MSNBC has announced that it dropped
Don Imus because of his racial remarks last week.
Last week I commented on Amanda Congdon's
blog about this controversial sculpture.
I think my remarks go well with the Don Imus
situation.
Here is what I wrote (edited):
I am disgusted that our society is abusing free speech. Yes,
we have the legal right to say practically anything (even hate
speech) but that doesn't make it morally right. Let’s not take
words and speech so lightly.
Words can hurt others.
Words can divide.
Words can incite hate and violence.
Words can belittle.
Words can be abusive and can stay with us the rest of our lives.
So words are protected by the First Amendment but that doesn’t
stop them from having harmful effects. And when people simply
dismiss this stuff as “art” and say “they have free speech,” I find it
irritating. Shouldn’t artists be held responsible and accountable for
their work and the public at large? Or are they above reproach? Now
that we live in the digital age we must be more careful about the things
we say because everything has a trail online. I’m not saying to walk on
egg shells, I’m just saying to be responsible and not abuse our inherent
freedoms.
Update: Imus now fired from CBS Radio also.
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1 comment:
In all the years of the notoriety of Don Imus, I think he has wasted about ten minutes of my time. I won't miss him regardless of the good things he may be reputed to have done by his fans.
As to the Chocolate Jesus, does it offend me? It seems to me that Christ himself made some food analogies, and drink as well, during the last supper. He encouraged his desciples to symbolically eat and drink his body and blood with the bread and wine.
To this day, Christians celebrate communion. It seems to me the artist who went over the line was the one who made a Christ figure out of mud and dung. I suppose he had the right to do it, but his clientelle is going to be limited.
Of course, as the agnostic son of a previous Presbyterian Minister who I never ever saw pray in my life, other than ceremonially, I have little interest in this issue.
I do find it somewhat ironic that Christ was, as far as I know, the first one who ever said "eat me," although I think he said it in Aramaic.
I think I might have enraged an Islamic professor earlier today, although I said nothing which was disrespectful of the Prophet. But blasphemy is really in the eye of the beholder...
Hey Salmon Rushdie! Got a minute? I need a little advice.
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