Don Imus is only the latest of a growing list of celebrities who have been called on the carpet for making bigoted and sexist statements. But I doubt this is the last time we have seen or heard from Mr. Imus. The vast majority of public figures who fall from grace appear to rehabilitate themselves after an appropriate interlude. Americans are generally a forgiving group -- just ask the Rutgers Women's Basketball Team.
What does this most recent verbal affront tell us? There is no doubt that our society has grown in racial and gender equality. Most of us are in agreement on that point. I am particularly gratified by the younger generation whose acceptance of racial and gender diversity is much greater than my generation. But I also see a level of what I would call "casual bigotry" that permeates our society. It is casual bigotry that allows the Imuses of the world the comfort zone to utter racist and sexist remarks. And yes, it manifests itself in the hateful and misogynous lyrics of some hip-hop artists as well as other forms of contemporary culture.
Casual bigotry does not imply a lesser form of prejudice. It is even more insidious because it is more widely heard and shared. We desensitize ourselves to the blather and outrage of shock jocks and others who permeate the airwaves. It seeps into and coarsens public discourse.
You are what you eat as well as what you listen to and think. Perhaps the Don Imus incident represents a reality check, one shock too many, and in this instance all the more shocking because it is an outrage committed against our next generation's brightest and talented young women. We have taken pause but I fear that we have not yet taken stock as the American public's short attention span quickly jumps from Don Imus to the current national outrage/tragedy of 33 students and professors senselessly gunned down at Virginia Tech University.