you remember I am rubber, you are glue…? I had no idea what he looked like until he insulted the Rutgers women’s basketball team and got all over TV, but now that I know, and now that the discourse has descended to comments about people’s appearance, I see why he’s been confined to radio all these years.

Of course it’s the ho, not the hair, part of Imus’s comment that hurts, with its suggestion of unlimited sexual availability. Dream on, dirty old man, but there’s no amount of money that would win you the favors of these strong, smart, athletic young women. It was the senile lechery of his “nappy-headed ho” remark that creeped me right out. What did he think-- that it was Bring Your Dotage to Work day?

But I changed my mind when I saw the whole sequence on the news. Imus didn’t utter those poisonous words in a tone of racist, misogynist, contempt, but with something that sounded like admiration. “That's some rough girls from Rutgers,” he told producer Bernard McGuirk, “Man, they got tattoos ...” It was McGuirk who introduced the ho theme, responding, “'Some hardcore ho’s.”

Not to be out-done in the tastelessness department, Imus then muttered appreciatively, 'That's some nappy-headed ho’s there, I'm going to tell you that.” In the same way, an African-American might compliment a male athlete of his own race as “one bad-ass n-word,” or something like that. The Rutgers women were “rough” – which is good in an athlete, right? – inspiring McGuirk and Imus to flex their testosterone
glands and act even tougher, and the only way they could think to do that was by adopting the argot of hip-hop. It was like watching a couple of suburban white boys slouching around in full ghetto get-up: Cute, in a way, but mostly pathetic.

This doesn’t excuse Imus, because he misses a crucial point: That an insult, used often enough, becomes the exclusive property of the insulted. Take the word “bitch,” as applied to any woman with the guts to offend. At first it stung, but then we appropriated it for ourselves. Elizabeth Wurtzel wrote a feminist book called Bitch, and there’s a feminist magazine of the same name. I can call my sister “bitch” in a jokey, tough-gal, way. But you can’t call her that, not if you’re a guy, unless you want to step outside with me.

You can blame hip-hop if you want, and the cable news channels have been quick to point out that the words “ho” and “nappy-headed” abound in that genre. But hip-hop occupies the realm of the carnivalesque, which aims to up-end white middle class sensibilities in the spirit of defiance and play. I cringe at the relentless obscenity of the lyrics, the misdirected disrespect for women. But I also recognize in hip-hop an anger that is not mine to share, at least not in the same words, because it’s a response to centuries of sexualized racial put-downs, often uttered by people who, embarrassingly enough, looked very much like me.

This isn’t only about race, though. Much of the commentary has focused on a multi-millionaire white guy’s unaccountable insult to aspiring young black women. Al Sharpton held up his own college-bound daughter as one of the injured parties; Gwen Ifill offered the painful revelation that Imus once referred to her as “the cleaning lady.” But at least two of the Rutgers players are white. What is the message here? That if you hang with the sistuhs your virtue will decline and your hair go bad?

No, what aroused Imus’s twisted admiration and antagonism (and possibly other things) was the reality of strong, determined, aggressive, women. I have straight blondish hair and have never sold any sexual services, but if the Rutgers women are “nappy-headed ho’s,” then I’d be proud to be one too.

Comments

[donkeygirl]

Excellent, perfect, right on as usual, Barb. I was glad to see that NBC news covered this last night as its first story, and also gave it a huge amount of time. I'm sick of white guys making outrageous racial slurs, then saying, "I'm not a racist!"

And, how sweet that you'd step outside with a man if he called me a bitch.
Love,
Your sister

[teffie-phd]

Seems that gender and race privilege are alive and well in journalism. However we only see it when some pale and stale guy uses very inflamitory language, not the subtle and pervasive things that go on every day.

The illusions of black women being more savage/rough than their opponents for example certainly underscores ideas about black women being like animals. That sort of thing happens all the time and hopefully this incident will get those in media to start really thinking about how they create, reflect and reinforce these ideas.

[Rhea]

I have to admit, I love your comments on Don Imus' appearance. I am at that point, too, where I will stoop that low. He's butt ugly!!! Now that I got that out of the way, I want to say that a sexist and racist fool like this deserves much worse than what amounts to a two-week vacation. But I forget: most Talk Radio show hosts are jerks. In fact, it's the job description.

[chris]

Nappy hair. Hos. Don Imus.

The non-story of the year.

Barbara wrote:

"Al Sharpton held up his own college-bound daughter as one of the injured parties..."

