Can people learn from their mistakes? I'm sorry that Imus has been removed from the airwaves because I think that he is intelligent enough to learn from this experience, that it has chastened him. I think a reformed humble Don Imus (and I think this situation has finally gotten him to re-evaluate himself) might be an lesson for us all. At 66, Don Imus was still often a foul-mouthed teen, but he was also becoming a very adult interviewer. His program was a platform that isn't available in any of the more conventional media. Interviewees could be themselves and give their own personal points of view as opposed to their professional points of view. And Imus often goaded his interviewees in a way no other interviewer can. As for the rest of the program, some of it was clever satire, some of it was puerile and hurtful. I'm not certain that a reformed Don Imus show would be possible; but I think we've lost the opportunity to see the great American story of redemption. Personally, I think Imus is smart enough to carry it off and really mean it.

I am saddened by the firing of Don Imus. I have not been listening or watching his show for a very long time but what I did see was interesting and edgy. I would cringe when the show would sometimes go off the rails but when I think about it those times were often instigated by Bernard. True, Imus let him go on and on and for that, I think Imus deserved to be chastised. Maybe if he would have come out and said, "I get it, I have allowed a tone on this show that is unacceptable," rather than trying to put a stupid remark into "context" he might have had a fighting chance. I believe that when he said the infamous phrase he wasn't even thinking about the Rutgers team at all. I actually believe that he was trying to play a word game with Bernie and to use his phrase "the wheels came off." That is why the remark is so stupid. I wish we could have had the chance to see the changes he said he was going to make. We shall miss ye Don Imus. I hope to hear from you again.

No doubt what Imus said was stupid and not appropriate however I do not think he's racist. I'm not a fan of his but I think he was trying to be funny and was stupid instead. I'd like to see how long any of us could be on TV and the radio for 20 hours a week and not say something really stupid. I believe that he was sincere in his apology. I don't think he should have been fired and those institutions that fired him have lost my respect.

What I find really offensive is the ambulance chasing that happens with something like this it's always Shapton and Jackson. At this point I don't think they help the issue of racism in America but actually fan the flames. Jackson is a hypocrite, his famous "Hymietown" comment, this coming from a man who's whole life is supposedly about tolerance and respect? And then there's Sharpton, who never apologised for the Tawana Brawley Hoax, which ended up in one of the falsely accused police officers killing himself, and who further used the term "diamond merchants" to describe Jews.

I found the press briefing by the Rutgers basketball team to be just as offensive. You'd think from the comments of the players that they'd been physically assaulted. All it was is some talking head saying something stupid. Why make it into such a big deal that everyone in the country has to hear his dumb comment a hundred times an hour? How does that solve anything? Imus was sincere in his apology and offered to say it to them in person. If they had any class they'd have given him the chance to apologize and then forgiven him. But I guess you don't get to play the victim on national TV if you do that. They got their 15 minutes of fame.

The biggest victim in all of this is Imus himself, he has been publicly humiliated a thousand times more than the Rutgers team, he has lost his job, perhaps ended his career. For all his crankiness and sometimes stupid remarks, the man has done some real good in his private life on behalf of many people, of all races,.

It is unfortunate that many people who heard only the coarse comment made by Don Imus did not get the chance to become more fully informed about the many good works he championed and the valuable political discourse heard daily on his show. Reverend Al Sharpton has stated that the firing of the radio icon was not about taking Imus down, but lifting decency up. Perhaps he speaks the truth, but millions of radio listeners will likely conclude that it was more about promoting activists and opportunists. For these friends and fans of Don Imus, and for all who are growing tired of selective outrage and sporadic forgiveness, there is always the option of making choices regarding the products we buy and the networks we watch.

I am hopeful that Mr. Imus' respite, while indefinite, will not be infinite. This appears to be in keeping with the message projected by the Rutgers womens basketball team and, perhaps, the Revs. Al and Jesse would agree, in keeping with Christian values of forgiveness and charity. In weighing the situation, and in consideration of notions of fairness and proportionality, Mr. Imus has more to offer and we far more to gain by his eventual presence than from a continued and endless absence.

