I was listening to NPR yesterday, and there was a lot of feedback regarding this issue with Imus and the women he denigrated on his show (which of course I do not listen to). My argument is this: why is there so much outcry against one ignorant (white) man's continued uses of racist remarks and figures of speech when Black/African-American people use these very same words in everyday conversation?!

Irregardless of color, black, or white, or even yellow for the matter, commentary of this nature is derogatory even if you are addressing people of your own race/ethnicity. Yet we are barraged with objectionable lyrics in rap music and hip-hop music, making repeated references to women as bitches and hoes. It is overlooked and downplayed among the "Black Community", it is the basis of jokes and friendly banter. But despite the light-hearted attitude that is maintained, the core meaning, the basic foundation of these words is wholly demeaning. How many black women are abused verbally and emotionally daily by utterances of these words from family, friends, and other peers?