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."
I was thinking the same thing..the liberal icon was on his knees alot..but Mayer will attribute it to the military not to Bill that had other things on his small mind during his presidency
Secular humanist Jews are in this country overwhelmingly liberal Democrats. Maher makes little pretense of being anything other than that. Given that our support of his tribe in Israel is a significant part of this whole equation and yet he continues to deride us and have no appreciation for that support we give Israel makes him not only stupid but one ungrateful bastard. BTW, as much as I have politically opposed the aforementioned "stereotypical" American Secular Humanist Jew, I staunchly support Israel for purely subjective reasons and believe that we should green light them to deal with their enemies now. "Big Satan and Little Satan" working against the same enemy....Islamic Fundamentalism. Given these facts, contrarian weak kneed ungrateful uber-liberal Jews like Maher I particularly despise at this moment. If they can't wake up to the plight of the US and Israel in all of this and want to continue to "relativize" everything then to hell with them. I have watched BEBE on the tube a number of times the past few days. Would that more of the liberal Jewish American community could take a page from his book.
I elaborated on Maher because he is Jewish. If you would like for me to elaborate on other idiots like Farakhan or the Leader of the New Black Panther Party or any weak Goyim then I'll be glad to hammer them and draw conclusions for you there too...if it'll make you feel any better. Regards
You just called my father a coward.
You're damn lucky you didn't say this to my face, you snot.
Yep, Fred Smith is a decorated Marine pilot who served in Viet Nam. He also took the last of his personal wealth to Vegas one time in the mid-70's just so he could make the payroll when the company was just getting off the ground (read: He was willing to personally go belly up before the people he hired would). I guess it worked. I've been working for his outstanding company for over 13 years now, and I couldn't be more proud to say that than I am right now.
For good reason, as the rest of us, you posted this anonymously.
Now, prove how "uncowardly" YOU are. Walk into a room full of veterans and say that. Betcha don't have the guts.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
I thank them every day by giving 110% effort on the job. And I thank you each and every time you ship a package with us.
Now, with all that being said. Did I think we should have been there? Absolutely not!
How patriotic of you. I would like to see him say it in a speech on Veteran's Day in front of the Vietnam Wall.
That should end his career quite nicely.
But seriously, I don't think you read my second comment, in which I clarified the point. I'm not saying that air warriors are cowards--that'd be absurd, as what they do requires remarkable skill and courage. I'm saying that the American habit of trying to defeat or at least contain thugs like Saddam Hussein by occasionally lobbing a bomb his way, while studiously avoiding a direct assault on the ground, could reasonably be interpreted as a policy of cowardice.
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