The other N word

Nappy.

That word has the country in an uproar right now after Don Imus' comment about the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

So like everyone else , I guess I'll add my .02 cents.

"Nappy-headed hos."

I think I may be one of few people who is more upset that he called those girls hos than nappy-headed. As I said in my blog for work, nappy just doesn't hold as much weight as the more offensive N word.

I can't believe he called them hos. I really can't. He knows not one of those girls to judge and publicly degrade them that way.

I've sat around for the past day or so listening to other people's take on this whole thing.
Most have joined Team Al Sharpton and feel the statement was racist. One person even suggested she would delete the word nappy from her vocabulary, similar to the movement to stop using the other N word after the Michael Richards' rant.
For some, it has brought to light the way we, as blacks, talk to eachother. For even more, this is a 1st Amendment issue and Imus should be free to say whatever he wants.

My stand? Imus has a history of saying racist and ignorant things and he's been allowed to continue. It needs to stop. Yes, there is such a thing as freedom of speech, but along with that, especially for the media, comes a certain responsibility.
I'm not really for taking nappy out of my vocabulary. I mean, I don't say it a lot as it is, but I don't see a point in not using it. I mean, sometimes my hair gets tangled, kinky...nappy. It is what it is.
But all in all, I don't really find his comment racist. Just ignorant as hell.

On another note: I'm tired of people saying the most ignorant things publicly, that they know aren't acceptable, only to turn around and apologize profusely as if that will make it all better. I know the basketball team has agreed to meet to accept his apology, but I wouldn't be down for it. He's not sorry he said it, just sorry it created such controversy, which in my book means he's not sorry at all.

So, I guess we'll wait and see how what happens in the next few days. Call me a pessimist, but I'm sure everything will go back to the way it was. Imus will continue his show. People will continue to listen. The girls from Rutgers will go back to life as national champs.

And I'll keep using the word nappy.