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ROKER: NOT IN MY HOUSE
MSNBC ^ | 4/11/07 | Al Roker

Posted on 04/11/2007 10:25:38 AM PDT by teddyballgame

I don't think I've ever had more response to an online journal than yesterday.

As you may know I called for the firing/resignation of WFAN/MSNBC morning host Don Imus. This after he and his morning "Crew" referred to the Rutgers Women’s basketball team as, among other things, "nappy-headed hos." Ugly racism and sexism at its worst.

Based on the passionate responses we got from people on both sides of the issue, it seems we still, after all this time, have a long way to go in our country when it comes to race.

And, by the way, it's not like I hold a deciding vote at CBS, Inc., Mr. Imus' actual employer, or at NBC Universal, the company that owns MSNBC, and my place of employment, NBC News, as to whether Imus and company stay or go.

(Excerpt) Read more at allday.msnbc.msn.com ...


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Al shows street cred. 'Not in my house' sucka
1 posted on 04/11/2007 10:25:38 AM PDT by teddyballgame
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To: teddyballgame
we still, after all this time, have a long way to go in our country when it comes to race.

We need to move toward a color-blind society. The biggest obstacle to that is all the black people who see every thing through a racial lens. Skin color is the be-all and end-all to the people I'm thinking of.

Sure, there are some ignorant white folks like Imus who actually make stupid racist comments. They ought to clean up their act. But the big race problem in this country is in the attitudes held by folks in the black community.

Jesse, Al -- take note: you're the problem, not the solution.

2 posted on 04/11/2007 10:30:59 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Enoch Powell was right.)
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To: teddyballgame

The whole world has the same problems. It’s not just us here in the U.S. People need to get real. Arabs don’t like Persians, Koreans don’t like Japanese, Vietnamese don’t like other Asians, Africans don’t like Whites, the French don’t like Italians, Italians don’t like Germans, the Irish don’t like Brits and the list goes on and on. It’s just the way the world is. Get use to it and don’t slam Americans as being the only ones that are this way.


3 posted on 04/11/2007 10:31:35 AM PDT by RC2
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To: RC2

Where’s Bill Cosby when you need him?


4 posted on 04/11/2007 10:32:34 AM PDT by teddyballgame (red man in a blue state)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Sounds like Al has drawn his line in the sand.


5 posted on 04/11/2007 10:32:37 AM PDT by Howlin (Honk if you like Fred Thompson!!!)
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To: teddyballgame

“we still, after all this time, have a long way to go in our country when it comes to race” = “not enough of you horrible racist white people agree with me.”

}:-)4


6 posted on 04/11/2007 10:33:38 AM PDT by Moose4 (I don't speed in Durham--if I get pulled for 65 in a 55, Mike Nifong'll have me doing 15 to life.)
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To: teddyballgame
My freedom of speech was questioned. Some of the complaints that came in fell in that same category; I was denying Don Imus his freedom of speech. Far from it. Don Imus has the right to say whatever he wants, however hateful, stupid or uncaring. He DOES NOT have the right to say it on public airwaves or on the cable broadcast of a publicly owned company. That is a privilege, just as you do not have the right to have a license to drive a car. It is a privilege. Privileges can be revoked if certain criteria are not met.

Sorry, Al, the First Amendment makes no such distinction. Don Imus or anyone else in public life has as much right to make a fool of him/herself on the public airways as anyone else - including Al Roker. If rappers may talk about "nappy haired hos" and use the "N-word" without restriction on the public airways, so may Don Imus.

The fact of the matter is that if Al doesn't like what Imus says, he doesn't have to listen to him. And, if enough people decide that they don't like what Don Imus says, the market forces will take over and his network will respond accordingly. This is the magic and wonder of capitalism that leftists never have and never will understand. Roker is obviously over his head and out of his league on this one.

7 posted on 04/11/2007 10:36:33 AM PDT by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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To: teddyballgame

Years back on the Today Show’s morning program, everyone wore costumes. Lauer was dressed as Jennifer Lopez, and Roker was dressed as Puff Daddy. Roker LOOKED like a pimp, and people from middle America who weren’t aware that Roker was dressing like a rap artist, would have assumed Roker was dressing like a pimp.