Al Sharpton, the guy who lied, lied, lied and lied more about Tawana Brawley and then defamed Steven Pagones in the most vile and despicable way.

Sharpton's lies about Pagones were so outrageous he was forced to pay Pagones $68,000 after a jury concluded Sharpton had defamed Pagones.

Of course the money was paid by Percy Sutton, the owner of a black radio station in NYC.

What's the lesson? It's this: If a black big mouth lies that an innocent white man has raped a black women, the black community will protect him. Hey, that's great news.

Worse, in the annals of Sharpton vileness, was Al's actions at Freddy's Fashion Mart on Harlem's 125th St about 10 years ago. He stood in front with his bullhorn and exhorted his followers to drive out the "Jew", the "white interloper", from Harlem.

One of Al's followers brought a gun and a gallon of gas to the rally. This black following of Al's ran into Freddy's, poured gasoline on clothing, set a fire and began shooting. He killed six or eight employees. All of the employees were either black or hispanic.

Did Al feel any heat for causing the deaths of these people? No. Of course not. Why? Because the mass delusion that infects thinking on this topic doesn't allow for personal responsibility.

The culprits are always white guys.

Don Imus is no exception. He's an over-thre-hill radio/TV gasbag whose nasty showtime cracks are old news. Yet somehow, he's the current scapegoat for blacks.

I'm sure the moments when white windbags like Imus can temporarily take the heat for black and hispanic misbehavior must offer great relief to the real culprits. Or maybe not. The real culprits just don't care.

In any case, Imus isn't responsible for violence in minority communities, the degradation of rap lyrics, the drug and alcohol problems, nor the high drop-out rate. Neither is he responsible for the lunacy of racial arsonists like Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, who is no longer remembered for calling New York City "hymietown."

I suppose we could start on the comments from Louis Farrakhan, but that would take too long. As would a list of felonies committed by rich black athletes and rich black rappers.

Imus. Yeah. He's the problem.

[mickbw]

As disgusting as I found what he said and the defensive nature of his comments yesterday, there is something that I haven't heard discussed since this all began last week.

During the run up to the '06 elections I heard no one more disgusted by the overtly racist commercials that were shown again Harold Ford Jr. of Tennessee. He spoke about it on a daily basis and at length.

Does it make it better that he only seems to have a problem with women rather than black women? No, but in this day where the on-air talent take sides politically Mr. Imus is one of the few that was as willing to listen to the ideas of Obama as McCain.

[Ron Davison]

Nice posting. But I'm always amazed when people are shocked that the talk radio guys act like idiots. It is what they are paid to do. I'm far less amazed by what they say than the fact that they ever have an audience.

[ThatDeborahGirl]

Most white people don't get it and for once Barbara misses the mark as well.

You just can't understand that there is no admiration in being called that and it's not a term to unite around. If my husband said it to me we'd be headed for divorce. If anyone said it to my daughter, I'd be ready to kick their ass.

I'm glad Al Sharpton spoke up. At least someone did. I hope Imus and McQuirk are fired.

Kudos to Staples, P&G, The Bigelow Tea Co. and GM for pulling their advertising. Maybe now that it affects their dollars, MSNBC will see sense and fire those two bigots.

[realpc]

"Imus didn’t utter those poisonous words in a tone of racist, misogynist, contempt, but with something that sounded like admiration."

Barbara, you got it right. I have watched the Imus show now and then over the years, and he is not some racist jerk.
But I also agree with you that a rich old white man has no right to use the terminology, especially not with millions of listeners. Maybe he's getting senile.

I hope Imus doesn't get fired over this. Sharpton should go after people who make racist remarks out of anger and bigotry. Imus has no desire to keep blacks down. He's compassionate and loves kids, of any race. He's kind of a dope, but definitely not an evil bigot.

[chris]

ThatDeborahGirl, you wrote:

"Most white people don't get it and for once Barbara misses the mark as well."

Get what? That blacks can utter any vile statement about anyone, white or black, without consequences? Is that what you mean?

You wrote:

"You just can't understand that there is no admiration in being called that and it's not a term to unite around."

Yeah. Whites are too stupid to know an insult when it's said.

How about explaining the endless repetitions of the n-word I hear EVERY SINGLE DAY on the subways of NY City, on the streets, in the gym, in black music, every place I go, including the public library. Is Imus responsible for this?

You wrote:

"If my husband said it to me we'd be headed for divorce."

