sricki, I can't tell you how much I enjoy (and support) what you write. When I read your diaries I sometimes think you are writing about me-- you could be me, only 30 or 40 years younger. Similar upbringing, similar thoughts, similar passions, a similar slow conversion to supporting Hillary and so forth. You are always a bastion of fairness and level headedness.

That is why I am disappointed that you have bought into the "Imus is a racist" meme without doing the research I would expect from you to discover whether or not it is true. Especially given the "Hillary and Bill are racists/race baiters" theme that was falsely circulated during the primaries, and especially given the road you took toward support of Hillary.

It is a given that Imus has brought his reputation upon himself. It's his own fault, based on 20 or 30 years of making outrageous and offensive statements deriving from his original persona of "shock jock". I certainly am not making excuses for his choice of words; I don't like it myself.

But he is not as he seems, and his private persona is quite different from his public one.

This latest statement, to anyone who is actually familiar with him, was meant precisely how he said it was meant: As a defense of "Pacman Jones". Let me add that being a big sports fan he knew perfectly well that Jones is black. He commonly asks questions he already knows the answer to in order to set something up. In this case he asked the question so he would have the opportunity to point out that Jones was being treated unfairly because of his color. He could just as easily have said, "Now we know why" as what he did say, and he probably should have-- but his regular listeners knew exactly what point he was making.

Are you aware that his producer is black, he has two black co-hosts, and that he has regular, serious, in-depth discussions about race on his program? Are you aware that for many years he has received hate mail targeting him as a n----- lover for playing and showcasing R & B artists, for playing the sermons of famed black evangelist Eugene Patterson, for fighting to get "Five Blind Boys From Alabama" on his show, for championing the candidacy of Harold Ford, Jr. to become the first black senator from the South since Reconstruction, and for speaking out on many other important issues? Do you know that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Imus hammered home-- for weeks-- his conclusion that the Bush administration ignored the people left behind "because they were black" - BEFORE most others did?

Understand that I am not supporting his choice of language and juvenile name calling; I am regularly offended by it myself (except when he's ranting about Bush/Cheney being war criminals, which he is not joking about. I have noticed that no one except right wingers complain when he calls for the trial and execution of Cheney and Rumsfeld. But that's off topic.) But I will never forget his consistent, vigorous and generous support of our service men and women (active and veterans), which is very important to me. I can't think of another civilian who has done more than he has in that regard. So perhaps I am biased in his favor.

Dismissing him as a racist when he is not disturbs me, especially when it comes from you because I have such a high regard for you. It seems like such a knee jerk reaction, and beneath you.

I guess my question is: While we cherry pick our way through the truly outrageous and infantile things Imus says as part of his "shock jock/comedy" schtick, do we also not have a responsibility to check out what he says when he's being serious? Do we look at his life's work of doing good things or only at specific things he has said? Do we look at the whole picture or only the parts of it that support our bias?

I wonder if you have seen his mea culpa for the truly abominable thing he said about the Rutgers team (an irony in itself, since it was he who insisted that his sports reporters cover women's sports).

Normally I don't bother to provide links when I'm trying to make an unpopular point because they go unclicked and unread. But I think I will make an exception here because I believe you are a fair and open minded person and I think you might actually click on them (if you happen to see this, that is).

So here a link for you. It is a video of part of his mea culpa on his first day back on the air, and you can decide if you believe him or not. I wish I could find the entire video; it would be much better. Oh, and don't be put off by his "Hillary is Satan" remark at the end; he regularly makes sure everyone knows he's joking about that...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0J8fpjV1 _w

There is a great deal of information available online that covers more than his outrageousness and presumed racism. Also take a look at his wife's work. You can start here: http://www.dienviro.com

Sorry for this long comment. And if, after careful examination, you still think he's a racist evil fellow, well I'll still love you in the morning. I'll disagree, but I'll still respect you. ;-)