Posted on 08/22/2005 1:23:05 PM PDT by Crackingham
The First Amendment and I have been evicted from ABC Radio in Washington, DC.
On July 25th, the Council on American-Islamic Relations demanded that I be punished for my on-air statements regarding Islam and its tragic connections to terrorism. Three days later, 630 WMAL and ABC Radio suspended me without pay for comments deemed hate radio by CAIR.
CAIR immediately announced that my punishment was insufficient and demanded I be fired. ABC Radio and 630 WMAL have now complied. I have been fired for making the specific comments CAIR deemed offensive, and for refusing to retract those statements in a management-mandated, on-air apology. ABC Radio further demanded that I agree to perform what they described as additional outreach efforts to those people or groups who felt offended.
I refused. And for that refusal, I have been fired.
It appears that ABC Radio has caved to an organization that condemns talk radio hosts like me, but has never condemned Hamas, Hezbollah, and one that wouldnt specifically condemn Al Qaeda for three months after 9/11.
As a fan of talk radio, I find it absolutely outrageous that pressure from a special interest group like CAIR can result in the abandonment of free speech and open discourse on a talk radio show. As a conservative talk host whose job is to have an open, honest conversation each day with my listeners, I believe caving to this pressure is a disaster.
I for one cannnot apologize for the truth and I cannot agree to some community-service style outreach effort to appease the opponents of free speech.
If I had made a racist or bigoted comment -- which my regular listeners know goes against everything I believe in -- I would apologize immediately, and without coercion. When I have made inadvertent fact errors in the past, I apologized promptly and without hesitation.
But we have now gone far beyond that, with demands that I apologize for the ideas my listeners and I believe in. It is not a coincidence that, after my suspension on July 28th, WMAL received more than 15,000 phone calls and emails protesting my removal from the airwaves.
Why such a huge response? It wasn't about me; The listeners I spoke to said they felt betrayed by my suspension because the vast majority of them agree with me on the subject of Islam. By labeling my statements as unacceptable, these listeners felt that WMAL management was insulting them, too.
Next they'll be demanding public beheadings on the Mall........
CAIR is a terrorist front organization!
(Does the 'C' stand for camel?)
I know that he wants me bad I know that he wants me bad
I'm only 8 years old
he's still got it, I'm told
In just one year I'm gonna be his
Although I still am flat...he'll call me pussy cat
That I'm too young is nobody's biz
I will be Mohammed's girl
I will be Mohammed's girl
That is what I really want to be
When I am Mohammed's girl
I am Mohammed's girl
I know he will take good care of me
All of his wives are hags
they've turned into old bags
I am so fresh and very nubile
On me he's had his eye
he is my kind of guy
I'll be the next one he will defile
I will be Mohammed's girl
I will be Mohammed's girl
That is what I really want to be
When I am Mohammed's girl
I am Mohammed's girl
I know he will take good care of me
They wanted him fired because he outed them as a terrorist front group? It is what they are, after all.
Well, since he doesn't understand the 1st amendment I didn't read past the first sentence.
When will Micheal Graham start on America Right radio?
Alternate stations in Virginia
1230 AM Limbaugh Hannity and others Frederickburg VA
1400 AM Similar lineup Winchester VA
I don't know how much of NVA their signals will reach.
Exactly! How many times have conservative had to say that just because someone won't hire you to say something on their media channel, you're first amendment rights haven't been abridged. Hom many times have people claimed their right to free speech was violated by having their postings deleted on FR?
Conservatives can't be hypocrites. It is bad that CAIR got this guy off the air - but no one's rights are being violated and that argument is disingenuous.
You're right. ABC had a choice whether to fire him for telling the truth, or not. ABC chose to continue to be part of the spineless Liberal MSM establishment.
I'm glad someone mentioned that small point.
In the liberal MSM free speech isn't for conservatives.
This isn't really a 1st Amendment issue as the government did not fire Mr. Graham. He made essentially the same point in the piece that got him fired ... so I'm surprised at his double standard.
I think he outed ISLAM not only CAIR as a terrorist front group.
We need to start contacting our congresscritters and demand a full investigation of CAIR and it's terrorist connections. If enough hell is raised, maybe we can get some action.
No it hasn't. Has the government prosecuted him for his speech? I think not. I applaud him having the guts to say what he did, but free speech comes with the responsibility to take the consequences of it.
"Well, since he doesn't understand the 1st amendment I didn't read past the first sentence."
Ditto.
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