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Posted By: Joann

James,

Just to clarify - and I'm not sure this is what you were saying - I did not mean to imply that society allows some groups to say what they want while others can't. I wasn't drawing any distinction between the ability or inability of different groups to freely speak.

I was saying that I thought the Imus situation was an opportunity to have some genuine progress and growth on this issue. I've seen many of what I consider to be fake apologies by public figures that misspoke. I didn't think his apology was fake at all, nor compelled. I thought he was genuinely sorry and not just because of the brushfire it had started.

It could have been very positive if the hand had been allowed to play itself out. We may have seen what it looks like, and what can happen, when there is a true effort for constructive reconciliation following such a huge blunder.

But the howlers (and they were from ALL groups - not just African-Americans or even Al Sharpton) made this impossible.

And Barry - no, I wouldn't be chuckling at all. I wasn't chuckling even though I have no dog in this fight, as they say. But if I were in that position, I hope I would try to at least hear the man out and see where it went, and to recognize that people do make mistakes. I don't know if I would - I have never been in that position. But I hope I would.

Joann