But you've heard many men call many women "hos" and "bitches". Was Imus near at the time? Did you hear the Imus broadcast? I didn't. The only reason I know about it is due to the media coverage. Like there aren't serious social pathologies to write about. But it's so much easier to pounce on one white gasbag who made a statement few people heard.

How about Crystal Gail Mangum, the black stripper who lied about being raped by the white Duke lacrosse players? What does she deserve?

The Rutgers women didn't even know Imus' name until they heard, after the fact, about his reference to them.

But the entire US knew the names of the three Duke players falsely accused of rape.

And what of Sharpton, one of the country's most vile racial arsonists? A man who became famous with lies about whites has inserted himself into the middle of the Imus/Rutgers Women issue.

You wrote:

"If anyone said it to my daughter, I'd be ready to kick their ass."

I have no idea how old your daughter is, but as someone who has worked in the public high schools of New York City, I can tell you that way too many black and hispanic teenagers disparage each other with intense vigor. Their contempt for each other is shocking.

In fact, those who attempt to stay above and away from the disparagements rarely escape unscathed. Verbal abuse is everyday stuff.

You wrote:

"I'm glad Al Sharpton spoke up. At least someone did."

The worst of all possible spokesmen.

You wrote:

"I hope Imus and McQuirk are fired."

Right. Then rappers will change their lyrics. Then the women who fight for the chance to appear in rap videos as "hos" and "bitches" will give up their pursuit of those roles. Yeah, firing Imus will make the world right. Good luck with the fantasy.

[ThatDeborahGirl]

Look Chris, how long are white people going to continue this "but he said it" Chewbacca defense. We don't even let children get away with that.

But since some white people will inevitably ask why they can't say it because black people supposedly say whatever "it" is, I will explain why.

The struggle isn't over the words, the struggle is over power. And white people like Don Imus and George Bush and your next door neighbor and your bigot sister or cousin refuse to relinquish the power those words have. White People insist on saying them and on retaining the RIGHT to say them. And just like other rights and privileges white folks are determined to keep to themselves, it's not something you've earned, it's something you've stolen based solely on the color of your skin. Not brains or beauty or ability or some magical god-like white power that conveys on you the dominion of all things, just your skin is deemed "white" and mine is not.

So now, I ask you 'Why?' Why is that white people need to be able to say those words "just because black people do." Why is it so important to you? Why is it so important to be able to say the words but also to give the impression that oh, no, you would never do such a thing and you certainly don't condone anyone else saying it.

Yet when your friends and family or even Don Imus speak such things, you remain silent. And you allow him to get away with a slap on the wrist vacation of a two-week suspension. Wink wink nudge nudge, boys will be boys, right?

But he's a sixty year old man who should know better.

White people need to wake up about the level of insult words like this possess and the message they convey when they don't stand up against it. Telling black people to get over it is blatantly agreeing with the offender and the offense.

There is no excuse for what he said. I'm glad he got fired. It's exactly what he deserved. But the Rutgers team certainly didn't call them that and you would never find any black rapper or comedian who would have referred to them that way.

People like you who make comments like yours only prove what black people already know: For all that we know about white people, you know nothing about us, how we live, how we talk and why we say the things we say or the context we say them in and you make no effort to do so.

[Monica]

Imus meant no harm and has apologized, so he should not have suffered any penalty whatsoever, not even a day's suspension. I know very well that sometimes sorry is not good enough, but that's for more important things like crimes. He just made some comments that were not appreciated. And don't forget that his profession requires him to talk a lot, be spontaneous and sound interesting, a set of skills that is different from the skills needed to analyze his comments in writing after the fact.

The problem with good talkers is that once in a while, they say the wrong thing, and that's what Imus did. On the other hand, people who function well in writing may not know what to say verbally or how to sound convincing, sociable and not boring.

[David Ulmer]

You miss the point, but not entirely. Even rappers don't write songs about the Sisters of Charity calling them "nappy-headed hos". I believe that most of them are African or women of color.

Instead of saying that no woman is a "ho" because of their God-given dignity as female persons, you take on "ho" status as some sort of badge of honor. Oh, but you clarify your statement, saying that you have never "sold any sexual services".

No one seems to want to say that sex outside of marriage is "ho" behavior. No one would dare ask if any of these young women are NOT on birth control. No, lets talk about racism and sexism rather than truth and speaking the truth in love.

Imus wasn't speaking the truth or love. But boy oh boy did he step on a nerve.

