Nappy-Headed Hos?
Last week I mentioned I would be writing about Anna Nicole Smith. However, that changed as I was driving home from my daughter’s track meet, celebrating her first victory. I turned on the radio only to hear the firestorm brewing over Don Imus’ comments about Rutgers University’s women’s basketball team. During a previous conversation on his radio show, Imus referred to these young African-American athletes as “some nappy-headed hos” (slang for whores).
Wow! There are so many ways to examine this statement and its context. We could discuss how a father like me feels when a public figure makes comments that personally attack his daughters. We could discuss what this says about race relations in America when someone feels free to say something so outrageous about minorities. We could discuss the power of the conservative base in America considering a former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, can refer to Spanish as “the language of living in a ghetto” and barely draw a hiccup of response.
These thoughts and others could provide a fifteen part series for this blog, which would certainly make doing this almost too easy. However, as I thought about this, I asked myself a simple question: What if everything (and I mean everything) I ever said was recorded for public consideration? Not simply my recorded sermons, but also my conversations. I’ve certainly said things in anger or taken a joke too far from time to time. What if all of it was caught on YouTube?
The Bible says, “All of us do many wrong things. But if you can control your tongue, you are mature…” (James 3:2, Contemporary English Version). It’s far too easy for me to make Don Imus a target for society’s ills, but maybe God is asking me: “Brian, are you a mature person—better yet, a mature Christian?” As usual, I invite your thoughts!
sending...
I find myself saying things out of anger and not always choosing the right words to express myself. Thank you for giving me a passage to meditate on and challenging me to ask myself if I really am mature.
This is an issue that confronts the one difficult member to control in my body. My tongue! Thank you for your wisdom and insight.
I agree that we all have made mistakes. I am sure that if my whole life was on video for the world to see there would be things that I have said or done that wouldn’t have been my finest hour. However, looking back on my life I believe that those times I said or did something that wasn’t Christian like was in to response to something that was said or done to me. That of course is no excuse for whatever actions I had taken then, I do own what I do! It just showed me how much I needed to grow in Christ and how I was living “in this world” not the lords world because I allowed what others said and did to effect me and my own actions in a way that wasn’t what God wanted of me. Once I had a better understanding and commitment to live my life to please God and God alone I was better able to not be sucked into the drama or ill intentions of people living in this world. I no longer cared what others thought of me because I was confident that God was happy with me. I no longer seeked the love and approval of others in this world because the one who meant everything to me loved and approved of me. I really hope that the women on the basketball team can just understand as Jesus did.. and forgive Imus because clearly he knows not what he says.. If God is for us we need never be concerned who is againist us.
I find it very painful that all the focus is of what Imus said and not more information is given about these women. I do believe that Imus was wrong to say something so ridiculous and he should accept whatever suspension is given. However, I wish the media would use this unfortunate opportunity to talk about these accomplished young African American Women who are in college, excel at a sport and work together as a team. What a beautiful example for all young women and men of all race and ethnicity. Shouldn’t that be more of the story and less on Imus, because even after his removal isn’t there another Imus that will fill his position.
That’s right. Don Imus, his comments and the media reaction have provided some interesting opportunities for me… the opportunity for self-righteousness that I didn’t say what he said, the chance to cast a few stones in judgement, the distraction from lots of other sins that are, as Jesus said in another context, “with us always,” dismissing the poor, the war(s), the destruction of our environment, and my apathy about it all – not to mention my own racism, impatence at home with my family and roommates, my preference for getting a $2 coffee at Starbucks over giving the same amount to a woman with a child on the street who haven’t eaten all day. I’m glad that Imus’ sin was overheard and that he was disciplined. But who’s going to do the same for me? For the rest of us? Christ have mercy.