Why The Imus Firing Effects All Radio

What Don Imus said about the Rutgers women's basketball team was wrong. He cracked a joke, a throwaway line, which wasn't necessarily funny at least to me, but apologized numerous times, most recently to the Rutgers team. Don Imus got fired. He didn't violate any FCC regulations nor did he break any laws set forth of this nation. Yet he was fired.

Imus was fired because a minority of Americans threatened the companies he worked for using essentially Mafia style tactics of "You don't do this, we'll do this," which poses a lot of problems for the future of all talk radio, not just shock jocks like Don Imus and Opie and Anthony but political such as Randi Rhodes, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow. I know a lot of left leaning blogs are salivating at the mouth right for the open door to get rid of conservative talk radio, by using the same tactics Al Sharpton used to silence Don Imus. Some of you say, "Good, the conservatives only spread hate anyways." These shows violate zero FCC regulations nor do they break any laws, why silence them?

I listen to a lot of talk radio, everything from Air America to Opie and Anthony, read mostly liberal blogs and consider myself a left leaning voter. I've been offended countless times listening to AAR or reading left leaning blogs because they have a habit of ripping on Christianity, which is something I hold dearly too and believe in. Rather then get all up in arms, I changed the channel. It was an easy fix. These people that offended me are free to say what they say and write what they write and I understand this. If offensive speech wasn't covered in the 1st Amendment, we wouldn't need a 1st Amendment because unpopular speech and speech that offends or hurts feelings is what's protected. Think about it. If it only covered happy speech, we wouldn't need it protected, because everybody would be happy.

I believe this issue has completely turned into an issue of free speech, even more so then hate. Imus apologized and is philanthropic to all races, not just whites. In effect Al Sharpton silenced Don Imus' freedom of speech by threatening the companies he worked for with boycotts and the such... that's fine, I accept that, but who is next? I am sure I wasn't the only person offended listening to my religion get bashed on AAR, who's to say the conservatives won't make a concentrated effort, using the tactics of Sharpton to silence that medium? Don't think they won't.

I hate to say this, but liberals and Democrats truly let me down in regards to this issue. I thought the Democratic Party believed in free speech, but I can see they believe in it, if it only benefits them. This issue is much deeper the perceived hate on the radio, much deeper. This issue will affect all talk radio to some degree, because people see what can be done, even if you don't have a majority of America behind you as long as you make enough noise. Good bye talk radio, it's been good listening to ya.