Good luck I-man!

Outraged? You bet I am!! I am outraged that Imus could be fired over something like this! I would bet that the majority of those claiming to be so "outraged" have never even seen Imus in the Morning show, or heard it on the radio. If they did, they just don't get it, and they surely don't know the man. Who has done more for the children in this country, not to mention what he has done for our military troops and the wounded veterans coning back home ?! I find it very disturbing that it has come to this. Yes, we had slavery and discrimination once upon A VERY LONG TIME AGO in this country, and we have been apologizing for it for decades!!enough is enough ! What about the Native Americans? It is time for everyone in this country to stand up and just BE AMERICAN!! There is no more "African -American", anymore than there is German American, Irish American, etc etec etc....if you were born here, you are JUST PLAIN AMERICAN no matter what color you are !! Everyone needs to realize this. No one in this country makes more fun of themselves on a daily basis than white people-just watch any sitcom or daily show or comedy. If you are an American, you have got to have sense of humor. It is time for everyone to just get over it an stop this circus! Don Imus is being crucified !! BRING DON BACK !!!!

As a listener from the start in NY there have been times, particularly with regards to the Catholic Church, I felt he crossed the line. Did I ever feel he should be fired for it, no. I join the millions of others who believe he has done more good with the power of his show. Can anyone argue that his work with sick children, increasing service personnel death benefits, Autism research, SIDS funding, etc. have benefited us all? I hope he lands squarely and soon on Satellite and that will be one more blow for the traditional media.

Why isn't ANYONE talking about who is MOST GUILTY for Imus' firing? Isn't it clear? FOLLOW THE MONEY:

WHO IS THE ONE ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BOTH 1) THE MOST TO GAIN, FINANCIALLY, FROM IMUS' FIRING, AND 2)THE MOST FINANCIAL FIRE-POWER TO USE IN HIS EXECUTION? It seems to me that the answer is obvious: CNN.

CNN's "American Morning" is suffering in the ratings, thanks largely to the enormous popularity of "Imus in the Morning". Furthermore, CNN generally and CNN personalities specifically have been the butt of Imus' insults for years, but particularly recently as Imus' ratings have put CNN's "American Morning" to shame.

It wasn't Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson who called up CNN and said, "Hey we've got to put a stop to Imus' use of racially and sexually-charged language on the national airwaves". Get real, people. It was CNN personnel who, when Imus made these remarks, saw the opportunity to FAN THE FLAMES of public outrage, and PUT THEIR BIGGEST COMPETITOR OUT OF BUSINESS.

This is the 800 pound gorilla in the room that NOBODY is talking about! Why not???

The real travesty is the missed opportunity to turn his show into a real force to discuss the issue that started this raging fire. One that consumed one of the most unique radio and television personalities we have seen. Don't misunderstand me. I winced many times when he approached, and sometimes crossed the line. I could tolerate that knowing the good work he did for truly deserving causes. What a shame. The community that wants so badly a dialogue about how to bring us together could have really had something unique, on your network, that could have made a difference. That is lost now and the topic will fade. Even Al Sharpton will get distracted eventually and this topic will slip back into the background. Don Imus never let's anything he believes in slip into the background! Maybe a new show can be hosted on BET television in between the vile rap videos that run everyday.

I blame Steve Capus as much as anyone for this. If his decision was based on feedback from MSNBC/NBC employees then this could not have been the first time he has heard this. It was his responsibility to curb the behavior if it has been this disruptive to his organization. Trying to have it both ways never results in a positive outcome. I respect his decision but he has to take as much blame as anyone. "He" was the enabler. Now MSNBC will suffer in multiple ways. MSNBC now has lost viewers from both camps. The advertisers will suffer also. I canceled plans to buy a GM Acadia and I purchased Bigelow Tea last night. Those with means, and will, must act.

No, nothing good will come of this. Not now. People are too angry to debate. Plus, we can't find an honest broker in this conversation with whom to debate with. Don is gone.

