Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Imus Explains 'Racial' Remark, Proceeds to Impugn Police: 'They Shoot Blacks for No Reason'

By now you've probably heard about the latest Don Imus mess concerning purported racial remarks over Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, who apparently wants to be called Adam Jones now, making a clean break from his criminal past. In what sounds like a script written by Al Sharpton, Imus offers a very weak explanation.
He did it again.

Shock jock Don Imus landed in hot water yesterday after making another on-air racial crack, implying suspended NFL star Adam "Pacman" Jones' criminal record is no surprise considering he's African-American.

But he later claimed he was misunderstood.

"He's been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005," sports anchor Warner Wolf said of Jones.

"What color is he?" Imus asked a clearly surprised Wolf.

"He's African-American," the normally animated Wolf said softly.

"Well, there you go. Now we know," the I-Man shot back.

But Imus insisted in a statement released last night, "I meant that he was being picked on because he was black."
So I listened to the beginning of his show this morning and this is exactly the direction he went, though it sure seems to me like he dug himself a bigger hole, not that the media noticed.

He again offered the flimsy defense that Jones was being picked on because he was black, disregarding Jones' long criminal past. If you want the details, go here. Obviously, the clueless Imus is blissfully unaware of the well-chronicled past of this punk and this morning claimed "I'm sure he's a good kid," inferring that just because he's black he's a target for police.

Even worse, Imus claimed ""There's no reason to arrest this kid six times. Maybe he did something once. Everybody does something once," he said.

Maybe?

C'mon, you can do better than that.

I'm sure his boss Sharpton will weigh in later. He'll probably thank him for properly reciting his script.

Update: I knew I heard this part correctly, but waited until there was an actual media account quoting it. For some strange reason, this explosive quote didn't make it into the wire accounts:
Imus went on to say, "they shoot blacks for no reason. We know about that in New York City. I mean, We already understand all this...Nobody, no white man with a radio or television program has had more discussions about race relations since December 3rd than I have. ... We talk about it all the time."
In case Imus is unaware, if he's referring to the Sean Bell case, the police (two of whom were black), were found not guilty in that case.

Imus can hold all the sermons on race that he'd like, but saying the police "shoot blacks for no reason" is contemptible.

Like I said, Sharpton couldn't have scripted it any better.

Still, isn't it curious how the wore accounts left this part out of their story?

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