freedom & responsibility

A huge cataclysm of opinion on a national scale has erupted over the Don Imus remarks and ensuing consequences. Imus met for 2 or 3 hours with the Rutgers basketball team with whom he had targeted his remarks at. The players, through their coach forgave Imus for his remarks he was fired from his job and is now off the airwaves. Now the real story happens.

Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton went to CBS and told them they would launch protest rallies if no action was taken against Imus for his racist remarks. Sponsors of Imus radio show began to pull out of the show, lots of revenue lost Imus soon was fired. What motivated CBS???? Moral outrage or Loss of revenue??? Rappers use far worse language in their songs than anything Imus said do they get a pass because they are black and talking from a perspective that actually rewards them and heralds them as *hardcore* and *keeping it real* even though they perpetuate the very racist,sexist stereotypes that has caused such a brouhaha????

I can hear the shouts of * first amendment rights* and saying you can't throw in all the incidents of racist,sexist remarks along with Imus. Will rappers be called to account and told to change their lyrics???? Will rockers???? Comedians???? Where does one persons freedom need to be countered by personal responsibility????/ How free should free speech be???? Should the corporations who pay the rap artists take responsibility and accept the criticism for catering to racist,sexist images??? How long will the outrage over this last??? What more will happen to foster change in attitudes ?? i wonder what Howard Stern thinks about all this and if he even considers himself a culprit????

i know so much has and will be said on this just felt like laying out some of what has been running in my head about it. I would hope this will continue to effect positive change in overcoming any form of hate speech or misogyny in radio,tv,politics and entertainment. Interesting to see how it plays out next few months, especially considering its an election year.