NO WOMAN IS A HO!!!! That is why no woman should act like one. Every woman is a beautiful feminine creation. I say to any woman that may have been acting in a way that God did not create her to act, "go and sin no more".

[Marc]

Being a dick may sell and all, but the guy I know into talk radio at the local/state level here is one of the nicest people I know. Not all radio folks are dicks.

[ThatDeborahGirl]

No one seems to want to say that sex outside of marriage is "ho" behavior. No one would dare ask if any of these young women are NOT on birth control. No, lets talk about racism and sexism rather than truth and speaking the truth in love.

**********
Monica, you seem to be accusing the basketball players of having premarital sex. You also seem to think that Imus' comments should be proved wrong before he has to apologize.

You make some awfully weird comments around here and this is definitely one of the creepiest. America isn't some Scarlet Letter Republic where any man can impugn a ladies reputation and then she has to set about proving her virginity.

Of course no one would dare ask these women if they're on birth control because it has NOTHING to do with Imus's comments which were completely racial in nature and had nothing to do with their sexuality or lack thereof.

For all that people are trying to make this to be some sort of dual insult, it's not. What he said was a racial slur. Period.

[Millard Fullbore]

To David Ulmer:

"No one seems to want to say that sex outside of marriage is 'ho' behavior."

Wrong. There's no shortage of people sermonizing about it.

"No one would dare ask if any of these young women are NOT on birth control."

Because it's nobody's business but theirs, one way or the other.

"Every woman is a beautiful feminine creation."

Wrong. Women, like men, evolved. In fact, women and men co-evolved, and are still co-evolving. That's more beautiful than any sexist creation myth.

"I say to any woman that may have been acting in a way that God did not create her to act, "go and sin no more."

My own advice is, "You go, girl, and don't mind the flak."

[Monica]

When did I mention sex or birth control? I did not say anything about that! And I did not say that Imus' comments should be proved wrong before he has to apologize. The message ThatDeborahGirl refers to was from David Ulmer, not from me/

[ABlogObserver]

I have to post this, beacuse it says everything.

One reason Im not a liberal anymore is I got tired of the double standards...

I agree with this article:

Robert Paul Reyes

Don Imus Fired, Now Let’s Go After The Black Rappers

April 12, 2007 at 12:03 am · Filed under Vox Populi

Radio Shock Jock, Don Imus, is full of piss and vinegar; he has a long and undistinguished career of uttering racist, sexist and homophobic remarks. Usually he spews his vile on the rich, famous and powerful, and not too many people feel sorry for celebrities and politicians.

But when Don Imus called the Rutgers Women’s Basketball team “nappy-headed hos”, he clearly crossed a line advertisers and the American public simply will not tolerate. The exemplary student-athletes Imus insulted are not in the public arena, and under no circumstances should they have been subjected to such demeaning and dehumanizing language.

After Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, Sprint Nextel, GM and American Express pulled their ads, MSNBC fired Don Imus. CBS Radio needs to follow suit and can Don Imus. We need to send a clear message: Enough is enough!

Don Imus isn’t the biggest offender when it comes to objectifying, dehumanizing and insulting black women. The biggest offenders are the Uncle Tom rappers who make millions selling obscenity-laden records to white kids from the suburbs. African American rappers are the New Minstrels, donning black face, writing songs that play up the worst stereotypes of blacks.

If you do a Google search of ho or nigga, you won’t get hits of speeches by white supremacists; you will get millions of hits of lyrics written by degenerate black rappers.

Don Imus has been justly punished for his racist remarks, it’s now time to come down hard on black rappers. It’s time we, including the black community, said “Enough is Enough!” Stop calling black women hos and bitches! Stop calling yourselves niggas! Stop making videos portraying black women as scandalous whores. Stop acting like pimps and thugs to appeal to the white kids who buy the vast majority of your sick and idiotic records.

[chris]

ThatDeborahGirl, you wrote:

"Look Chris, how long are white people going to continue this "but he said it" Chewbacca defense. We don't even let children get away with that."

Are you black? I assumed you were. But if it isn't the black children of black parents writing the lyrics of thousands of vile rap songs, who's writing them? Vanilla Ice?

Also, I think you dwell in the black fantasy-land when attempting to peer into white minds.

You wrote:

"But since some white people will inevitably ask why they can't say it because black people supposedly say whatever "it" is,"

This is NOT the question. In fact, there isn't a question. Or, if you want to pretend there is, then the question is rhetorical. In fact, whites are merely noting a delusional hypocrisy when witnessing or hearing rap songs, the n-word spoken by millions of blacks, etc.

