Don Imus and bad taste

Re “Imus show is suspended as furor mounts,” April 10

The media brouhaha about Don Imus’ remarks is appalling. If his words are so horrendous, then why do the media repeat them verbatim? Should we not then be offended again as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson repeat them?

This has been Imus’ stock and trade for 30-plus years. It is not any different from Howard Stern or what you hear brazenly proclaimed in rap music and by “cutting edge” comedians. If we are truly offended, then let the media go after all offenders. Otherwise it’s nothing more than a show of words.

CHRIS HENDERSON

Rancho Cucamonga

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Just when you think you’ve heard it all, Imus thinks he’s funny and attempts to humor us with bigotry on his nationwide radio and TV broadcast. And just when you think that CBS Radio and MSNBC management will do the right thing and actually fire an employee who truly deserves it, they let him off with a suspension.

I really thought this would have been where the American public and media management would have drawn the line and finally said “enough is enough.” Maybe someone would have thought that people want news or talk, not news or talk at the expense of decency. I guess Imus is not the only disrespectful, distasteful and bigoted face of media; add MSNBC and CBS to the list.

VICTOR FRANCO JR.

Whittier

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It didn’t take long for Sharpton and Jackson to blow Imus’ comments about the Rutgers women’s basketball team completely out of proportion. Considering the state of the planet, you’d think Sharpton and Jackson would have more pressing matters to attend to. As for Imus, his irreverent program has been pushing the boundaries of bad taste for many years. This incident is a long-overdue comeuppance for him, and only time will tell if he’s learned his lesson.

Now that an appropriate punishment has been meted out, maybe Sharpton and Jackson can go back to their regular rabble-rousing jobs.

CHARLES REILLY

Manhattan Beach