Any regular listener to Imus knows that he is a good and charitable man and that he shows little or no racial prejudice. His sponsorship of Harold Ford is an example. He also treats all of the children he takes to the Imus ranch (including many African Americans) with kindness and respect. He shouldn't be so harshly punished for one stupid and unfunny remark.

Imus has First Amendment free speach rights the same as everyone else. Talk radio is a free for all medium which nobody should take seriously anyway.

So when do the racial comments stop. Just because someone does a good deed doesn't give them the right to make racial comments. Maybe because he does so much for "African Americans" he feels he has a right to make such comments. Often whatever is inside of a person at some point does come out. If ugly is in you one day it will surface. There is no excuse for his comment and he should be fired.

I grew up in New York in the 60's & 70's and listened to "Imus In The Morning" on 77 WABC, in his liberal, hard drinking, drugging and bad boy days.

Imagine my surprise when I tuned in, quite by accident, and found him to be a happily married, crusty old man with a child and a bit, shall we say, on the conservative side!

Periodically I have listen to him on the way to work. I can usually stand him for about 10 minutes and then he says something so utterly stupid that I MUST change the channel and remember he is now and always was an jerk!

What I am saying is that his actions and words have a market, and let the buyer beware! Lack of guests, and people tuning out will be his true punishment. I'm okay with the suspension, but not the call for his resignation!

I think it is important to say that he does do some good things too and those should be taken into consideration also - JMO t

First, yes Don Imus made a stupid comment. But that is his show, and i'd be curious to know how many of the posters on here have actually listened to it prior to today.

One thing with him, he is an equal opportunity insulter (sp). That is the show, he doesn't care who he insults, and he does go after the powerfull people as much as anyone.

Calls Dick Cheyney a war criminal, calls Hillary "just a horrid person" among other things, and the same to other people who he believes are either phony, or like the VP doing harm to the US.

But a show like that, which is many times rapid fire, and where he feeds off the comments of others, well, stupid comments will slide out. Again, anyone who actually heard it live, knows how it started and the context it was said in, again, stupid, but playing off Bernard.

Should he serve his suspension? Sure. Should he be fired, no. Sadly, becuase he will become a leper on the air, all of the other movers and shakers, if you will, like John McCain, or Joe Biden will no longer join him, and he'll eventually become a footnote.

Big Al and Jessie will have their revenge.

Then again, maybe as part of his pennance, he'll join with Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jackson in a crusade to clean up the air waves from all of the negative crap. Take on the rap songs, and videos that call their own women Ho's and bitches, and worse. Go after the companies and force them to fire the singers, and producers, and musicians, and the guy who sweeps the floor. Maybe even join the picket line demanding that the companies that distribute them stop immediately, or get in line with Rev. Sharpton while he demonstrates at the Black Entertainment Awards that glorify the musicians who sing about their Ho's.

Or, he'll move over to the Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannaity mold, and just spew unsubstantiated garbage. I hope not.

I'll miss Cardinal Egan.

This is a prime example of why we have racism in this country. Sure, we have the First Amendment which allows free speech, but that shouldn't allow GE/MSNBC/CBS to give free reign to someone like IMUS or Sterns to make such derogatory comments such as the one's IMUS made. I'm white and I found his remarks ugly. Employers should never allow ANYONE to remain on the payroll after making such imflammatory remarks. How do people like myself teach children AND adults that there is no place in society for these attitudes. There is only one way to send a clear message to the rest of America and even the world. FIRE IMUS or start selling off all their GE/CBS stock until they do. It's time to send a clear message. Racism and bigotry WILL NOT be tolerated, however free we are.

The only difference between Stern and Imus is that Stern is witty? Stern may indeed be wittier, but come on now. There are vast differences between them. For one, Imus' show is one that is political in nature that provides a public service by critiquing the government (you know, the primary concern of the 1st amendment?). Howard Stern also enjoys freedoms provided by the 1st amendment, and by pushing the envelope, protects it in his own way. However, lets be clear and point out that Stern's primary concern is to push the limits of taste, while Imus' primary concern is to take the government and its officials to task.

Someone who equates the two shows is someone who obviously doesn't listen to either enough to know anything about them.

