When U.S. kids first attend public school, they meet people from various cultures, races and religions of which they have never encountered. Invariably, ethnic slurs come forward. Words such as "nigger," "spic," "beaner," "cracker," "Christ-killer" and many others are uttered in the playgrounds of U.S. elementary schools. Usually, after the first confrontations and a lecture from the teachers, most of the kids then get along.

When I first attended public school and someone called a student a "greenhorn" (derogatory term for someone of Portuguese descent in New England), the teacher reprimanded the name-caller and told us a little ditty: "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me." In other words, if someone denigrates you, ignore it and soon the hurtful words will stop.

Today’s U.S. is totally different. Names galore are used to ridicule people. Unlike in the old days, however, there are double and triple-entendres for the offending names. Sometimes, they are meant to be derogatory, while, at other times, they are used by the group who was meant to be offended.

Recently, Don Imus, a radio talkshow host for decades, was fired for calling the female basketball team at Rutgers a bunch of "nappy-headed hos." (Hos has become a commonly-used word in today’s U.S. culture for "whores.")

For a couple of days, the press was anti-Imus. He was racist and sexist. Then, things began to turn around. Some people mentioned a double-standard in which black Americans can call themselves "niggas" and "hos," but if a white person does, all hell breaks loose.

Rap music today is laden with the terms "nigga," "hos," and "bitches." They make Imus’ remark seem palatable. Coincidentally, many of those songs that utter the racial and sexist epithets are performed by African-Americans.

ML: Evan, we all know of Imus’ remarks. But, from what I hear, the subject of racial slurs against African-Americans was brought up in New York before the Imus broadcast. Please explain.

EG: This has been going on for several months now in New York. In the February newspapers, stories told of various politicians who were fighting to ban the "n" word, so this certainly pre-dated the Imus controversy.

ML: Were these politicians looking to score political points?

EG: My gut instinct is that it’s sincere. I’m sure this is something that disturbs them.

ML: What messages are the current slate of rap artists who have no boundaries in their songs sending the public?

EG: There’s such a permeation as far as BET, MTV, Vibe Magazine and so on. In the current issue of Vibe, you have a photograph of Lil Wayne, the rapper, with a gun on his lap and he’s dripping in bling (jewelery). I don’t see this as a positive image. The rap industry and the media I just mentioned have put out such a bombardment, literally a bombardment, of negative images that I don’t think the average 12-year-old kid can distinguish between what is entertainment and what is reality. They look up to these guys. These are role models for them, whether they claim to be or not. A lot of rappers say, "I’m not a role model," but, at the same time, whether they want to be or not, these kids look up t them.

ML: Much of white society seems to be blaming rap music after the Imus incident. The rappers can use racial denigration, yet if a white person does, it’s out of bounds. Is the message contradictory?

EG: You have white record executives and black record executives. It all boils down to the artist who has a choice. I recently interviewed Grand Master Mele Mel who has put out positive rap music. I just interviewed a young rapper called Paradise who reminds me of Gil Scott Heron and Oscar Brown Jr,. who’s put out positive messages.

This is a choice. They aren’t selling as many records as the gangsta rappers, but they choose to put out a positive message and they’re proud of their people and their culture. They’re not talking about "bitches" and "hos."

I have a friend who directs rap videos and he says the record company specifically tells him, "We want plenty of hot women. We want the souped-up cars. We want plenty of bling." This is what the executives are saying. But, as an artist, you do have a choice. You could put out something positive like Public Enemy. Something relevant. Something important.

There’s a lot of hypocrisy about this. You have Mims, with the number-one record in the country, talking about hos and what a pimp he is. R. Kelly, on his hit record, is talking about hos and what a pimp he is. Millions and millions of people are buying these records, yet what Imus said is taboo. I think what Imus said was disgusting. It was horrible. But, why is it less horrible when these guys say it?

ML: Is money the driving force?

EG: Absolutely. Money, greed and materialism. That’s the ugliness of it all. One never knows with Imus if it’s from the heart or just to purposely shock people because that’s what makes money for him and the station. Barak Obama was on his show promoting his book. Many powerful people, black and white, have been on that show. Once the heat was on Imus, a level of hypocrisy came forward. There are other people making money off these negative images and stereotypes.

