Can Your Freedom of Speech

There is understandably a big furor this week surrounding the recent firing of radio shock jock Don Imus by Viacom and NBC this week. His removal comes on the heels of yet another racist remark to slip his lips regarding the Rutger's Women's Basketball Team. The remarks, which I refuse to repeat here, were of such clearly racist ilk that it's surprising to hear him attempt to defend himself by saying that his remarks were taken out of context or that he was misunderstood. Some may argue that he is the voice of many people or that he only represents the minority. Whatever the case may be seen as, the one thing that is clear is that he should not be allowed to continue his brand of filth on the air. I have heard a few of his shows in the past and there is a difference between teasing someone in a good-natured way versus teasing someone with the sole intention of hurting them. There are many radio shows out there that touch on content that many would rather not have on the air, but the fact remains that these rights are protected by the Constitution.

The Bill of Rights within the Constitution are probably among the most heavily debated pieces of literature outside of religious texts. The Founding Fathers of this nation left those portions very vague at the outset because they knew the document to be a 'living' one that could be adjusted as each subsequent generation saw fit. Up until a few decades ago, this was considered a normal act and quite within the power of the Congress, however, in recent times this attitude has changed and any interpretation of the Bill of Rights that seems to be a little off of the beaten trail ends up being viewed with scrutiny and scorn. The right to bear arms is part of the Constitution and gun supporters will tell you that it simply means that you can have a gun and use it too. Keep in mind that this was written at a time when the country was still expanding and Europe still had its sights set on the 'new world'.

Such a loose interpretation means that everyone interpreting that way will think that every single person in the country is privy to having a gun. Now I don't know about you, but I can think of a few people I know that I wouldn't trust with a plastic butter knife let alone a gun but still, because we have allowed this right to remain so ambiguous that one can argue either side of the case. I mean some interpret that to mean that they can bear any and all arms this side of a nuclear arsenal or that they need weapons that would put Rambo to shame. I understand the desire to protect your home and your loved ones but honestly, when is the last time you read about a situation like in Die Hard or some such film where the need for firearms outweighs the need for common sense?

Similarly, the freedom of speech has been given such a varied interpretation that it's likely never to be changed. If you go one way, people on the other side of the fence will jump up and protest and vice versa. So what do you do with guys like Don Imus who use their positions to spout volatile rhetoric? The simple answer is that you ignore him but that doesn't solve anything. He upsets people because of what he says and the scorn with which he says it. It also upsets people because he is using his freedom to hurt and divide people. Racial issues are among one of the worst problems in this nation and while things are nowhere near as bad as they were a few decades ago, when you have people like Imus on the air spewing such trash, it doesn't appear to be going away any time soon.

Does that mean that Imus is the only one on the air saying such things? Of course not; in fact I have heard what could be termed as racist remarks from non-white radio talkshow hosts as well. Now while that may not be the standard fare that we hear from them all the time, the fact remains that they too are saying such things. So what's the solution? It's not an easy thing to determine but one thing is certain, we need to look at ourselves as well as the people saying such things. For my part, there are certain shows or radio stations that I don't listen to simply for reasons like their comments are directed towards people with the intent of simply maligning them and insulting them. There are others who are just plain obnoxious and others still who are just so stupid that it makes you cringe as you listen to them.

All of these stations are local and their remarks are limited to the immediate area which is a reflection of the place in which we live. Go to a different part of the country and you'll hear a different type of radio program. Sure the gist may be the same but the issues and topics they discuss may surprise you. In other parts of the country it may be very likely that you'll hear things that could very well be interpreted as racist but they are accepted because the pervading attitude of the area is a reflection of it. On a nationally broadcast show like what Imus had, your audience is much larger and due to his relative celebrity status among radio hosts, it's not surprising that he's been on the air as long as he has. For whatever else, he's used his show as a platform to say the things that many people in this country may agree with. If that's the case then we are in trouble and we haven't let the mistakes of our past get away from us. They're still there. If this isn't the attitude and opinion that we want people to get from our country then we need to change it and ourselves collectively.