Question: Prior to the events of the past week, how many of you were even aware of Don Imus? If you happen to live in listening range of one of the 70 stations that carry his show, you might have heard him. (In comparison, nationally-syndicated talk show host Glenn Beck is heard on over 230 stations, Sean Hannity on over 500, and Rush Limbaugh on over 650 nationwide.) If you have ever been channel-surfing past MSNBC in the morning, you've seen an old geezer in a cowboy hat kind of mumbling into the microphone. Most likely you either became quickly bored or got tired of not being able to understand what he was saying and surfed on past.

I'm going to take a guess and say that the ladies of the Rutger's women's basketball team are probably not frequent listeners, although admittedly I have no way of knowing that. But I seriously doubt that they were offended by Imus' remarks last Wednesday, because I seriously doubt that they heard them. But things obviously changed.

Now the idiotic ramblings of Don Imus are being shoved down all of our throats. Now, I imagine, the Rutgers players are humiliated. Because, thanks to the nationwide media frenzy, the entire country and beyond have heard them called, "nappy-headed ho's."

If Al Sharpton actually cared about their feelings, then he could have handled this so much differently. But obviously Al Sharpton doesn't care about these players. All he cares about is his newest racist soundbite that he will now fully exploit as proof that racism exists in America. Well, of course racism exists in America. Racism exists everywhere around the world. It's part of life. It's not right, and I'm not defending it. But what I find incredible is that Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are allowed to act the part of the self-appointed judge, jury and executioner to those that they deem racist.

I've said it before and I will say it over and over, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are two of the most racist men in America. They thrive on it because it keeps them in the public eye. Where would they be without it? Because, honestly, isn't this the only time anybody ever gives them a voice, when something comes up in the race category? How many people would have known that Al Sharpton has a radio show if it hadn't been such a spectacle yesterday?

Let's just pretend that Don Imus had said something racially derogatory towards the white players on either team. I know some wouldn't accept this hypothetical, but just work with me. If he had, would Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson be demanding his head on a platter? I don't think this will require much brain power to think through.

If Al Sharpton is serious about putting out the fires of racism in this country rather than fanning them, then the most effective thing he could have done would have been to dismiss Don Imus's comments as ignorant and unworthy of response. He could have suggested that the women of Rutgers were strong, confident women who would not find it necessary to dignify the remarks of a radio has-been, and express confidence that the people of this great country would see the remarks for what they were, stupid and insulting, and move on.

We live in a society based on capitalism. The most successful way to fight something is to cut it off financially. If Don Imus wants to have a radio show, then more power to him. We still have freedom of speech in this country, despite the many attacks it comes under. If you don't like what someone has to say, don't listen to them. If his ratings go down, the stations will drop him. If he doesn't have listeners, then he becomes irrelevant. I have serious qualms with people demanding he be fired for what he said. Because many things might be considered offensive to many different people. Just because you disagree with what I have to say doesn't mean that I don't have the right to say it.

Don Imus is learning what it feels like to be a Dixie Chick in the South, Mel Gibson or Michael Richards. This, too, shall pass. Then maybe our attention can turn back to the Middle East and those who are seeking our annhilation. But maybe not, because that's just racist.