His comments were beyond just 'stupid'. They are racist AND sexist and he should lose his job.

Let's all stipulate that Imus is a jerk.

Next, let's look at this latest bit of jerkiness. Was Imus being nasty? No. From the context, he was obviously being admiring. If a similar remark had been made about another ethnic group, would it have elicited the same outrage? Highly doubtful.

Imus' problem is that, like many good-hearted liberals, he forgets that every African-American has an invisible "do not touch" sign hung around their neck. This is true whether they want it or not -- Tiger Woods seemed genuinely annoyed that a big deal was made of a joking reference to soul food, but Tiger is still forced to live in a world where no one will dare joke with him as they would with an Italian-American. The sad fact is that no white person can be friendly with a black person in the same way they can be with another white, and if one forgets that, the penalty can be huge.

Don Imus is NOT a jerk...he just plays one on TV and radio. Yes, he makes offensive remarks on the air. He has often said he is not prejudiced - he hates everyone. He calls Jewish men "Jew-boy", Arabs, "camel jockeys", and "towel heads", etc. He derides politicians, evangelists,and just about every other group...and talks to dead presidents for God's sakes. It's a character he plays, much like Carrol O'Connor playing Archie Bunker. His venom is tongue in cheek, and while I agree he sometimes goes too far, (as he did this time)he should not be fired for it. If you want to see his true character watch what he does not what he says.

Are you kidding me.... what crying little babies. If any black person said something about a white person, no one would care. Grow up!! Freedom of speech!!

Just make sure when the black racist come out, you want to hang them next to Imus... if you won't do that....... SHUT UP!!

Think what he did was bad. Look up www.thejohnnycakefiles.com and look at the video of one of our distingushed senators in the UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS. This will show the other side. This is Senator Figuro-Seville.

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The difference between black comedians, rappers and IMUS is that IMUS has a platform where he can engage with some of the most powerful, dare I say, "White men" in the world.

There is not one black talk show host on any of the cable news channels who can equally --- and freely spew their point of view.

Racism is about power --bigotry without power is pointless or is considered "entertainment".

The difference between black comedians, rappers and IMUS is that IMUS has a platform where he can engage with some of the most powerful, dare I say, "White men" in the world.

There is not one black talk show host on any of the cable news channels who can equally --- and freely spew their point of view.

Racism is about power --bigotry without power is pointless or is considered "entertainment".

Why cant someone say anything they want. Its a 1st Admentment right. How come no one complains when Black stations put down White people. Thats allowed. But when Imus or anyone says something that offends a black person he should be fired and there are calls for boycotts. Its such a double standard!!

Considering all the money and time and effort that has been spent on combating racial predjudice the remarks must be taken not only as an insult to those targeted but also as damaging to the cultural foundations that many people hold dear. That said, I don't think firing Don Imus would help correct anything. There's been enough of a firestorm of attacks to make the point that the comments weren't acceptable even for a "shock jock" radio host. To go on and on with this would damage the sense of perspective and decency that many critics are hoping to achieve.

This whole IMUS situation is truly an in-depth look at the inequality that exists in this country, to the point it is one-sided, I mean you have better known members of the black comedy circuit that use white people for a punch line almost regulary, and I do not see old Fat Al Sharpton hopping out of his seat to take up the cause of white Americans.

Get over it, and if you are so shallow and one-sided, then you are indeed a "Nappy Headed Ho!"

Stop crying over this! we are so worried about something so small as the comments he made that it overshadows us people are getting killed every day! and no one is more prejudiced then are own government. why does there have to be a black side and a white and why is it if this was about white people it would have been over looked! what he said was not wrong at all its 2007. we are still stuck in the dark ages black people need to stand on there own and stop crying prejudice!
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What would happen if "someone in my office said something like this?"

"Absolutely, positively nothing" if my line of work is "urban shock jock", "millionaire rapper", or "black comedian". Derogatory comments such as Imus' are par for the course in those professions, 24/7/365.

So when are Fifty Cent and dozens of other rappers and comedians scheduled to show up and apologize on Sharpton's program, prior to Sharpton calling for boycotts of them and their sponsors?