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I’m not nearly as gracious as most other African-Americans about this issue. Imus merely is a symptom. The fact that his show has a national following and advertisers lined up to pay premium ad rates for that association means that the host isn’t the only person who needs self-examination. Imus makes it okay for others to use that form of humor – which means they think it’s okay too. Or worse, a segment of people believe that Imus’ (and other entertainers, too) brand of humor is just a funny take on reality.

Sure I can try to ignore it, like your other friends. Except that the symptoms don’t go away. I can’t automatically make the assumption that I’m interacting with people of good will. The fact that I do have many friends whose character I don’t question makes it tougher – just means I just don’t know where the next insult or act of indignity comes from. Their comments aren’t broadcast over the airwaves, and slights aren’t acted out on television, but it still manifests in other ways. In the wrong environment, my presence can reliably clear a store, make hair salon customers reach for their purses, attract police presence in affluent neighborhoods…etc. Imus can’t be responsible for that kind of behavior. But he reinforces it…and, worse, he affirms it to people who might really harbor those thoughts.

At the end of the day, the Imus episode doesn’t change things that directly impact me. And it gives phonies like Al Sharpton more of a forum to make concerns like mine seem less legitimate to people like you. However, at the end of the day, we still have to function as a society. People like Imus just make the daily discourse less comfortable and doesn’t engender a whole lot of trust for us to go forward.