Three Little Words: Don Imus, 0 – Jesus Christ, Won

Three little words are what got Don Imus in trouble this past week. By Friday, he had lost his radio job, as most of the country knows by now. His remarks caused outrage across the board, from New York newscasters to California executives. Blacks called for his firing, while women’s groups demanded an apology. Not since Rosie O’Donnell mimicked on “The View” Donald Trump’s puckered personality has a media person’s comments enflamed passions on all sides. Only this time, it’s worse. Imus degraded women.

When I first heard media reports about Imus calling the Rutgers University black women basketball players “nappy-headed ho’s”, it wasn’t the racist degradation that so deeply disturbed me. It was the put-down and verbal abuse of women that lit my feminine fire.

Here again is an example of a man viewing women as less-than-honorable, stereotyping the team members simply because of their gender. Referring to them as “ho’s” – using the black culture slang so often heard in the rap music of this generation – blatantly states a woman is defined by her purpose to a man: to be used intimately and physically, when he wants, how he wants, where he wants. At the same time he needs her for his own masculine pleasure, he’s in no way respecting her as the beautiful creation God made her to be.

That’s how I hear the word “ho.” And I’m angered.

I find it ironic that this incident occurred just after Easter Sunday and the previous Holy Week. This being a time when much of the world honors the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for each one of us when he willingly gave his life and died on the cross, to take on the world’s burden and atone before His Father in heaven for mankind’s sins—past and future. His blood covered for us our mistakes, while He, innocent of wrongdoing, took our place, and was the sacrificial lamb.

The three little words that Jesus uttered were, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

Jesus didn’t say, “I’m only dying for the rich, white men of the world.” His purpose for living on Earth was concluded and mankind saved because Jesus did the honorable thing. While on Earth, he respected each individual created and yet to be. He died for everyone. No matter the color of a person’s skin or gender. No matter if young or old—his death was for each of us, past and future.

My point is, Jesus didn’t look down his nose at the women of the world and say, “You’re nothing to me but a ‘ho’.”

In Luke 7:37-48, he accepts, respects and forgives a sinful woman, upholding her personhood before his dinner hosts. In John 4:7-27, he speaks with a Samaritan woman at a well, reveals truths to her about God the Father, and ignores the admonitions of his peers who criticized Him for talking with a woman.

And when He arose alive again after being crucified and sealed, dead, in a tomb, it was a woman to whom the resurrected Christ first appeared, not to a man. (John 20:10-17)

This blog has focused much on books that I’ve read or sold through my business. No book is more important in that regard than the Bible. It might do Don Imus and the rap artists some good to choose their moral guidelines and outlook from this book. Instead of saying hurtful, degrading things about women, they might learn from Jesus’s example of how he treated and viewed the feminine gender.

Imus is said to have contributed to charitable causes. That’s great and I respect him for that. I’m sorry his on-air remarks ended with the loss of his job. Don Imus made a mistake, as we all do in life. That’s why Father God made the Word flesh and created His Son by way of birth to a woman, crossing the veil between Earth and heaven, to live here as we do, in the form of a human being. We are not perfect. But Jesus was.

Jesus Christ set an example of how we should love one another.

Perhaps rap artists should read the Psalms for inspiration and direction as they compose lyrics about their world—looking beyond oppression, hate and anger. Looking instead to uplift and respect another.

Perhaps Don Imus will take time now (after all, he doesn’t have a job to report to) and read his Bible. There he will learn of the forgiveness for his verbal sin and understand that, despite his mistake, Jesus loves him anyway.

I don’t know of Imus’s faith beliefs. Despite my own anger at his comments, I do believe he should be allowed to say his apologies and move on. As much as his remarks about the Rutgers basketball team were inappropriate and unnecessary, he should be permitted a second chance (…after all, if Donald Trump can dish that out…). Let Imus show the world he has changed and is a better man, as he has said he would do.

And just maybe we’re all so angry because we see a bit of ourselves in Imus for the times we too have said the wrong thing.

Perhaps this incident last week was meant to be a lesson learned. By all of us.