Posted on 11/08/2004 2:25:59 PM PST by Snerdley
Belling taken off air over racial slur But talk show host 'will return,' says Clear Channel official Journal Sentinel staff Posted: Nov. 8, 2004
Mark Belling
From the Archives
11/1/04: Talk show host made reference to 'wetback' voters (11/1/04) 11/3/04: Latino leaders plan series of protests 11/4/04: Latino leaders urge Clear Channel to take Belling off the air 11/5/04: 300 protest at station over Belling 11/6/04: Belling issues formal apology 11/6/04: Text of Belling's statement
WISN-AM (1130) has taken talk show host Mark Belling off the air - at least temporarily - for his use of a derogatory term for illegal Mexican immigrants on his Oct. 27 program.
In a statement read at the usual 3 p.m. opening of his show, an announcer said:
"WISN is adamantly opposed to the use of racially offensive language. As a result of his comment and subsequent actions, Mark Belling is currently not on the air.
"We regret the incident occurred, and we look forward to helping educate the public about ethnic diversity. Our focus is to rebuild relations with the Milwaukee community."
In a statement, Cindy McDowell, vice president and market manager of Clear Channel's six Milwaukee stations, declined to use the term "suspended."
She said "Mark will return to the air. Right now, both Mark and the station are focusing on how we can educate the public on ethnic diversity."
More complete coverage of this story will appear online later tonight and in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Tuesday morning.
I knew where the term wetback came from. Around here they're called hispanics, but mostly they're called Mexican even though they come from Guatemala. And let me tell you Snerdley, nothing pisses a Guatemalan off more than being referred to as Mexican. THAT IS AN INSULT MORE THAN WETBACK could ever be!
As for the topic, Bob Grant came back, I'm sure this guy will bounce back.
http://kpearson.faculty.tcnj.edu/Dictionary/wetback.htm
After Operation Wetback, the term became very popular among American culture as a way of defining Mexicans. Eventually, the term began to be used to refer to all Hispanics in general. To a Hispanic, the word "wetback" is just as derogatory as the word "nigger" to an African American. In fact, in 1997, Mary Ann Vigil took her employer to court after she claimed that while "working as a department clerk typist at the Las Cruces International Airport, her supervisor "frequently" referred to Hispanics as "wetbacks," and, in response to complaints that Hispanic customers were overcharged, stated, "I didn't know that Mexicans had rights."" (Mary Ann Vigil v. City of Las Cruces, 1997). Judges ruled against Vigil in this case because they felt that a couple of isolated comments did not truly constitute racial discrimination or bigotry. However, the case is worthy of mention because it shows the anger that a term like "wetback" arises among the Hispanic community.
In certain parts of the United States, the word appears to be more prominent than in other places. For instance, according to Dan Marlowe, a Sante Fe attorney from Oakland, "he didn’t know what racism was until he came to New Mexico and noticed how often New Mexicans referred to Mexicans as "mojados," or wetbacks" (Not Much of a Joke, 1999, pg. 3).
Similarly, during an Assembly Ways and Means Committee hearing in Nevada, politician John Marvel "averred as to how ‘wetback’ laborers might be hired to do repair work because they were good at working with adobe" (Not Much of a Joke, 1999). The assemblyman tried to explain that he was just trying to "make a joke." However, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, as an educated man and politician, John Marvel surely knew that "referring to immigrants as "wetbacks" is offensive to Hispanics and non-Hispanics alike" (Not Much of a Joke, 1999).
We can't say wet back because the illegals now walk over the border on dry land. Lighten up folks, I'm pretty sure that what the illegals say about us while they are IN OUR COUNTRY is much worse.
If Mark was talking about illegal alien Mexicans swimming across the Rio Grande and then voting in an American election, what in the hell else do you call them but "wetback" voters?
BTTT!!!
I actually remember hearing him say the comment he is in trouble for. It was in the context ofthe election and illegals voting.
He's a good talk show host. He is connected enough with city, county and state govt. that he can apply pressure by broadcasting to us if there are abuses. We need him as a watch-dog! Milwaukee will only have Sykes left as a conservative radio host on the local level that can offer that service.
FReepers, please call or email both WISN and Clear Channel about keeping Belling on the air.
If he apologized for using the term, after the fact, he should be sent packing.
Don't you believe in forgiveness? The way I was brought up, if someone apologizes for a mistake, you forgive them.
If he didn't mean to say it, why did he bother to say it? I mean, if he apologized, that tells me didn't mean to say it.
I see you are particular about descriptive adjectives.
Are you as niggardly about your finances?
The way I was brought up, calling someone of Hispanic origin a "wetback" isn't a mistake, it's not even an accident. It's derogatory as hell and shouldn't even be used in public.
Wetback is a mildly derogatory word for illegal alien. I never use it when speaking. I don't like illegal aliens. I don't consider this invasion a joke. No way should Mark Bell be jerked around after apologizing. At this point I blame the professional ethnic grievance agitators. The Hispanic ones in Milwaukee
The way I was brought up, calling someone of Hispanic origin a "wetback" isn't a mistake, it's not even an accident. It's derogatory as hell and shouldn't even be used in public.
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A wetback is an illegal alien and was who Mrak Bell was referring to. Not Hispaniscs in general.
Why not just call them illegal aliens, instead of going down the derogatory path then apologizing for it later because he lost his job saying the derogatory remark.
That's a lot of liberal baloney. Racism is about #6 on our list of national problems. American Blacks are very rich compared to people in other nations. And the Hispanics, 95% of them voluntarily immigrated to this oh so racist nation
Are you for affirmative action? Do you think a Black immigrant from Jamaica should be able to benefit from affirmative action?
Yeah, like you never a word slip. One word should not kill this fine man's career. It's all about the left and the ethnics going ape because they got nothing better to do. Got nothing constructive to do. You are being played by these drama queens.
Nah, not really. It's WISN's loss. He can find a job elsewhere. Rush Limbaugh was fired 6 times in his career for alot less than this, and once for playing Under My Thumb by The Rolling Stones too many times.
The word is tacky, but I'd allow a mistake. I'm glad I'm not a conservative talk host. Apparently only liberal idiots are allowed to have an occasional senior moment. Of course, Al Frankenfurter can make RACIST and sexually explicit prison jokes on Airsickbag America and get away with it.
Why not just call them illegal aliens, instead of going down the derogatory path then apologizing for it later because he lost his job saying the derogatory remark.
Um, he didn't appologize "because he lost his job". He appoligized to the people who were offended for not knowing the difference between a wetback (in terms of illegal aliens) and people of hipanic origin. Do YOU know the difference?
As far as I've heard, he's still sticks by the original point that illegals should NOT be allowed to vote in our election.
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