ESPN Fails to Handle Limbaugh Situation Appropriately
Rush Limbaugh is one of those figures who is either loved or hated. There is little middle ground when it comes to "Old El Rushbo;" so when he recently became embroiled in controversy, many immediately resolved to crucify him. As allegations of illegal drugs are still emerging, I will address only his ESPN comments here.
Limbaugh made this controversial remark September 28 on ESPN about Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNabb, which ultimately led to his resignation: "I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."
You may not agree with this statement. Perhaps you find it offensive. You might even consider it racist. That's fine. Personally, I don't consider it prejudicial, but you are perfectly entitled to your opinion. Everyone has opinions, and diverse views should be tolerated, if not respected.
It's clear Limbaugh meant exactly what he said. He offered no apology, nor should he. Insincere apologies are worthless, and no one should be forced to apologize for his or her beliefs. Limbaugh has not backed down from his statement; indeed, he has argued that he must have been right in order to have created such an uproar.
Although it should be obvious to anyone, Limbaugh was merely stating his view, which is what commentators are paid to do. That's why ESPN hired him. Everyone is free to agree or disagree with him. Disagreements should be debated instead of demonized. Sadly, that isn’t what happened, as many political opportunists called for ESPN to fire Rush.
Among those condemning the conservative icon were three Democratic presidential candidates: Gen. Wesley Clark, Howard Dean, and Rev. Al Sharpton, all of whom believe Limbaugh should be canned. They didn't say why they disagreed with his views, nor did they make a case as to why Limbaugh was wrong. Instead, they want to censor him simply because they don't agree with his statement. I guess we know where they stand on diversity of viewpoint.
It's very transparent that these presidential wannabes are attempting to pander to African American voters, who play a major role in Democratic primaries. As if on cue, the NAACP joined the piling on as well. NAACP President Kweisi Mfume called the statement "bigoted and ignorant."
Note the hypocrisy of the NAACP: Earlier this year, Chairman Julian Bond said this about Republicans, "They preach racial neutrality and practice racial division… their idea of reparations is to give war criminal Jefferson Davis a pardon." Many Americans consider this statement to be offensive, but no one calls on Bond to resign. Nor does the elite media turn it into front-page news.
Another good example took place last year. Newsmax.com reports that a South Florida radio host played a song demeaning National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. One lyric stated, "Condoleezza, Condoleezza, what you be doin'? That neo-facist black-haired token schwarze dog." Another lyric proclaims, "Is you there 'cause you a high-toned public Negro? Is you their black-haired answer-mammy who be smart?" Such blatant racism should be offensive to any rational person, but the NAACP remained silent. Apparently, even racism doesn't offend them if it's against someone who doesn’t tote their line. What do you think the reaction would have been if this song were directed at Jesse Jackson or Sheila Jackson Lee?
There is a perception among many liberals that conservatives are, by nature, racist. Such a view is bigoted to say the least, but is widely held. Thus anytime a conservative says something critical of an African American the accusation of racism is likely to be applied. This is unfortunate, because racism is a serious charge. Like the parable of the boy who cried wolf, when racism is claimed in trivial matters such as football, it makes it more difficult for people to take seriously legitimate claims when racism actually does occur. Americans should recognize that this does harm to anyone interested in civil rights. Don't count on the Democratic presidential candidates or the NAACP to care about this, however. They are much more interested in advancing their own political fortunes than in helping minorities.
Rush has a unique talent for speaking his mind. Presumably, that’s why he was hired. Yet ESPN and ABC Sports president George Bodenheimer said he thought Limbaugh's resignation was appropriate. If Bodenheimer didn't want Limbaugh to share his opinions, why did he hire him?
Disliking ESPN has been easy for UT fans for a long time. Now all Americans have a reason to dislike ESPN: the network’s failure to stand up to the PC crowd.
John Brown is a senior in political science and history at the University of Tennessee @ Knoxville. Contact him at johnnyb325@aol.com, or visit www.johnnorrisbrown.com. This column originally appeared in the October 7, 2003 edition of The Daily Beacon, available here.