Imus Versus Sharpton

Listening to the hew and cry about a comment made by Don Imus intended to be humorous but racist/sexist in nature, you'd think he'd clubbed baby seals on live TV. In the end, it got him fired.

Many spoke out against him, including Al Sharpton, one of the biggest racists in the US (I think he ties with Jesse Jackson). This is the same Al Sharpton who had no problem making inflammatory and racist comments about the alleged Duke lacrosse team rapists, since cleared of all charges.

Don Imus made a joke in very poor taste, but didn't mean to hurt anyone and apologized profusely. He got fired.

Al Sharpton made slanderous accusations and racist comments about “rich white boys”, saying they were guilty as hell long before any evidence had been presented. He prejudged them entirely on the basis of their race. That is racism. Unlike Imus, Al Sharpton has never apologized for his remarks. He's kept his radio show, kept his job. No one is calling for sanctions against him. Al Sharpton has never apologized for anything he's ever said, including his posturing during the whole Tawana Brawley hoax. He did his best to stir up racial outrage and hatred and, once Brawley's alleged rape was found to be a fabrication, did nothing about the accusatory and racist remarks he made.

At first I thought I was the only one that made any notice of this dual standard. But a little Google search while I was looking for Al Sharpton's comments about the Duke Rape Case pointed me to someone else that noticed the same thing.

The difference between Imus and Jackson/Sharpton --- Jackson/Sharpton were being serious, claim to believe what they said, and were trying to influence a process that could have ultimately ended with innocent kids serving major jail time. Seems very different and much more serious than the Imus miscue. Ramifications of Imus = offended players. Ramification of Jackson and Sharpton = Duke players receiving death threats, Duke campus invaded by activists, inflammation of race and economic relations in Durham, property damage, threats of retaliatory rape against white female Duke students, etc. Will Sharpton, Jackson and other inciters be publicly criticized a la Imus?

Not likely.