His career is not over.This is America where we all have freedom of speech. So give the guy back his radio show and be done w/all this drama. He just said what all the people think all the time so don't hurt the messenger. Get over it and move on.

i totally agree that what he said was wrong. it was not only ignorant but racist.

the question that i have though is what happened to his first amendment right to free speech. there are much worse things said every day. just listen to an album by Too Short or many other rappers.

I dont beleive his carrer is over. CBS and MSNBC should both be ashamed of them selves for cancling his show. This shows that they( CBS& MSNBC) dont believe in freedom of speach. Sharpton is saying this is a victory and just the begining. This actions only fuel the racism. WE need to stop the double standerd that we have in this country. As long as Sharpton has his way and the media continues to caves in to the demands this will never happen.

I think that is awful how this whole thing has gotten out of control and all of the people that have gotten involved.He was going to apoligize and that what should have happen and be done.If we want to start to correct society on the way of life lets start with the source and just not use someone to make an example of, and at the same time ruin their career. DOES NOT RIGHT. I A'M A WOMAN BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERYTIME SOMEONE SAYS SOMETHING THAT BOTHERS ME I'M GOING TO SHUT THEM UP BY GETTING THEM FIRED! ITS SIMPLE WE DON'T GIVE THEM THE TIME OF DAY.I TEACH THIS TO MY KIDS IF SOMEONE SAYS SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE YOU IGNORE THEM.

The last two weeks the professional media has been concerned with, primarily, two issues: who fathered Anna Nicole Smith's child and Imus, tattoos and hair.

The real issue here is the denigration of the American news service. We are at war and heading to, perhaps, global war, and these are lead stories for weeks at end?

Imus was fired, purportedly in part, because "professional journalists" at NBC were outraged. Really? Why aren't professional journalists, worldwide, outraged at the content of what they consider news?

Our democratic political safety is based on the balance of the political, the judicial and the press.

What happened to you folks? When are you going to spend as much half as much time evaluating your profession and its goals as you�ve spent covering paternity of a Playboy Playmate�s child?

To assist your lack of research in the the former point of this email, I'd suggest journalists visit the following websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_texture#Head_hair and, more importantly, http://www.nappyhairaffair.com/.

Thanks.

If his career isnt over it should be. He's a dried up bitter old prune and he really isnt funny at all. He has enough money, he should just go away and fade into the forgotten

Imus' remarks are certainly reprehensible. Notwithstanding that, the popular use of such terms in rap songs only promulgates their continual use. Songwriters and "artists" should be equally reprimanded for such use: no one gets a "free card" just because of their race.

This controversary will launch his career to beyond superstardom ... he's a shock jock for cryin' out loud. he did his job, he shocked us all. BIG SURPRISE! Doesn't make it right! But he's making his apologies and moving on ... so should the Soap Box Al Sharpton's that are just waiting for something like this to POUNCE on to bring attention to HIS agenda ... not the actual event at hand.

CBS ... BIG MISTAKE ... letting Imus go !!! BIG MIASTAKE !!! Just watch ... He'll go Sattelite Radio and say what ever the heck he wants.

Oh, and here's the ironic thing ... he violated NO FCC RULES ... and yet he got fired. Now that's Ironic ... No ... Moronic !!!

I don't condone what was said ... But I do forgive and move on. Imus will come out on top and make his next employer over $100,000,000. NBC, ABC, FOX, CW ... and takers?

I agree-totally ridiculous! Don Imus has been popular BECAUSE he says things that are outrageous. People like to listen to him-this was unfortunate and he apologized, but I can't believe that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have pulled this off! Imus has done more actual good than those two put together! CBS will mourn the day they let him go (and his revenues).

Although , I do not support Imus's remarks.This is a circus for Sharpton and if CBS really wants to address the problem it should set the bar by not signing contracts with rappers who run down woman and their own culture. Todays youth is looking at these rappers as role models.

No. He has more fame today then he did when he made the improper statement. He is more marketable then before. I had never heard of him before this. I get most of my news from other sources CNN included. There is a women's final four? I do not really follow sports but now I know of the team. Fame is easily translated into money these days. Imus said something he should not have said on the air. Sometimes humor goes too far. He had to be fired because he offended some of his customers. That is the economics of it, just as I would be fired if I said something similar to any of my customers even as a joke. That being said , there are even more people that would listen to him just to see what is coming next. He can find a market if he wants to.

If they are smart, Sirius or XM should snap this guy up in a minute. $20 million in revenue per year, was it? They'd be fools not to. It seems that true "free speech" is moving to satellite radio...see Howard Stern for an example. I agree that "free speech" does not give anybody the right to demean entire groups of people but when we let the Al Sharptons of the world determine where that line between "free" and "hate" is, we're in a lot of trouble.

I am trully amazed at the people who think that what he said is "no big deal" and should be simply overlooked or they say "so and so said this or that". Making those statements is like saying we should excuse career criminals or because so and so did something then it is ok. Have we simply lost all reason an if we like the person or don't like who was offended that it is ok. We only stop this type of activity when we get negatively impacted. You would like to think that we are progressing towards civility but when you get reactions such as mentioned you have to worry that we a becomming more irrational.

Imus was VERY WRONG, but I am sick to death of the double-standard. Gangsta Rap does more direct damage to our youth than all the worhless Rush Limbaugh, Al Sharpton, Don Imus, Jesse Jackson, and Ann Coulter soundbyte-speak combined.

The corporate music mogul's greed is doing the real pimping here, and the "artists" who cash in are just selling out their own culture to undermine all the work done before them by MLK Jr., and countless others who suffered for racial justice in America.

