Wingnut Attack: "Kill the Illegal Immigrants"

[dampier]

My my, and just two weeks after Hugh Hewitt (another right wing host) went on the TV to tell us that right wing talk shows were always practicing "responsible radio." This one actually tops Michael Savage, who was advocating burning Mexican flags last week.

PHOENIX (AP) - An Arizona talk show host who suggested killing border crossers may have intensified racial tensions in the state, two officials wrote in a letter sent Friday to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin.

Brian James, a fill-in talk show host with Phoenix AM radio station KFYI, suggested on the air last month that a solution to the immigration problem in Arizona would be to kill illegal immigrants as they cross the border.

‘‘What we'll do is randomly pick one night every week where we will kill whoever crosses the border,'' James said in the March 8 broadcast. ‘‘Step over there and you die. You get to decide whether it's your lucky night or not. I think that would be more fun.''

He said he would be ‘‘happy to sit there with my high-powered rifle and my night scope'' and kill people as the cross the border. He also suggested that the National Guard shoot illegal immigrants and receive ‘‘$100 a head.''

http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2006/04/09/news/state/state2.txt

 

[robmidmi]

In the article the response from Laurie Cantillo, program manager at KFYI, included:

‘‘The comments were made in a satyrical manner and the listeners who heard the full broadcast understand that,'' she said. ‘‘We were having a serious discussion about the immigration issue and it was solution-driven.''


Suggesting on the air that people be killed is real funny, huh?


> My my, and just two weeks after Hugh Hewitt (another right
> wing host) went on the TV to tell us that right wing talk
> shows were always practicing "responsible radio." This one
> actually tops Michael Savage, who was advocating burning
> Mexican flags last week.
>
> PHOENIX (AP) - An Arizona talk show host who suggested
> killing border crossers may have intensified racial tensions
> in the state, two officials wrote in a letter sent Friday to
> Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin.
>
> Brian James, a fill-in talk show host with Phoenix AM radio
> station KFYI, suggested on the air last month that a
> solution to the immigration problem in Arizona would be to
> kill illegal immigrants as they cross the border.
>
> ‘‘What we'll do is randomly pick one night every week where
> we will kill whoever crosses the border,'' James said in the
> March 8 broadcast. ‘‘Step over there and you die. You get to
> decide whether it's your lucky night or not. I think that
> would be more fun.''
>
> He said he would be ‘‘happy to sit there with my
> high-powered rifle and my night scope'' and kill people as
> the cross the border. He also suggested that the National
> Guard shoot illegal immigrants and receive ‘‘$100 a head.''
>
>http://www.mohavedailynews.com/articles/2006/04/09/news/state/state2.txt

 

[ajhenderson]

> Suggesting on the air that people be killed is real funny,
> huh?

Suggesting on this board that we talk about radio and not political opinions is pretty funny, too. Randi Rhodes had a bit saying we should impail Bush, and, just like this incident, it was meant satirically and is a non-issue. And that the FCC doesn't care about either.

 

[kaufcom]

> > Suggesting on the air that people be killed is real funny,
>
> > huh?
>
> Suggesting on this board that we talk about radio and not
> political opinions is pretty funny, too. Randi Rhodes had a
> bit saying we should impail Bush, and, just like this
> incident, it was meant satirically and is a non-issue. And
> that the FCC doesn't care about either.

Maybe the FCC doesn't care too much, but the Arizona Attorney General does.
http://hostsbehavingbadly.blogspot.com/
<P ID="signature">______________
http://talkingradio.blogspot.com/</P>

 

[legend_city]

Here is the deal, this guy said something stupid, apologized for it right afterwards, and then nothing.........nothing for OVER A MONTH, then all of a sudden someone had an issue to glom on to.

As for Terry Goddard, the AG of Arizona, he issued the press release 5 minutes after 5 pm on a Friday, didn't specify any laws that were broken, or any other citations.

Its just a sad attempt to "get" someone, anyone!