'I am a 65 year old white woman who watched Don Imus every morning even though I was at times less than comfortable with his caustic, edgy remarks. What I would really love to see is a huge movement to return Don to the airwaves, However, barring that, what really troubles me is that two black leaders whose livelyhood depends on the survival of racism were able to orchestrate and elevate the emotional component of this incident to the point that CBS had little recourse but to fire him. These "black leaders" in my opinion are in it more for themselves than for their race. '

My husband and I love Imus in the morning. His whole thing was to get you fired up and talking. I think that what he said was incredibly stupid. Truthfully, I had felt for awhile now that somethings that he or others on the show would say would be the straw that broke the camels back. I think that the show was no longer listening to themselves because they were caught up in the power. I really wish that if we are truly going to continue to strive to eliminate hateful and racist words, then we must also call for the head of Al Sharpton as well. I will not call him the title reverend because what comes out of his mouth everytime he opens it is the antithesis of godliness. I think it's wrong to call any woman a 'ho, but unfortunately my next door neighbor and her 14 yr old son do not think so. She buys and listens to the lyrics that her son has memorized and sings often. I think you should never call anybody anything racially derogetory. Her son and his friends think it's alright to call each other "My Nigger". To gain crediablity that you are upset by someone racially slurring you, you need to demonstrate your seriousness that you find the words offensive. This applies to any race or sexual orientation. Does anyone besides me think it odd that Rutger's didn't even care until the coach begain to worry about FUTURE recruits and not even the girls who were slurred? That she didn't even worry about anything until Al got on the phone and PUSHed her to this? While we're at it, let's get rid of Rush too. He is a sexist and racist king.

Let me start off by saying that what Imus said was inappropriate and uncalled for. Bad judgement on his part. Unfortnately, Imus was not the first individual in that exchange to make the reference to 'Hoe'. Directly prior to Imus's remarks, someone else (either in the studio or Sid Rosenberg who was on the phone) made the inappropriate remark 'Hard Core Hoes'. If that statement would not have been made, I doubt if Imus would have said what he said. Again, not an excuse for Imus, but where is the culpability for the initial remark and the individual that made it. I would also like to think that all the rappers (and the record companies that produce their trash), actors and actresses (and the film industry), etc, get the same scrutiny that Imus received. This is a problem, let's fix it everywhere....

This mess comes from a woman who is outraged by the firing of "Imus in the Morning". Imus to me stands for the fact that IMUST watch him in the morning before leaving to work as a Reg. nurse who works in CCU, ICU, and Open heart recovery. Imus makes me laugh because he is a "ShockJock", it was wrong to make the rude comments about the lady stars from Rutgers, but no is exempt w/ IMUS - that is what makes him not prejudiced. But now Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, that makes for another comment. Equality carries responsibilities as well as rights and for too long the "race issue" has been ridden by people such as Jackson and Sharpton to further their own wishes and opinions. But remember this is AMERICA and we are all Americans which means we have a right to have an opinion and mine is that nbc,msnbc and the rest of their "mob" who fired Imus was wrong, especially since he has apologized repeatedly for the comments and especially the ladies who played for Rutgers, maybe Imus will attack the nursing shortage and the medical field so I as an American with a voice can laugh as much as I want and be happy while doing a job that can sometimes be so sad and stressful. A Nuse in Texas with an opinion

I believe what Imus said was wrong and he should have been suspended, but now that he has met with the girls team and understands the impact of his comments, Imus could have a positive impact if brought back on the air. I also joined in on numerous MSNBC opinion votes the past few days and in all of them the vast majority supported Imus. Why the vote if minority wins, why not just call sharpton and ask for direction.

I am very troubled at the firing of Don Imus, yes he made a stupid comment directed at those lovely bright women, but where is the outrage and firing of others such as Michael Savage, Sean Hannity,Rush Limbaugh who regurlarly say horrifing coments about welfare mothers, victums of Katrina...If you watch the Comedy channels Dave Chappell, Carlos Mencia nd other "stand up comedians" you will hear and see much worse. I regularly hear women of color speak this way and worse about each other at work. Most African Americans I know see Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton as an embarrasment to their race. Everything good Don has done over the years for people of every color and social standing should not be erased over one comment! It is also sad that many of the people that regularly speak on Don's show are now slamming him. Don did everything he could to get Harold Ford into office including calling his opponent a "redneck cracker", where was the outrage from Jesse and Al then? The bottom line is that Don Imus is an entertainer and his show was provocitve and funny. I will truly miss him, I was able to start my day with a laugh before I went to work.

