ABC Screwed Up...

I am an equal opportunity free speech person. I always defend people's right to say things that I don't agree with. I think the fact that they suspended this guy is awful

Go here to read what happened. Click here to read the column. And go to Michelle Malkin to say thank you for bringing it to our attention.

Chris

Comments

[HC Steve]

Chris

I disagree with you. I believe that free speech is a two way street. Michael Graham is free to say anything he wants about any subject. But ABC is so free to express their opinions. If they want to express their opinion by suspending him without pay or even fire him that is their Constitutional Free Speech Right.

[Chris]

Well sure, but he is a talk radio guy paid to express his opinions and up until a fe days ago they were standing by him--then they got slapped around by CAIR and caved it--they are the media--free expression of opions is what they are supposed to be about--so--unless his contract says that he can't do it--I don't think they should have fired him--nice to see you disagreeing with me though--i feel all at home now

[JFH]

God help me, but I agree with HC Steve.

[Chris]

See? Can't you just feel the love---
Chris

[HC Steve]

JFH

It sounds like you are in pain. I hope you feel better soon.

[USMC Steve]

What happened here was that this guy said something that he has BEEN saying for some time, but now the CAIR terrorists have decided they don't like someone pointing out the fact that they support the enemy so they complain about someone stating the obvious. That is censorship, pure and simple. In another situation, were it some liberal type mouthing off about abortion on demand, who then got shut down for what they said, there would be waves and waves of crap flying about over it. From what I see in the column you linked, he wasn't hateful or malignant about it, but stated what he saw as being the facts. Sorry, but shutting him down for that is simply censorship. There is no other word for it, AND SCREW CAIR - THEY ARE THE ENEMY.

[HC Steve]

This is from CAIR's Web Site:

CAIR backs Fatwa against Terror
English, Arabic, Urdu radio anti-terror PSAs released

(Washington, D.C., 7/28/05) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today offered its support for a fatwa, or Islamic religious ruling, against terrorism and extremism issued by the Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) and endorsed by more than 120 U.S. Muslim groups, leaders and institutions. (The term "fiqh" refers to Islamic jurisprudence.) The fatwa, released during a news conference this morning at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., states in part:

"Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism. Targeting civilians' life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram – or forbidden - and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not martyrs ... In the light of the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah we clearly and strongly state: 1. All acts of terrorism targeting civilians are haram (forbidden) in Islam. 2. It is haram for a Muslim to cooperate with any individual or group that is involved in any act of terrorism or violence. 3. It is the civic and religious duty of Muslims to cooperate with law enforcement authorities to protect the lives of all civilians. We issue this fatwa following the guidance of our scripture, the Qur’an, and the teachings of our Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him."
----------------------------------

Do they really sound like the ememy. You know there word for people who hate other types of people. What is it now?

[Phoenix]

ABC did screw up. They should not have suspended Michael Graham without pay. They should have fired him. ABC/WMAL has every right to expect their commentators to have the ability to think, and to think with reason. Mr. Graham has embarrassed himself completely with his puerile writing, his ignorant thought processes and his willingness to share both with the public.

Islam is not an organization. It is the world’s second largest religion. He compares the ‘organization’ of Islam to the Boy Scouts stating >> If the Boy Scouts of America had 1,000 scout troops, and 10 of them practiced suicide bombings, then the BSA would be considered a terrorist organization.> As I've said many times, I have great sympathy for those Muslims of good will who want their faith to be a true "religion of peace." I believe that terrorism and murder do violate the sensibilities and inherent decency of the vast majority of the world's Muslims. I believe they want peace.> Sadly, the organization and fundamental theology of Islam as it is constituted today allows for hatreds most Muslims do not share to thrive, and for criminals they oppose to operate in the name of their faith.<< Oh. Then why is your premise the opposite of this poorly written declaration? Perhaps it is because you have no substantive facts correct, and you have let your mind wander over a gratuitously generalized landscape that escapes even your own tiny mind.

Mr. Graham should do himself a favor and go hide for a few years. And don’t ride any buses. There just might be a few ‘good’ Muslims looking out for him. This man is the pluperfect example of a fool.

[Steel Turman]

"Some hundreds of millions of Mussulmans expect another prophet more powerful than Mahomet, who is to spread Islamism over the whole earth."
--Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 1821.

... Google 'Jefferson and the Barbary Pirates'.

Graham is a jingoist but the core of his stance is as old as The Crusades. Even Jefferson had to deal with pretty much what we are dealing with RIGHT NOW!

[HC Steve]

You go Phoenix.

[J Rob]

I came here to read your comment in total after your claim that LaShawn Barber was altering them by cutting out parts of them. The fact is, you cut out the comments. I don't know why you were using arrow points instead of quotation marks, but you apparently did not notice that LaShawn's comment section allows html tags. Once you use the left arrow point it is read as html code. If it does not recognize a valid html code after the left arrow point, everything behind it goes bye-bye UNTIL it is offset by a right arrow point.
That being said, I have to wonder if you truly believe that anybody espousing a strong opinion on the subject that runs contrary to your own should also have some kind of interdict placed against them, such as forced hiding, or non-use of public transportation. I'm sorry, but we are at war and it is not against Swedish Karmalite nuns. It is against a people who believe that you or I should be killed simply because we are not Muslim, CAIR's bogus fatwah for PR purposes only not withstanding.
Yes, I agree that most Muslims do not agree with the use of terror, but why do they withhold their public condemnation of it? Even when fatwahs are issued there are loopholes in them big enough to drive a truck through.
I am tired of the latter day Neville Chamberlains running around lecturing us that, "If we play nice and give them what they want they will be nice to us" Jimmy Carter tried that, as a result of his "playing nice" 52 Americans spent 444 days in Iran as hostages. The first bombing of the WTC was carried out by who? I'll give you a hint, it wasn't members of AARP.