(btw, Randi Rhodes can rail about killing the president, evidently that is OK? Bizzaro world)(

 

[Scribbler]

> (btw, Randi Rhodes can rail about killing the president,
> evidently that is OK? Bizzaro world)(

That's another right-wing urban legend. Randi Rhodes never "railed" or said anything of the sort. There was a recorded skit on Air America that was played in New York before one of her shows that she was doing from Florida (and which she hadn't heard before it aired), which had a sound effect of a gunshot that could have been interpreted as a gunshot fired at Bush -- but that's a long way from Rhodes "railing" about killing the president. She said it was a bad attempt at humor by her production staff that she had nothing to do with, but apologized anyway.

 

[ajhenderson]

> > (btw, Randi Rhodes can rail about killing the president,
> > evidently that is OK? Bizzaro world)(
>
> That's another right-wing urban legend. Randi Rhodes never
> "railed" or said anything of the sort. There was a recorded
> skit on Air America that was played in New York before one
> of her shows that she was doing from Florida (and which she
> hadn't heard before it aired), which had a sound effect of a
> gunshot that could have been interpreted as a gunshot fired
> at Bush -- but that's a long way from Rhodes "railing" about
> killing the president. She said it was a bad attempt at
> humor by her production staff that she had nothing to do
> with, but apologized anyway.

What Randi Rhodes does on her show is nobody's concern and the RWers should give it up about her. Of course, your argument that "she hadn't heard it" is absurd; it's her show and she is ultimately responsible. Nevertheless, we all need to lay off hosts that do these routines... if you don't like it, don't listen. Bottom line, however, is that each side is listening to the opposition because they love to be angry, and then when the host says something that makes them angry, they flip out! Randi Rhodes can say anything she wants, but when Glenn Beck calls Katrina looters "bums", Media Matters flips out. How about we realize that at the end of the day, it's just entertainment and just shut up about it, regardless of the side?

BTW, I was at the ASU game where Terry Goddard (AZ AG) got booed by the entire stadium, a small reflection of his joke status here.

 

[Scribbler]

> What Randi Rhodes does on her show is nobody's concern and
> the RWers should give it up about her. Of course, your
> argument that "she hadn't heard it" is absurd; it's her show
> and she is ultimately responsible.

Why is it "absurd?" She may be responsible for anything that's on her show, but she was in Florida and the bit was recorded and played on the air in New York at the very top of her show, before she said a word from Florida. The bit used the voice of an "old man." And Rhodes later said, "It was a bit. It was bad. I apologize a thousand times." But somehow the right has transformed this into her "railing" that Bush should be shot.

Here's what the bit actually said.

(Voice of an old man)"We saw America through the Great Depression and hot and cold wars. Our muscles boosted this nations' economic superiority to dizzying heights. And then our time came to enjoy just a little of the comfort and security we brought to the U.S. of A. So we joined with others of our era to protect what's rightfully ours. But now we've learned the AARP isn't enough. Our pensions have been stolen, our health benefits cut, and those of us with homes too often have to choose between heat and food. A spoiled child is telling us our Social Security isn't safe anymore, so he is going to fix it for us. Well, here's your answer, you ungrateful whelp: [Sound effect of 3 gunshots.] The AAARP: the American Association of Armed Retired People. Just try it, you little bastard. [Sound effect of gun being cocked.]"



<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Scribbler on 04/11/06 03:45 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[ajhenderson]

> Why is it "absurd?" She may be responsible for anything
> that's on her show, but she was in Florida and the bit was
> recorded and played on the air in New York at the very top
> of her show, before she said a word from Florida. The bit
> used the voice of an "old man," who never said anything
> about shooting Bush. And Rhodes later said, "It was a bit.
> It was bad. I apologize a thousand times." But somehow the
> right has transformed this into her "railing" that Bush
> should be shot.

And anyone who uses "railing" is misguided. But if you don't want to risk getting shot, you shouldn't let hunters in your backyard. If you don't want bits that are offensive, you shouldn't hire 20-somethings from the impeach Bush movement as unsupervised producers.

 

[morescrapple]

>
> Why is it "absurd?" She may be responsible for anything
> that's on her show, but she was in Florida and the bit was
> recorded and played on the air in New York at the very top
> of her show, before she said a word from Florida.

that bird won't fly, doesn't matter if the bit was played in mongolia---it's her show

 

[doc9464]

notice how anyone on the right always tries to redirect to an old or past issue....the issue is the guy who wants to kill illegal aliens.....not Randi Rhodes.....

