Posted on 09/19/2001 9:35:35 AM PDT by jern
Sept. 19, 2001, 9:00AM
Federal Express ordered its ads removed from the ABC late-night series Politically Incorrect on Tuesday after the show's host referred to recent U.S. military actions as "cowardly."
After receiving complaints from around the country, including Houston, Federal Express reviewed Monday's edition of the show and decided to act, company spokesperson Carla Richards said.
Richards said she did not know how many complaints the company received, but that they were of sufficient quantity to merit the actions the company took.
"The (30-second) ad that runs during that show has been pulled for the indefinite future," Richards said.
Dinesh D'Souza, a panelist on Monday's show, quibbled with a reference made by President George W. Bush that the suicide bombers were cowards, noting that they gave up their lives for whatever may be their cause.
"These are warriors," D'Souza said, "and we have to realize that the principles of our way of life are in conflict with people in the world."
"We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away," said Bill Maher, the host of Politically Incorrect. "That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly."
"I was just appalled," said Dan Patrick, general manager of KSEV (700 AM) and host of a radio talk show. "When you call our men in the (armed forces) cowards and our military policy cowardly, and when you call these hijackers `warriors,' that should not be tolerated."
Patrick urged listeners to call KTRK and urge the station to stop carrying the "irresponsible" program. Other hosts of KSEV talk shows made the same request.
"The First Amendment gives us the freedom of speech, but it does not guarantee anyone a TV show or a TV camera or a radio show, for that matter," Patrick said. "If Bill Maher believes that Americans are cowards and hijackers are warriors, let him go out on the street corner and shout that. But Disney does not have to give him a TV show and Channel 13 does not have to air that show."
KTRK said it received a number of calls -- "in the low hundreds," the station said. The station said it receives triple that amount when it pre-empts a soap opera. It had no further comment.
ABC issued a statement saying, in part, that Politically Incorrect "celebrates freedom of speech and encourages the animated exchange of ideas and opinions. Understandably, this forum can oftentimes arouse intense emotions, especially during such a sensitive time.
"While we remain sensitive to the current climate following last week's tragedy, and continue to do our part to help viewers cope with unfolding events, we have an obligation to offer a forum for the expression of our nation's diverse opinions."
Thanks for the advise, Nuke'm.
I'm a small businessman in my community; I prefer to speak with their advertisers myself when I see 'em 'round town.
See?
I don't trust this *affiliate* or any other surrogate with such an important message as is the liklihood of my continued patronige.
The surrogate will quash my message to save their own hide evry time as sure as God made little green apples.
If *I* want satisfaction from an organization selling ME a product advertised on one of these offensive "shows?"
I see the guys at the bottom of the food chain who're getting my money.
And never waste my precious time attempting to reason with the clowns hired to pitch it by using tastless programming; such as an incredible Village Idiot *like* Mahrer & his assinine, boorish "show."
That's interesting! A "Google" search turned up this...
~~snip~~
"Very interested in military history and aviation, he learned to fly at age 15. He went on to attend Yale University. Feeling pre-ordained and also with a sense of duty, Smith joined the Marine Corps reserve and would later serve tours in Vietnam. Vietnam was an awakening for Smith. Unlike his childhood where he associated with the youth of privilege, in Vietnam, he associated with the less privileged men, watched their courage, and shared their agony and death. He credits an African American platoon sergeant for helping him to understand what enlisted men think and want. Reminiscing about Vietnam, Smith credits the lessons he learned from this sergeant with enabling him to understand the concerns of rank-and-file employees in the early years of Federal Express (OS 87."
How true!
The airstrikes and blockades you would so quickly blame us for are not because we don't want to or can't finish the job. It's because the U.N. and whiny nations in our coalition wouldn't back us finishing the job. As a result the things we do are the only things we can do. At least we're doing something.
So are we the cowards or is it the U.N. and Arab nations that continue to let this guy breathe because he's Islamic?
Some of us don't even flag our donations to our screen name . . .
These p*ss-ant liberals never criticize their own, but as soon as a Republican gets in office, they start the wolfin'.
BTW, could a human get any uglier than Maher -- inside and out?
"I was shocked to hear that Bill Maher called our military personnel "cowards". If he and guest Dinesh DeSouza can't figure out that the President called the airliner suiciders "cowards" because they attacked people unable to defend themselve, then maybe Bill needs to be replaced with a smarter host.
During WWII, newsman Walter Chronchite flew several missions in B-17's so he would know firsthand what it was all about. Other newsmen and newswomen did, as well.
I suggest that you contact the Air Force and request permission for Bill Maher to fly along on a combat mission or two in whatever engagement is coming up. Then, assuming you get AF agreement, condition Bill's continuing on your network with his agreeing to go...."
I think ArcLight might want to consider going on a mission or two also before he shoots his mouth off.
"These are warriors," D'Souza said, "and we have to realize that the principles of our way of life are in conflict with people in the world."
I did not watch the show, but from what I know of D'Sousa I think that you can still admire him. In talking about the terrorists, he referred to their cause and that our principles are in conflict with others around the world. I believe that he was just stating bare facts and was not in any way approving of or cordoning what happened. The terrorists believe that that they are in a holy war against us. As despicable as their actions are, in their war against us, they are warriers in their minds as the kamikaze pilots were in theirs.
Stating facts about actions should not be confused with support of those actions.
As for Bill Maher, there is nothing good to say, except maybe that even a stopped clock can be right twice a day. Of course he should have named Bill Clinton, perpetrator of the stupid, wasteful bombing of the Serbians and the criminal launching of the "Monica missiles". Now that would have been calling a coward a coward.
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