During the past few weeks, three words have sparked a national controversy. Those three words are “nappy-headed hoes.”

Don Imus spoke those three words on his radio show two-and-a-half weeks ago when he was referring to the Rutgers women’s basketball team. After his producer called the girls on the team some “hardcore hoes” because of their tattoos, Imus followed up with his now infamous comment.

Since then, Imus has gone on the Rev. Al Sharpton’s radio show to offer a public apology for his actions. Many called for, and eventually got, Imus to be fired. People labeled him a racist. His comments were called insensitive and ignorant. After originally being suspended for two weeks, CBS radio fired Imus.

While very few people have called for Imus’ speech to be protected through the First Amendment (most notably Rosie O’Donnell), the question still lingers: Should Don Imus have been fired for his remarks?

And the answer is, “No.” And CBS believes the same thing.

Do not believe for one second that Imus was fired for making his remarks. Imus was fired because he would no longer make money for the company. His sponsors were pulling out, and he was not going to turn a profit with his reported $10 million a year salary. That is why the network let Imus go.

And why did Imus catch so much heat for a comment that is all-too-common in lyrics in today’s urban music?

Imus caught his heat because he said this about a group of players that couldn’t defend itself. He said this about a basketball team of women aged 19-22. That’s part of the reason. The other part is Sharpton and Jesse Jackson got a hold of the case and ran with it.

Both men have made a career of “standing up for the black community.” However, it seems as if both are just waiting for events like this to happen to push their agenda that blacks are being suppressed and underappreciated in this country. It was mainly because of their influence that an off-color comment about a sports team that could have been forgotten with an apology and suspension became a national issue.

I was satisfied with the suspension for a comment that Imus should have kept to himself, joke or not. It’s not something that should be broadcast. Like O’Donnell said, he has a First Amendment right to say whatever he wants.

Not so fast. If what he is saying is harmful and demeaning to a group of people, then he shouldn’t be broadcasting it across national airwaves. His right isn’t protected there.

So I have three new words for everyone to hang on to:

Get over it.

Rutgers’ women’s basketball team forgave Imus for the comments he made and accepted his apology. Now that they have done that, now that they have moved passed it, shouldn’t we?