You wrote:

"The struggle isn't over the words, the struggle is over power."

Based on what I see and hear almost every day, blacks sacrifice some gains by supporting a culture that includes an extraordinary amount of degradation.

You wrote:

"And white people like Don Imus and George Bush and your next door neighbor and your bigot sister or cousin refuse to relinquish the power those words have."

Ahh. The black delusion in full bloom.

You ranted:

"White People insist on saying them and on retaining the RIGHT to say them. And just like other rights and privileges white folks are determined to keep to themselves, it's not something you've earned, it's something you've stolen based solely on the color of your skin."

No one in my circle and no one in my family speaks or writes any terms that disparage blacks or others. I live in Brooklyn, NY, in the southwest corner of Flatbush. I live in the most racially, ethnically, socially, and economically diverse place in the world. My view of things reflects all possible inputs.

You wrote:

"Not brains or beauty or ability or some magical god-like white power that conveys on you the dominion of all things, just your skin is deemed "white" and mine is not."

The undertone of the preceding suggests a sense of inferiority. Why is that?

YOu ranted more:

"So now, I ask you 'Why?' Why is that white people need to be able to say those words "just because black people do.""

You've turned the obvious against yourself. Whites are not interested or moved to utter the n-word or other disparagements of blacks. Once again, you want to shift the problem from a central fact of black culture to a problem caused by an external influence -- which, in your view is some absurd concoction of white power and white ambitions. Too bad for you that you waste time thinking these things.

You went on:

"Why is it so important to be able to say the words but also to give the impression that oh, no, you would never do such a thing and you certainly don't condone anyone else saying it."

I've noticed that people often think they are mindreaders. You have presented yourself as one. If you are interested in my vocabulary and the range of my thoughts, feel free to ask. You'll get a straight answer. But, instead, you have concluded -- based on who knows what -- that it's my desire to insult and disparage blacks.

You address me as though I represent all whites, who, in your view, feel restrained by social forces from calling blacks nasty names. Sorry, you've got the wrong person and the wrong race.

Your mindreading continued:

"Yet when your friends and family or even Don Imus speak such things, you remain silent."

My friends and family do not use derogatory terms about blacks. Moreover, I haven't listened to Don Imus for about 20 years. I only know about his recent comments because the Al Sharpton-inspired coverage has not stopped. Furthermore, I don't care what happens to Imus. He's not the problem. The problem is black hypocrisy.

You surmised:

"And you allow him to get away with a slap on the wrist vacation of a two-week suspension. Wink wink nudge nudge, boys will be boys, right?"

First, Imus has a contract. That means there's a legal relationship between the two. He didn't make any deals with me, and, like I said, I haven't been a listener for 20 years. If I don't listen to him, I'm hardly responsible for providing a platform for his nasty cracks.

Meanwhile, your wink-wink boys-will-be-boys rationale is interesting. Is that what blacks say about Al Sharpton, the guy who is responsible for urging followers to drive Freddy's Fashion Mart out of Harlem? I hope you know one of Sharpton's followers ran into Freddys with gasoline and a gun, started a fire, and shot employees.

He killed six or eight. The employees were a mix of black and hispanic kids. Freddy, of course, was "the Jew", the "white interloper." Sharpton is the face of black leadership. Rappers are the face of a big chunk of black culture. Imus is an aging gasbag who was unknown to the women from Rutgers. None of his antics have led to anyone's death.

You ranted:

"White people need to wake up about the level of insult words like this possess and the message they convey when they don't stand up against it."

Your statement brings us back to the beginning. You're reminding whites that it's okay for blacks to disparage blacks and to become wealthy as a result, that self-destruction in the black community is acceptable. You're saying this while shaking your fist at whites in a way that says we will ruin ourselves without any comments from you.

You misinterpreted:

"Telling black people to get over it is blatantly agreeing with the offender and the offense."

I suppose you actually believe this. But if you did, the scourge of the thug life would have disappeared from black culture long ago.

You misread again:

"There is no excuse for what he said."

No matter what delusion you've conjured, Imus has not been excused from anything.

You're wrong again:

"I'm glad he got fired."

He didn't get fired. His MSNBC TV show was cancelled. He will remain on WFAN radio. He has a contract. It's doubtful he violated its terms.

YOu ranted more:

"It's exactly what he deserved."

