"Recently I was reading Stan Hugill's brilliant collection, and there
were some dated references that would be considered racist by todays standard."

A couple of folks here have had US Government employees try to
tell us not to sing certain politically incorrect songs (no,
not with the n-word) from that collection. I believe we replied
with their oath of service (something about uphold and protect
the Constitution), followed by the 1st Amendment and refused to
even HAVE that conversation.

But Mr. Hahn, and dianvan, and others keep driving right over the
salient point without ever noting it--- if we're to get in the
business either of government censorship or de facto public
censorship of public commentators, 'legitimate' or not, we run
into the problem of who's to be the arbiter of who is 'legitimate.'

If someone says 'cut off the funds, bring the troops home by
date certain' someone else will say 'That's aiding and comforting
the enemy, that's treason, he's just like Hanoi Jane, fire him.'
Someone else claims that the WTC attackers may have had a legitimate
underlying beef--- fire him too. Get out of the mainstream, and you
get fired or fined.

I don't care for Imus, either. I find him tiresome and boring. He
is, none the less, a legitimate social commentator--- some would
even say a 'journalist'--- and to start demanding his censure or
firing is to embark on the slippery slope where they may just come
for YOU or your favorite commentator next. 'Are you now or were
you ever a member of...' How quickly we forget.

It leaves me cold to think of the FCC doing it. Ever since Janet
Jackson's boob fell out, the local radio station has to play
the censored version of the Who's 'Who Are You.' And one of the
local DJ teams, who always ended with Eric Idle singing 'Always
Look on the Bright Side' now has a version where Eric sings
'...life's a piece of isht, when ya look at it...' That kind
of crap stopped for a few years. All because of Janet Jackson's
tit, it's back. I'd hate to think of political commentators being
subject to similar winds of whim.