David Gregory was interviewing Tom Brokaw this morning about Imus... Tom said a shocking thing that raised David's eyebrow, but David missed the opportunity to really make progress in this REVOLUTION (my hope) in public dialog.

Tom said the difference between what Imus said and what rappers say is that Imus' target were individuals where rappers slander "groups".

Don't we know that every GROUP is made up of INDIVIDUALS?

We don't have a license to slander a group any more than we have the license to slander individuals.

We already know it is wrong to slander an entire race, coloring them with the obscene "broad brush", but we seem to do it regularly with groups such as liberals, conservatives, Republicans, Democrats, rich, poor, etc. Tom CERTAINLY couldn't be intending to say it is ok to pidgon-hole entire sets of people and then slander them!?

It is IDEAS than need to be addressed; it is BAD IDEAS han need to be criticised; it is positive, helpful ideas that need to be advanced!

The entire culture of classifying our enemies as members of a group needs to stop; certainly we have no more right to slander a group than the individuals that make up that group.

Please point this out to David and encourage him to take challenge Tom off-air on this slip up. We need dialog about how to criticize ideas, not license to slander generalized groups.

Groups are people too!

It seems to me that this ‘Imus incident’ has reenergized freedom of speech in America. Imus exercised this freedom, MSNBC, CBS and several sponsors exercised their freedom to discontinue their support, and a remarkable number of bloggers have voiced their opinions. Don Imus will no doubt find a new forum to reach those who want to hear his viewpoint, both networks will likely lose some viewers and cement the loyalty of others. You can count me among the latter – I respect the decision to fire Imus and will continue to be a loyal viewer of NBC and MSNBC. I will also continue to exercise my freedom to defend those who are maliciously attacked without cause as these remarkable young women were (even if in the guise of a joke).

I am moved to write you regarding the Imus situation. I love entertainment; I adore tv, see a movie most every weekend, listen to the radio every day, and occasionally buy People Magazine, or one of it’s twins. Basically, I am a typical American; I have two children, my husband is the primary breadwinner, and I work part time. It is my belief that I speak for many as I write this letter.
Although I love reading about entertainers, and go to many movies, there are often times I do not agree with entertainers’ outspoken political views or immature behaviors. However, I do not stop seeing the movies, or watching the television show that the actor is in. Likewise, there are times when I have cringed at a comment that Imus has made on his radio show. However, I do not stop listening because of a comment; the variety of opinions expressed on his show by politicians, journalists, authors, and others is like no other. It is very rare in this country to hear more than one view on most situations; the news media is decidedly not neutral, and it is refreshing, and I think crucial, to be able to hear discussion on news items. That being said, I want to be entertained at the same time; that is why I listen to Imus. I am both entertained, and exposed to a variety of viewpoints.
Do I think Imus made a mistake when he made his now infamous comment about the Rutgers team? Yes I do. I also think that he is trying to make amends, and as a Christian, I think that is the right thing to do. How he does it is between him and those girls he hurt. As a parent, I also know that discipline is an important aspect of maturing our children. Do I think that a two week suspension is enough? Yes I do. It fits the transgression. To fire Imus is, for me, like a parent whipping a child into unconsciousness for calling someone an ugly name. It is just out of proportion to the offense.
I live in the south, and deal with the reality of race relation problems daily. By the way, America does not just have problems with black/white issues; we struggle with Hispanic race relations too. I have also experienced first hand the power that Imus has to effect change for the good. My son has just recently been diagnosed with Asperger’s. Imus has focused attention on a wide spread disorder that until recently, and partly due to his courageous action of spreading the word even when criticized and told to “shut up already” , was not discussed and very little energy was expended on treatment or cures. My son will have better treatment options available because Imus has not allowed these children to be ignored. Therefore, I believe Imus when he says he would like to address race relations in a positive manner on his show.
Given his clout, and willingness to give his time and money to situations that he supports, I believe that he might have been able to bring about positive changes in black/white relations in this country and he should have been given the opportunity to do so.