Imus is a "personality" an entertainer, and is therefore affected by certain public sentiments. If he falls from grace with listeners, well, that's the way it goes in show business.

You added more delusional thoughts:

"But the Rutgers team certainly didn't call them that and you would never find any black rapper or comedian who would have referred to them that way."

Oh, black rappers or comedians wouldn't refer to the women's basketball team at Rutgers as Imus did. But black rappers earn huge sums for driving a culture of degradation and misogyny that is a million times more destructive than a crack by Imus that few people heard. Once again, your sensibilities are way off.

Whites did not create the destructive side of black culture. But you're trying your hardest to pin it on Imus, a white guy, because it's so much easier than looking inward.

Ahh, a "you people" comment:

"People like you who make comments like yours only prove what black people already know:"

Correction -- "what black people already BELIEVE...

But then you reverse yourself and claim ignorance:

"For all that we know about white people..."

Clearly you have fashioned an imaginary world that whites inhabit.

You ended your delusion:

"...you know nothing about us, how we live, how we talk and why we say the things we say or the context we say them in and you make no effort to do so.""

Okay. Almost every college has a sociology department, every city and most towns employ social service workers. There are programs for every conceivable social pathology, mostly paid for by white taxpayers. Meanwhile, the NAACP was founded by whites from the family who founded Sears.

As I said, I live in Flatbush, Brooklyn, the Brooklyn with 2.6 million residents, more black than white. I've taught in public schools, worked on Wall Street and traveled this city night and day, seeing people in action all over town.

There as so many race-oriented groups I won't begin to list them. In other words, 140 years after the end of slavery, after millions of blacks have immigrated here, after billions and billions have been spent to repair the damage, whites haven't learned a thing about blacks. Wow.

[donkeygirl]

Chris, why don't you find some other blog for your hateful, long-winded diatribes.

[bea]

long-winded yes, but hateful? Other than his last paragraph I think he makes some good points.

[Justin K.]

One of the reasons I wont move out of so-cal is for it's ethnic diversity. Mexicans, Blacks and wights seem to be on an equal playing field. About 2 or 3 months ago I went to see family in Wyoming and was sicken when seeing the words "Death to N*****" on the walls in just about avery public restroom I walked in to. Some one even said to me "there's a reason why god put us on two different countries!" This makes me sad!

[mike]

The two biggest racists in the entire group are Sharpton and Jackson. These two ambulance chasing spot-light lovers are nothing but opportunistic leaches.

They should work to fire all those in the black community making millions rapping about N's and ho's-but of course there is no limelight in doing that is there...

[mike]

When will Jackson and Sharpton apologize for being racists?

"Let us recall Jackson’s and Sharpton’s own monopoly on racial hate:

In Sharpton’s case:

In the midst of the 1991 Crown Heights riots, the good Reverend referred to Jews as “diamond merchants.”

During the 1995 black boycott of Freddy’s clothing store in Harlem, Morris Powell, the leader of the boycott and the head of Sharpton’s Buy Black committee, referred to Jews as “crackers.” He shouted to passersby, “Keep [going] right on by Freddy’s. He’s one of the greedy Jew bastards killing our people. Don’t give the Jew a dime.” This was all done with Sharpton’s knowledge and blessing."

[Monica]

Imus did not get what he deserved. He was treated unfairly even though he meant no harm and apologized like a decent person. And where is the respect for his age (he could be those women's father or grandfather) and his long career (as opposed to being talented individuals, but still in university)? That's just not fair!

In fact, that's one of the problem with the whole system. Success, such as a career, can be lost at any moment, and people who are much younger and did not accomplish that much, or did not have time to do so yet, are one's equal. At his age, what he calls such young people should not matter. If they are not ho's or other bad things, they too may achieve success, and they may already have accomplished an appropriate degree of success for their age, but for now, they are still young and unimportant. It was a great honour that they even got an apology. I would not apologize to a toddler!

[chris]

mike, you wrote:

"In the midst of the 1991 Crown Heights riots, the good Reverend referred to Jews as “diamond merchants.”"

mike, Sharpton may have intended the "diamond merchant" term as a slur. Nevertheless, it is a fact. Hasidic Jews, many of whom live in Crown Heights, ARE diamond merchants who work in the diamond district on 47th Street in Manhattan.

No matter what Sharpton hoped to convey, he managed only to convey some information about the employment of some Jews. It's hard to take the term as an insult. The term bears none of the freight carried by "ho".