Who's Got Heart?

So what's the current cost of being racist? About two weeks suspension from your job. This is the "punishment" received by shock jock Don Imus after his racist slur this week on his radio talk show.

While we do have free speech in this country, there has to be some kind of restrictions on remarks such as Imus's. A two week suspension is almost a joke. If that weren't enough, this is Imus's first offensive remark. He apparently has a history of making both sexist and racist slurs on his show with little or no repurcussion. I suppose the fact that he is at least getting penalized this time around is a step in the right direction, but far from where he needs to be.

It is still up in the air whether the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team will even accept his public apology for his slur, if it can even be called that. His apology has been called "hollow" by some. It's ridiculous that even after he has been publicly criticized for his comments, he can't even muster up the courage to make a heartfelt apology. His apology, in my opinion, lacks authenticity because he isn't actually sorry for his comment. If anything, it has made him even more popular, and I predict that his ratings might even go up after this event (how's that for fair?). People will probably tune in now to see what racial slur he has to throw out there next.

I know that if a law were to be passed, it would raise the issue of regulating free speech, which our whole First Amendment is based on. Yet, I feel something has to be done. Suspending Imus is definitely a step forward, but more should be done. A longer punishment sentance perhaps. At least several advertisers have their ethics on track for pulling out of his show. It's kind of ironic that the advertisers are the ones with heart this time around.