Roker sounds a bit disingenuous here, with his outrage. It’s fine for HIM to make a tasteless joke, but not another?


8 posted on 04/11/2007 10:38:57 AM PDT by Pan_Yans Wife (Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all.--William Goldman)
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To: teddyballgame
Just drink your Koolaid, Al.
9 posted on 04/11/2007 10:40:18 AM PDT by DogBarkTree (The correct word isnt "immigrant" when what they are doing is "invading".)
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To: DustyMoment

“Sorry, Al, the First Amendment makes no such distinction. Don Imus or anyone else in public life has as much right to make a fool of him/herself on the public airways as anyone else - including Al Roker. If rappers may talk about “nappy haired hos” and use the “N-word” without restriction on the public airways, so may Don Imus.”

Not exactly. Don has to answer to employee General Moters and Viacom and not a record label that knows what it is getting when it produces the album. Don has the right to say what he wants but risks getting canned when advertisers pull the plug. There is also the FCC rules. Big difference.


10 posted on 04/11/2007 10:40:28 AM PDT by teddyballgame (red man in a blue state)
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To: teddyballgame

I care as little for fat weatherman Al’s opinion as I do for that of old drunk Imus.


11 posted on 04/11/2007 10:42:14 AM PDT by ozzymandus
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To: teddyballgame
People have written in asking why haven't I spoken out against others who have made similar transgressions. The answer is simple; one that I'm not particularly proud of: It wasn't in my "house" and it wasn't so profoundly blatant.

*************

Keep talking, Roker. Let everyone know what a buffoon you really are.

12 posted on 04/11/2007 10:42:25 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

We will never be color-blind. We must strive toward being blind to color.


13 posted on 04/11/2007 10:43:22 AM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel
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To: teddyballgame

Yup. Boy, nothing gets by Al.

Since when did Al become the defender of all people of color? Was I making a sandwich in the kitchen when this came on the TV?

“We still have a long way to go” in this country with regard to race. Oh, for Heaven’s sake, take a breath, Al. you’ve done pretty well in this racist country, haven’t you?

Once again, another swell example of that now age old axiom of Hollywood: “I’m famous, therefore, I am smart.”

Don’t try that line on a cave man.


14 posted on 04/11/2007 10:43:44 AM PDT by RexBeach ("Broad-minded is just another way of saying a fellow is too lazy to form an opinion." Will Rogers)
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To: teddyballgame

You don’t think CBS and MSNBC knew what they were getting?

And as far as I know, the FCC isn’t involved in this.


15 posted on 04/11/2007 10:44:15 AM PDT by Howlin (Honk if you like Fred Thompson!!!)
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To: Moose4
“not enough of you horrible racist white people agree with me.”

May I fix this for you?

“not enough of you white people agree with me so you must be horribly racist.”

Better?

16 posted on 04/11/2007 10:46:35 AM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel
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To: teddyballgame
I’ll get outraged about Imus’s comments when Sharpton and the rest of the black community get outraged when Comedians such as Chris Rock base their entire routines on jokes about Whitey and Cracker...
17 posted on 04/11/2007 10:48:26 AM PDT by apillar
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To: teddyballgame

Al Roker isn’t fit to lick Willard Scott’s shoes clean after a walk through Willard’s Virginia farm. If Al wasn’t an Equal Opportunity hire, he should have been because he’s no weathercaster.

Now Willard Scott?

Now THERE was a weatherman!


18 posted on 04/11/2007 10:48:37 AM PDT by mkjessup ('President Rudy!!! = an aborted fetus in every pot, and no guns in any garage!!!')
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To: teddyballgame

Call me when he protests this week’s Top Ten rap songs, which include far worse, and most of which are promoted by companies that are owned by the same company that owns his network....


19 posted on 04/11/2007 10:49:22 AM PDT by Teacher317 (Are you familiar with the writings of Shan Yu?)
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To: teddyballgame

20 posted on 04/11/2007 10:49:46 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle ("On 11/07/06, 'true' conservatives and 'rat traitors joined forces to bring Sharia law to America.")
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