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."
Your decision to pull your adds from the Bill Maher late nite show "Politically Incorrect" was heralded by patriots all across the country.....
FEDEX will be my first choice in shipping from this day forward...
Eagles Up!
Scott Whitney
I donated, in the past, but the behavior of the management during the last election was appalling, and I will not donate until that wrong is righted. Until the rules of the forum are properly enforced (and not just against the libertarians) my wallet stays shut.
Too many pro bush neocons run roughshod over this place with impunity. When they are gone, or at least put on the same leash as the rest of us, I'll be more than happy to start helping out again.
We should always be appreciative of what we have here. Think about what it would be like to live in places like Red China and not have this. And be killed for doing something like this.
I hope you can understand how important it is to keep FR going and funded. It is a BIG part of our Freedom to be able to post at a site like this.
As much as we freep people and groups...we need to freep those who make decisions consistent with our own philosophy...when dialing the number you will get a message...press * to get to customer support
U.S. Customer Service: 1•800•Go•FedEx or (800) 463-3339
Only 1.6% donate something? That breaks my heart. You know, Republicans always talk about how much more they would support charities if the government didn't make them do it through taxes. This figure really makes you wonder.
And in case anyone who sees the fundraising stats thinks I'm a complete hypocrite, I donated through Nov3's screen name this time around.
I am not sure, but I read someplace that the man that started FedEx is a Viet Nam vet. If so HE knows for sure what we are up against in the world and at home. Negatize, liberals with their hate mongering like Bill Maher etc.
Well I guess we should take comfort that at least he's not Noam Chomsky.
UGH. Using your logic (that it is cowardly to drop bombs from 15,000 feet)then "The Greatest Generation" should have been called "The Greatest Cowardly Generation"...or if they had responded to Hitler's bombs with BB guns and sling shots they would have been The Greatest Generation NOT!" Pray tell how would you have responded to Hitler's bombs? By feeling his pain maybe????
And gutless, psychopathological Hesperophobics, by murder, commandeering jet transport aeroplanes they cannot even vacuum-clean without supervision and filled with innocents; converting them into 360-ton fuel-bomb missiles and using them to destroy that which they cannot even begin to understand -- let alone to create -- and by such means mass-murdering more than 6,000 Americans -- celebrates moral integrity, points to the importance in their lives of Nike's "Just Do It" jingle -- and encourages, motivates and inspires the institute of architects and draftsmen and the American Construction Industry!
Damn straight! One has to stick around to face the music, as it were, in order to demonstrate any amount of courage.
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