Stossel Slandered By Media Matters

Discussing Rand Paul's criticism of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, John Stossel took to the air Thursday to unapologetically expound on Paul's point. "Private businesses ought to get to discriminate," Stossel said. "And I won't ever go to a place that's racist and I will tell everybody else not to and I'll speak against them. But it should be their right to be racist."

This quote was included in a Friday email from Media Matters' president Eric Burns encouraging readers to rally against the Fox News network, Stossel's employer. "Enough is enough: Stop promoting racism on your network," read links to a petition, which were peppered throughout the email.

Consider that. In the face of a direct quote, where Stossel takes a plain stance against racism, Burns confidently accuses Stossel of "promoting racism." Burns doesn't even bother to take Stossel out of context. He is so confident of his readers' inability to comprehend plain language, that he blatantly declares the opposite of what they see before their eyes!

"Stossel is only the latest in a long line of Fox News personalities to divide America along racial lines, and it needs to stop," Burns blathers, failing to demonstrate said division. Of course, the actual meaning of words is of little importance to someone like Burns, who uses them more for their blunt rhetorical value than to convey anything of substance.

This trait is best conveyed in Burns' culminating proclamation. "The government, Stossel says, should be protecting the rights of businesses that want to discriminate -- not the rights of minorities facing pervasive discrimination." Such a statement is not meant to be thought through; but let's try anyway. The premise is a dichotomy between two conflicting rights, that of businesses to discriminate, and that of minorities to not be discriminated against. In truth, it is not the nature of rights to conflict. Where one right would intrude upon another, the former ceases to be. The classic analogy is, "Your right to swing your fist ends at the other man's nose." If business owners truly have a right to discriminate, as Burns statement seems to concede, a contradictory right held by those discriminated against cannot exist. Indeed, it does not, which is precisely why a civil right (i.e. created by government out of thin air) was crafted to fill that role. The conflict results from the creation of a right which contradicts the pre-existing one.

This is effectively Paul and Stossel's point; we ought not have civil rights which conflict with inalienable rights. Both men affirm the necessity and appropriateness of the Civil Rights Act, with the exception of Title II's intrusion upon private property rights. Both men unequivocally state their abhorrence of racism and their disapproval of racial discrimination. The assertion (for one cannot rightly consider it an argument) that either man is "promoting racism" is a blunt lie. Then again, one expects as much from Media Matters and the rest of the progressive media.

Media Matters' president Eric Burns

He most recently served as the communications director for the House Rules Committee and ranking member Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY). Prior to that, Burns was the primary spokesman and a senior adviser to Rep. Chris Bell (D-TX)and a former investment banker.

Media Matters is an arm of the Democrat Party...

Staff Members:

Julie Millican has been involved with several progressive organizations and campaigns, including work with America Coming Together, MoveOn.org, John Kerry's presidential campaign

Phil Mione has worked as an intern in the office of Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), as well as for the campaign of New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D)

Dianna Parker previously worked as a policy and communications assistant for the National Audubon Society, focusing on global warming and renewable energy. She has also interned for Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and for The Journal Newspapers, where she served as a general assignment reporter.

Chrissy Schwen most recently worked as a management consultant supporting state and federal government agencies. Previously, she worked in organizing for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) during the 2004 and 2006 campaign cycles

Damien Shirley graduated from the George Washington University with a bachelor's degree in political science. He worked for the U.S. Treasury Department and the Democratic National Committee

Marcia Kuntz ran the Alliance for Justice's Judicial Selection Project before joining Media Matters for America at its launch in 2004. Previously, she served as minority counsel for the housing subcommittee of the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services and as legislative counsel to Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA).

Terry Krepel has worked for newspapers for more than 17 years as a reporter, designer, and editor.

Eric H. Hananoki previously worked as a researcher, segment producer, and blogger for The Al Franken Show on Air America Radio

Matthew Gertz served as deputy campaign manager of Democrat Diane Farrell's 2006 congressional campaign in Connecticut. He has also worked as an intern for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) as well as with Citizens Union, a good-government nonprofit group in New York.

Jamison Foser has extensive experience in progressive research, communications, and strategy, having worked for nearly a decade in national politics. Most recently he served as Research Director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)

Ben Fishel has worked as an intern in the offices of Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY).

Will Bunch is a Senior Fellow at Media Matters for America, the nation's premier progressive media watchdog and center for research and information. A senior writer for the Philadelphia Daily News

Eric Boehlert worked for five years as a senior writer for Salon.com

Tom Allison most recently worked for John Edwards' presidential campaign in Iowa. In Virginia, he was involved with campaigns for Gov. Tim Kaine and Sen. Jim Webb, as well as Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign. Allison interned at the political department of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)

"Stossel is only the latest in a long line of Fox News personalities to divide America along racial lines, and it needs to stop"

So discussing the issue of racism and a person's right to think how they will think is dividing people along racial lines?

That's funny, I thought it was the left that divides based on race so they can have quotas...

What ever happened to honest and open debate?

I'm with Stossel on this. I'm not racist, I was not raised racist, and I judge people based on behavior, not skin color. But I also believe a person should be able to think what they want to think, even if it is racist. Let them embarrass themselves, public opinion would sort it out. This constant race-race-race drumbeat makes me sick to my stomach and I believe makes racists out of previously race neutral people.

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