Personally Randi had a field day today tearing up Crazy lets nuke Iran Dubya today....

Thanks for debunking the old "Randi wants to kill Dubya" story...we have known its not true for the longest time...scrib



> Here's what the bit actually said.
>
> (Voice of an old man)"We saw America through the Great
> Depression and hot and cold wars. Our muscles boosted this
> nations' economic superiority to dizzying heights. And then
> our time came to enjoy just a little of the comfort and
> security we brought to the U.S. of A. So we joined with
> others of our era to protect what's rightfully ours. But now
> we've learned the AARP isn't enough. Our pensions have been
> stolen, our health benefits cut, and those of us with homes
> too often have to choose between heat and food. A spoiled
> child is telling us our Social Security isn't safe anymore,
> so he is going to fix it for us. Well, here's your answer,
> you ungrateful whelp: [Sound effect of 3 gunshots.] The
> AAARP: the American Association of Armed Retired People.
> Just try it, you little bastard. [Sound effect of gun being
> cocked.]"
>

 

[ajhenderson]

> notice how anyone on the right always tries to redirect to
> an old or past issue....the issue is the guy who wants to
> kill illegal aliens.....not Randi Rhodes.....

No, it's called hypocrisy. We're bringing an old issue up to show that the left-wing pimps are biased. I personally think anyone should be able to say anything, and I'm not a big fan of either targets.

> Personally Randi had a field day today tearing up Crazy lets
> nuke Iran Dubya today....

And this relates to the radio business, how?...

> Thanks for debunking the old "Randi wants to kill Dubya"
> story...we have known its not true for the longest
> time...scrib

"We" being whom? One-sided advancers of the liberal agenda? I didn't hear that part of Randi's show and never cared to investigate very much, because I could care less what inflammatory things people say to build TSL, attract attention, etc. But unlike the posters who use this board as an extension of their "Bush lied people died" blog, some of us not including in the "we" are actually consistent.

 

[ibezdechi]

It happens in parts of the world!

> My my, and just two weeks after Hugh Hewitt (another right
> wing host) went on the TV to tell us that right wing talk
> shows were always practicing "responsible radio." This one
> actually tops Michael Savage, who was advocating burning
> Mexican flags last week.
>
> PHOENIX (AP) - An Arizona talk show host who suggested
> killing border crossers may have intensified racial tensions
> in the state, two officials wrote in a letter sent Friday to
> Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin.
>
> Brian James, a fill-in talk show host with Phoenix AM radio
> station KFYI, suggested on the air last month that a
> solution to the immigration problem in Arizona would be to
> kill illegal immigrants as they cross the border.
>
> ‘‘What we'll do is randomly pick one night every week where
> we will kill whoever crosses the border,'' James said in the
> March 8 broadcast. ‘‘Step over there and you die. You get to
> decide whether it's your lucky night or not. I think that
> would be more fun.''
>
> He said he would be ‘‘happy to sit there with my
> high-powered rifle and my night scope'' and kill people as
> the cross the border. He also suggested that the National
> Guard shoot illegal immigrants and receive ‘‘$100 a head.''
>
http://www.m> ohavedailynews.com/articles/2006/04/09/news/state/state2.txt
>

 

[Arbitorn]

It's a sad day when local government gets to kibbutz about how we do our jobs. Just what we all need - more big brother over your shoulder making sure we play nice. We already have a playground mom with the FCC. We don't need misguided patrol boys in the form of local politicians adding their agenda to the supervision.

 

[nwebster]

Double Standard Time Again

I have read the entire thread (posted so far).
Once again, the rule seems to be "when one of us does it, it's OK; when one of them does it, it's bad."
This rule applies to dumb comments.
Stupid or tasteless comedy bits.
Brushes with the law.
Any embarassing incidents from the past.

People in radio cross the line (for various reasons) and say dumb things, inappropriate things, questionable things, tasteless things. Jocks, talk show hosts, sports dudes, and even news readers. In all other formats, some listeners freak and write letters or call advertisers, managers panic, people get fired, stations get fined, politicians investigate and/or hosts move to satellite radio and make carloads of money.

