Lars Larson on Don Imus

Well, if you live by the sword you’re going to die by the sword.

All of us who make our living behind a microphone understand that there is a lot of responsibility there. It doesn’t necessarily make us important. But, for whatever reason, we become important to the people who listen to us. In some cases, we can even influence their judgments about politics, about culture, about the way that the world works around them or doesn’t work around them. Don Imus did that for some people. He’s aired on a number of these radio stations that you hear my program on.

It was a sad thing to see a man who’s got 35 years in radio blow up his own career. But let me be very clear about that one thing. Don Imus was responsible for the words that came out of his mouth. Not Al Sharpton, not Jessie Jackson. And, if words came out of his mouth that offended people and if that offense drove advertisers away then you can completely understand the, well, the decision by both MSNBC and by CBS radio to fire him. The fact is, the words came out of Don Imus’ mouth and only Don Imus can answer for the things that happened after that.