MSNBC and CBS have made a terrible judgement in firing Don Imus. Given time amd the opportunity, Don Imus would have taken this ignorant and undefensible mistake and turned it around to better our society. This hasty firing was caused solely by the loss of corporate sponsors and advertising dollars. I hope we have not heard the last of MR Imus. But one thing I do know, CBS and MSNBC, will not be heard in my home from this day forward.

Why is Don Imus' sidekick, Mr. McGuirick, not being chastised for his participation in this Imus debacle? Watch the tape. McGuirick repeated and even encouraged these comments by Imus in his "Ed McMahon" role as an Imus sidekick. Why is he not being held to the same standard as Don Imus? He went along with the entire mess and should be fired and identified as a culprit and contributor to this mess.

The comments Imus made were terrible. I play them back in my mind to see if there is some way to look at them that mitigates their inappropriate nastiness but each time I am left shaking my head in disbelief.
I really am unable to understand how he thought there was even a trace of humor in his comments.

Frankly, while I do agree that what Imus said was insenstive and totally out of line, this story has received way more attention than it deserves just like Anna Nichol Smith. These stories are rediculously over reported. We have high crimes and misdemeanors going on in the Whitehouse with missing emails that pertain to the partisan firing of federal prosecuters. We know that they contain important information and the Whitehouse is bound by federal law to be kept and you report about this? Please...I have been a faithful viewer for many years but is NBC becoming Entertainment Tonight. My god, we have war that has become an endless blackhole with money sweat and the blood of our service people and this is what you want to report about. I have hear the same hate trash spewed by many others like Beck on CNN and Limbaugh. I have not saw them recieve the same amount of publicity? What has happened to the real investigative reporting? We have a scandalous Whitehouse that stops at nothing to removing our rights and keep us embroiled in war not to mention wearing our forces down to the nub. Why are they not getting the attention the so richly deserve? Start acting like the investigative unit you used to be.

Imus was lynched!

Whereas Brian Williams' Nightly News adheres to a neutrality principle in reporting the news, the Imus show features the active process of opinion formation and exchange. Without the latter, the former appears lifeless and abstract. If I were Mr. Williams, I would not be too happy about the cancellation of the Imus show, as it generated and sustained a political culture and an active interest in political news. I'm afraid we will now be looking again at a landscape of political apathy, since no other similar show is on the horizon. This will also negatively affect NBC Nightly News and may lead to a significant drop in its ratings. NBC made a hasty and hysterical decision over a slip/slur that could have been penalized and amended in a more constructive fashion (temporary suspension; fine). Without Imus, Nightly News is on its way to decline.

So far from what I have read - the majority vote is for Imus - I am a 49 Y/O white female professional who has listened to Imus over the years - I have found him funny - ridiculous - rude - informative - but always well meaning in the majority of things he is involved in - he is a person who speaks his mind - and also follows through with actions that actually help people - You were very wrong in firing him - I was not offended by the comments because they were not made against a particular person - but in satire of the situation - you as a company have bowed down to the loud mouths of the JJ & AS"s of the world - and confirmed that the people with the loud mouths first get the food - or in this case you gave them the power - how sad that you did not back the one person who over the years brought in so much money for you !! When the going got rough - well you got going - guess you don't believe in backing something controversal in a negative context - only something that you look good doing - I am more offended by the rappers and wan-a-bees - who emulate the "artists" if you want to call them that - their words profess killing - mutilation - control - degration of women - cops - humans - and the language is more descriptive and vulgar than anything Imus said - and people are actually listening to this and some are even playing it out - where is the outrage against these bigoted people? free speach should work both ways - by the way - most of them are not white - but that is OK ? how about answering some of the questions posted in this blog and the others here for Imus - or would that pose a problem with the minority populus ?