This isn't a LEFT/RIGHT issue...
It's a WRONG/RIGHT issue.

no one should be able to belittle people the way that he does he should be run out of town appoligizing with his tail between his legs

I am so very sorry that someone who has done so much for young children and minorities, was taken off of the air. The best thing that could happen is that some network puts Imus back on and the sponsors realize that they have a wonderful opportunity to help so many people of all races to try and start talking among ALL of us, to weld us together as one United States.There is so much hate and hurt and firing a good person without letting things calm down, should not have been done with such haste.Please let,s let a voice start being heard to help all of us heal. Let Don Imus do it!!

Don Imus being fired sets a precedent. One that says rascism and sexism will not be tolerated over the airwaves in America. I applaude Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson for standing up to the media moguls and telling them that they and the people of this country will no longer tolerate anyone whose behavior can jeopardize everything that the Civil Rights movement accomplished. Its not about Don Imus, as Al Sharpton has said, but as a people, a country, a society in today's modern world, would consider decent and moral. Don Imus maybe a good person who has done alot of good over the 30 plus years he's been on air, but what he said was so reprehensible that the only right thing to do was to remove him from the airwaves. If he still truly believes in his causes, then his removal from the studio will not prevent him from raising money for his charities. You don't need to be in front of a microphone to help people out. And he should continue to do it, if not for the people he was helping, but for his own legacy. Will he be remembered for being a great humanitarian who continued to help others out even after what happened, or an ugly reminder that racism still exists in this country?

Not saying that it should be over, but I think it probably is. Since he was fired due to his comments, any other organization who would hire him is just begging to be cast as racist sympathizers and for willingly inviting hate mongering into the media.

As a side note, he has made comments like this in the past in reference to other races/genders, etc. This time he was just a victim of timing. For some reason there has been a rash of racist comments made over the airwaves lately or in public forums. Since this has been so frequent, he was made an example of to help curb this behavior since simple public apologies don't seem to be curbing this behavior.

Don Imus made a costly verbal mistake. I know in my heart he meant no malice. He alone will learn what pain can come from words said thoughtlessly. In all his time on the air this is the first realization of what carelessly said banter can cause. He will learn from this and make things right. Don Imus is human as we all are, we learn from our mistakes. Don Imus is a good man.

I think people have lost sight of what freedom of speech is. It is a right within the constution to not be persecuted by the govt. It has nothign to do with employee / employer relations.

I think Mr. Imus' career is just beginning. What he said was not a racial slur!!! It was degrading to women and as a woman I was offended, but I'm over it!!! People get over it and move on. This black and white stuff has got to stop. Get along or move to another country!!!

He's only the first of many who should
be forced to change or leave.

Imus will now join Howard Stern on Sat radio, and will be even more popular.

Imus probably wanted to retire and went out the same way he came in, the man has been doing this since the ice age, he did not make a slip

He was trying to be funny and people got offended. Big deal. There are a lot of people milking this situtation for selfish publicity which is even worse than the original comments. People are entitled to voice their opinions, even if you don't happen agree with them.

Imus' career has been over for years.

He's relevant why?

This is an extremely unfortunate affair that is going to impact us culturally in a most negative way. First, there has been a diminishment of contrition. Apolgies no longer matter. It is not enough to say you are sorry, the media and other professional parasites want complete retribution. Second, the constituency that silently legitimizes Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to be their public conscience will lose both their support and respect.

If Imus is banned from radio, should not Chris Rock and others be banned from cable tv and the music of dozens of hip-hop artists be banned from radio?

I do not think Imus' radio career is over nor should it be. Everyone, deserves a second chance. I do applaud his employers though for dismissing him. It was the moral and just action to take. I hope (1) that he has learned the many lessons embedded in this incident and (2) that he will be given the opportunity to start somewhere else.

As soon as I find out who will sponsor Imus on satellite radio (because where else could he go?) I will make sure that his sponsors know I will not purchase their products and I will mention their names in a bad light.

Just like Bobby Knight quickly was offered another job, so will Imus.

It is time to retire! Yet, I'm sure that there is a book to be written.

It is sad that the American People can not show the same class as the team players and forgive and forget. I believe we should have more issue and concern with the actions and likes of Sharpton's, he truly represents the worst in humanity and our society. Let's rid ourselves of such shameless negative people and be true bothers and sisters.

I think what Don said was wrong, and i believe he is sincere in his apology. I think it was wrong to fire him. Plenty of people have said far worse without recourse.

How about adding the following to your "Yes" and "no" choices:

"Frankly, my dear......"

Stop thinking inside the box just for a minute. This is not about Imus or about Rutgers. This is about the erosion of the basic precepts of American Freedoms. The very first Amendment of the Constitution guarantees us freedom of speech.

Somehow we have drifted away from our core freedoms and have decided instead to become so politically correct that eventually anything you say will get you in trouble because it will offend someone somewhere.

Should Imus have said what he did? No probably not. Should he have been allowed to say it? Yes, definately. Is it an issue worth the publicity that it is getting? Definately not.

How about going back to the time when it was OK for kids to lose a game because it built character, where the first place team got bigger trophies than the last place team, where kids grew up with some backbone. This story is just another example of how fragile we are becoming because we no longer have the freedom to be ourselves.

Watch every word out of your mouth for you may be next. Ignorance is thinking it will never get that far. We lose more freedom everytime we entertain this nonsense. Be very afraid.

Speak for yourself Emma! Not all people think like you! Let's get to the root of the problem - this is unacceptable behavior period - lets eradicate the source and work towards educating people everywhere!

His career is not over - now comes the book deal.

As long as there is an audience for the kind of hateful remarks Don Imus makes, he will always have a job. Yes, there is free speech, but it is not free of consequences.