[Phoenix]

J Rob,

Thank you for taking the time to follow up on my comments at LaShawn’s and to explain why my comments kept messing up. Let me make one thing perfectly clear: In NO way did I allude, even remotely, that LaShawn was altering my comments. She would not do that. I am clueless about the html code business. I appreciate you explaining the left arrow point. I will use quotation marks from now on.

No, I do not believe anyone with an opposing opinion should have some kind of interdict placed against them. My final remarks were in direct reference to Graham’s officious statement that he could find “NOBODY” who could say Islam was a religion of peace. My point - he hasn’t asked EVERYBODY. Naked hyperbole on his part with nothing but the obvious to support that he was speaking with childish hyperbole. He admitted speaking with Britain’s Islamic leaders and from getting his information from a ‘left-wing’ source. That hardly substantiates his claim that NOBODY can say Islam is a religion of peace. He then went on to brag about how he didn’t care about Islam, had never cared about learning about it, and then, to his own embarrassment, the statement about knowing about the ‘new Islam of the past four years’. That is rather shallow for talk for someone who has made such a grand, all-encompassing declaration that ‘Islam is a terrorist organization’. Has he know clue of the validity of ‘Know thy enemy’? From that point, he offers no solutions but rather gripes that all HE wants is to be safe riding the bus. That is where my comment about riding the bus came in to end my diatribe about Graham’s charade of thoughtful journalistic opinion.

I do not know why Muslims withhold their public condemnation of terrorism. I think fear of reprisal may have something to do with it. I also think our media has not gone searching to find those who would condemn it. But when the terrorists are killing their own people, speaking out might be a fool’s game to them. After all, much of what Muslims, themselves, see is blood and guts and no mercy. As Marshall McLuhan states: “The message is the medium”. It may be as simple as fear that Muslims are loathe to speak out; especially when the medium assures them daily that they, themselves are targets for death.

I am no apologist, I can assure you. I am a take-no-prisoners type, and I am waiting for the time when a global fury takes place to end this. Slowly but surely that is happening. It is too bad that hatred of Bush has caused so many countries to ignore his warnings about global terrorism. Now as more countries are experiencing it, things may change, and I am hoping the backlash will be ferocious. If the media reports it correctly, it may open the doors for Muslims to take a stand instead of to cower and to wonder if they have any support from the outside. Maybe Iran will implode. As long as the BBC and Al Jazeera torque the minds of the majority of Muslims, I believe they will remain afraid to speak out. The blame Bush bullshit has to end.

To end, let me say that perhaps you could reread the opening paragraph to my original comment. I disparage Graham’s essay because it is ignorant, and I go on paragraph after paragraph proving it. I state that ABC/WMAL has a right to expect intelligent reportage, and for that reason, they have the right to fire someone who does not live up to their standards. I offer no personal opinion in the piece other than to say Mr. Graham should not ride buses and should go hide for a while. His ignorance and arrogance have no doubt inflamed many. It wasn’t hard to pick up that meaning in my conclusion. I suppose I could have ended on a more literate level by saying: “Gee whiz. It is not a good thing to kill 990 Boy Scouts because 10 of the group of 1,000 were bad.” That would have certainly been in keeping with my objectivity about Graham’s stupidity, but it would have been a lie as I do not believe that wiping out 1.5 billion Muslims because of the acts of the few will solve a thing. It does not even come close to rational thinking. Condemnation of the many for the actions of a few is flawed thinking. Mr. Graham should be ashamed, though clearly he hasn’t the mental apparatus for that particular feeling.

[Shari]

Read this:

http://www.danielpipes.org/article/2811

[Phoenix]

Good link, Shari. I guess they got theirs. What a bunch of creeps. Now what about CAIR's recent declarations? Have they changed their stripes? Have they made a deal with the Fed and been forced to condemn terrorism? It would sure be interesting to know.

[HC Steve]

Read this:

http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/nwsltr/religion/stories/Religion_sneak_peek__7-7.83a85436.html

[HC Steve]

Read and Listen to this:
http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-07-15-voa47.cfm

[Not Kidding]

My email to the station:

MG was not preaching hate -- he was voicing his opinion and to which he is entirely entitled. He could have said the same thing about Catholics and you wouldn't hear a peep from me...

You must not give over America's airwaves to special interest groups -- be it CAIR, moveon.org, the NRA... If it is a TALK show, you must let people talk. The Muslims have ample opportunity to call in and register their disagreement the same as those that may voice their agreement. They also have the same option the rest of us have -- TURN THE DIAL.

Michael Graham is a talk show host -- he does not make public policy, he is not a legislator -- he is an entertainer -- like Michael Moore, Jane Fonda.... and you don't see anyone trying to censor those idiots -- and I'm fairly certain the ACLU would be all over you if you tried to stifle them!!

Get a spine. REINSTATE MICHAEL GRAHAM.