ML When rap first came out, it was very creative. How can the current state be changed?

EG: Like anything else, if you hit people in the pocketbook, it will turn things around. I don’t believe in censorship. You have a choice not to buy the CD. You have the choice to turn off the station if it offends you. You have the choice to write and speak against something you disagree with, but at the same time, the artist has to take responsibility for what he/she is putting out.

Jesse Jackson once referred to New York as Hymietown. Now, he comes here and is talking about the ugliness of racial slurs. Right there is a certain level of hypocrisy. When I was 12 years old, I thought professional wrestling was real. When I was 14, it suddenly hit me that this wasn’t on the up-and-up. Having taught kids, I’m telling you for a fact that some can not distinguish between what is an what isn’t real. When you have a picture in Vibe magazine with Lil Wayne with a gun in his lap, dripping in jewelry, this is not a positive image.

ML: What do these guys think when they call each other "nigga" and when a white person says it, it’s not okay? What kind of message are younger people getting?

EG: Dave Chappel was on a recent show with Maya Angelou. He was saying that by using the "n" word so casually, it defuses the word. Richard Pryor said the opposite and said it was harmful. Like anything else, different artists have different opinions. Media are saying that as a wealthy white male, Imus did not have the right to do this, whereas, some media are saying that as far as the rappers, it’s freedom of expression.

I cringe when I see the materialism of these videos, where if you don’t have a fancy car, if you don’t have that bling around your neck, if you don’t have that Rolex, you’re a nobody. That’s a horrible message to send out to the youth of America. Some kid who’s working two jobs and going to college sees these guys glorifying drug dealers.

I once interviewed author Davis Miller who wrote The Tao of Mohammed Ali. He said that one of the things that really disturbed him with rap music is that they portray everyone as being hard. Cold. Ruthless. You look at the photos and they’re never smiling. It’s like sensitivity is a weakness.

The same rap director I mentioned earlier told me that the majority of the big rap stars live out in the suburbs and give nothing back to the "hood." The vast majority are trying to be "street," but by this time, they are far removed from it and they give nothing back.

ML: Please tell us about your recently-published book, Apartment 4B, Like in Brooklyn.

EG: In my book, I have a chapter called "That Word." I grew up as a white minority in the predominately black East Flatbush Brooklyn of the 1960s and 1970s. The book is a short story collection about the good, the bad, and the ugly of, for the most part, racism.

When the first Hispanic family moved on the block, they faced racism. When the first black family moved onto the block they faced racism. Eventually, the whites were in the minority and they faced racism.

I have a chapter in which I address all the racist slurs, including "honky," "white boy," "Jew boy," and so on, and the pain those words caused. Whether it’s the "n" word or the words I just rolled off, these words cut like knives.

ML: Tell us about other stereotypes that should be addressed in this country.

EG: Ageism. You see performers in their 60s or 70s, like Little Anthony or Johnny Maestro, who still sound as though they are in their prime. Then, the newspaper reviewers mock "blue-haired" old ladies in the audience. Why is that acceptable. We hear the terms, "He’s old," and "That’s old," used like a slur.

As someone who teaches ESL to a mostly immigrant audience, I’m horrified at the anti-immigrant dialogue going on in this country. There’s such an outcry against immigrants. There’s always the assumption they’re illegal or collecting welfare. I’ve taught thousands of immigrants in my 17-year teaching career and the vast majority of the people are hard-working and honest.

Why is it okay to denigrate old people? Why is it okay to denigrate immigrants? As a Jewish person, I get tired of hearing "All Jews are rich. All Jews are cheap." Anytime the word "all" is used, it is ridiculous.

My grandfather was a butcher. When he died, he left me his bank account. It had $16 in it. My father was a taxi driver. When he died, he left me $850. He never made more than $25,000 a year in his life.

I’m the first person from my father’s side of the family to graduate from college. To say that all Jews are rich and cheap? My father was the most generous guy you’d ever meet and my mother would give you her last dollar.

These stereotypes are perpetuated. How about becoming outraged for all groups that are denigrated? Instead of talking about "race," why don’t we all become the human race?