Mike is in Imus withdrawal this morning. I would have pulled the plug on this crusty old curmudgeon's show long ago, but he did some interviews I enjoyed and had performances by some recording artists I admire. His charity work is commendable, but he's mistaken to think that gives him license to be so careless in his speech.

Carelessness caused his downfall, I believe. He's smart enough to know, if he had just thought about it, that derogatory remarks about a women's college basketball team, who deserved to celebrate their achievement in getting to the NCAA finals, were outside the bounds of acceptable radio talk. I don't know if he's racist or sexist in his heart of hearts. I do know that his brand of humor is not funny to me. He regularly labels and puts down people, and that is as offensive to me as any of the other TV and radio loudmouths out there whom I avoid if at all possible.

Mike sometimes watches comedians and movies that make my skin crawl. I get as far away from it as I can, and wish he didn't enjoy it like he does. I think it contributes to his bad attitude and his coarse language. This trash will be available as long as the market demands it, so it really shouldn't be any shock when an old white guy, the original shock jock, lets a line from a popular rap song slip out in a conversation. He's a tiny tip of a huge iceberg that seems to have frozen our sense of decency and civility in American society.

"Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?" If our speech can't pass those 3 tests that our grandmothers gave us, we need to keep our mouths shut.