And in political talk radio (in addition to any of the above), those who generally disagree with a host denounce the comment as violating all civilized standards of decency. Those who generally agree say "can't you take a joke?" and quickly change the subject to past dumb comments from somebody to whom they are opposed.

Watch: Next time a PT host says something dumb, the same posters will be back only the positions will be reversed.

Maybe this part-time guy in Phoenix will get fired and then start his own talk radio blog.

 

[Scribbler]

Re: Wingnut Attack:

> >
> > Why is it "absurd?" She may be responsible for anything
> > that's on her show, but she was in Florida and the bit was
>
> > recorded and played on the air in New York at the very top
>
> > of her show, before she said a word from Florida.
>
> that bird won't fly, doesn't matter if the bit was played in
> mongolia---it's her show
>
In other words, she may or may not have poor management skills. But it's a flat-out lie to claim that she personally called for Bush to be shot.

 

[tbetz]

Re: Double Standard Time Again

> I have read the entire thread (posted so far).

You obviously haven't heard what Brian James said.

Give that a listen (click on "KFYI AUDIO"), then see how you feel about your "double standard" argument.

There was nothing satirical or humorous about it.

It was not a bit.

It was pure wishful thinking.<P ID="signature">______________
also known as tombetz.</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Tom Betz on 04/11/06 03:26 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[dampier]

> Suggesting on this board that we talk about radio and not
> political opinions is pretty funny, too. Randi Rhodes had a
> bit saying we should impail Bush, and, just like this
> incident, it was meant satirically and is a non-issue. And
> that the FCC doesn't care about either.

That is what Matt Drudge said she said, but I heard it, live, over the air, and guess what - Matt Drudge lied about it (imagine that) and then compounded the lie by inventing, out of thin air, that the NY office of the Secret Service was investigating her.

There are two bits that the wingnuts have tried to pin on Randi - the old people getting up in arms and packing arms in response to Bush plans to scuttle Social Security (that was the bit Drudge claimed was her threatening the president, even though the bit wasn't produced or spoken by her). It never said anything suggesting we should go take out the president. The other bit is her Fredo reference, as she commonly compares the Bush family to the Godfather, and considers Dubya the Fredo of the family. The wingnuts assume that means that she wants Bush dead like Fredo was in the movie, but in fact it's a reference to his cluelessness.

I realize the right wing humor is not so much, but advocating that people take their guns to the border and pick off illegal immigrants and calling it satire is a stretch even Richard Simmons wouldn't attempt.

 

[dampier]

> It's a sad day when local government gets to kibbutz about
> how we do our jobs. Just what we all need - more big brother
> over your shoulder making sure we play nice. We already have
> a playground mom with the FCC. We don't need misguided
> patrol boys in the form of local politicians adding their
> agenda to the supervision.

Yeah, you don't want to restrict people from going on the air and suggesting we murder people.

I can just see some of you guys suggesting that interfering with Radio-Télévision Libre des Mille Collines in Rwanda which advocated people murder other people perceived as the enemy, was an intolerable interference in freedom of speech rights.

Part of the RTLM Director Ferdinand Nahimana's defense was that the broadcasts were commentary designed to provoke thought and opinion and were never seriously to be acted on. Of course, many people did react and RTLM went down in history as a contributing factor to the Rwandan genocide. The director is now spending his remaining life in a jail cell.

I think the line is crossed when you specifically suggest that people pick up their guns and take action. Even Savage and his flag burning campaign doesn't go that far.

BTW, I must have missed the apology from this clown, because I haven't seen one.

 

[dampier]

> Here is the deal, this guy said something stupid, apologized
> for it right afterwards, and then nothing.........nothing
> for OVER A MONTH, then all of a sudden someone had an issue
> to glom on to.

Do you have a link to the apology because it's my understanding he said that he had nothing to apologize for. If you have a link, I'd appreciate it.

I also enjoy the context the entire discussion was placed in as a "solution driven" discussion. Yeah, a FINAL SOLUTION for the illegal immigrants shot if any nutbar takes seriously what he hears on the radio.

>(btw, Randi Rhodes can rail about killing the president, evidently that is OK? >Bizzaro world)

Yeah, it's "Bizzaro World" if you assume that is what she did. Of course, it the reality-based world, that didn't happen.