Should This Conservative Talk Show Host Be Fired For His Insanely Racist Rant?

[ihavenobias]

Jay Severin's Insanely Racist Rant
By Cenk Uygur

...I hesitate in writing about this because Severin is a pathetic nobody who might be looking for national attention by making these kinds of incredibly ignorant comments. But, on the other hand, there have to be consequences for this kind of deeply hateful speech. And if people don't argue forcefully enough against it, there won't be enough pressure on the station to get rid of this hateful racist.

So, what did he say that's got me so worked up? Check it out, and you be the judge:

The Most Racist Comments About Mexicans Ever Allowed On-Air

As you heard in the video above, Severin has been suspended by WTKK-FM in Boston. But that is not nearly enough. If you don't get fired for this, what do you get fired for?

Here are just some of his prize quotes from the show:

"So now, in addition to venereal disease and the other leading exports of Mexico - women with mustaches and VD - now we have swine flu."

He described Mexicans as "the world's lowest of primitives."

"When we are the magnet for primitives around the world - and it's not the primitives' fault by the way, I'm not blaming them for being primitives - I'm merely observing they're primitive."

"It's millions of leeches from a primitive country come here to leech off you and, with it, they are ruining the schools, the hospitals, and a lot of life in America."

"We should be, if anything, surprised that Mexico has not visited upon us poxes of more various and serious types already, considering the number of criminaliens already here."

He also said that emergency rooms had "become essentially condos for Mexicans."

And on a 2004 broadcast, he compared Muslims to a fifth column in this country and said in response to a caller who thought people should reach out to Muslims: "You think we should befriend them; I think we should kill them."

But unfortunately calling for the murder of Muslim-Americans has become so commonplace and acceptable these days that he didn't even come close to getting fired for those comments. So, I guess he figured he had free reign to attack the other half of M&Ms.

Or maybe he's just desperate because his ratings have dropped to 14th in the market in the demos. By the way, if you weren't outraged enough already. You want to know how much he makes for spewing this kind of hate and being the fourteenth best radio show in his timeslot? One million dollars, plus bonuses!

I believe a person has to do a lot to cross the line into a firing offense. Talk show hosts have an interesting but tough job. You usually have to talk for three hours a day, often unscripted. You have to entertain your audience and push the boundaries to spark interesting conversations. That is part of the reason why I give talk hosts huge leeway and why I defended Imus. But there has to be a line somewhere. And this is clearly it. Jay Severin should be fired immediately.

[grantcart]

1. Firing is far to kind

I would hope for a twilight zone remedy where he wakes up tomorrow in Mexico with 5 children and a future picking vegetables.

[ihavenobias]

5. UPDATE: Here's how you can contact the station in Boston who hired Severin

From the above piece:

UPDATE: Here's how you can contact the station in Boston who hired Severin (even though he lied about winning a Pulitzer Prize and having a Master's Degree in Journalism from Boston University; and he had already said the comments on killing Muslims in 2004). Write them an e-mail or call them here. Remember, they have suspended him for now, which means they are trying to decide whether they should fire him or keep him. What do you think they should do? Let them know.

[20score]

2. Yes, he should be fired. K&R

[nxylas]

3. Firing these asshats just makes martyrs out of them

I wish our side would stop giving these people the oxygen of publicity. Without controversy, they'd just be known to a handful of nutjobs.

[ihavenobias]

6. I disagree

There are two schools of thought on dealing with right wing nuts:

1. Ignore them and they'll go away. Pay attention and you just create more publicity.

2. Shine a BRIGHT light on them and expose their smears, lies and insanity to the world.

I think #2 is the way to go. Didn't we try #1 for a very long time, only to allow Limbaugh, Michael Savage and Fox News to explode in viewership? Letting their nonsense go unchallenged does NOT make them go away. You'd be surprised how many (seemingly) otherwise reasonable people listen to these clowns and take them seriously. They go on to spread the lies and hate to their friends, family and coworkers.

IMO, ignoring them in the hopes that they magically disappear is akin to suggesting that someone with a roach problem simply not turn on the lights at night.

[radiclib]

11. Fire his ass

and the reason why will never go away. Let him off and it's forgotten.

[Aristus]

4. No, you asshole! They not "ruining schools and hospitals"! They CLEANING schools and hospitals!

They're working! Which is more than I can say for you...

Get out from behind that mike, you cowardly shit, and go get a real fucking job!

[ihavenobias]

21. How do you remain so calm about this?

[FiveGoodMen]

7. Absolutely.

Letting people get away with on-air comments like this convinces millions of listeners that it's okay to spread that sort of crap.

Free speech may mean that the government can't take him away in the middle of the night for saying these things, but it certainly doesn't mean that he's entitled to a radio-station-sized megaphone to shout hateful nonsense into people's ears.

[MedfordTim]

8. Bill Dana couldn't get a job these days...

Whether that is a GOOD thing or a BAD thing, you'll have to decide for yourself...

Bill at work as Jose Jimenez


(Bill Dana bio...)

[ihavenobias]

32. Showing your age, eh?

[Still Sensible]

9. No. Don't want to make him a martyr for the RW nutbags.

They'd just yell about right wing thought being muzzled. Better to ostracize him and make all but the most rabid kool-aid drinkers ignore him. Once his ratings go in the tank, the problem will solve itself. Of course, if his market is such that there are enough RW bigots to keep his rating acceptable, well too bad. We'll have to deal with it.

[ihavenobias]

10. That's a nice compromise.

I'm not saying his station has to fire him outright, but I don't see anything wrong with pressure on his sponsors that ultimately results in him getting dropped.

At the very least I completely believe in shining a bright light on these nuts.

[pleah]

12. K&R Yes. n/t

[phantom power]

13. Damn, but that is some old school 19th-century style racism.

Hey, it's not their fault for being primitives. They just need the firm but gentle civilizing influence of Crown -- excuse me, the Republic. Like children. That's what they are.

[OhioChick]

14. K&R

[stillcool]

15. I live north of Boston and..

I've never heard of this station, or this person. I can see why. Sent an email..thanks for the link!

[ihavenobias]

23. Glad to hear it. n/t

[noiretextatique]

16. he was advocating murder

advocating for the murder of Muslims should have gotten him fired in 2004.
the racist comments are destestable, but i don't i agree with others who say we should use him as a symbol of the insane rw. he will be a martyr if they fire him.

[ihavenobias]

25. Yeah, but like Cenk said, no one seems to care about Muslims here.

People can say whatever they like about them and no one bats an eyelash.

[GinaMaria]

17. truly vile comments

Firing is the only response to this crap.

[Wetzelbill]

18. well he should be, but that's really not even that bad

as far as the right-wing goes. As long as there is an audience who listens to that somebody will give him a shot and keep him on a payroll.

[ihavenobias]

29. Michael Savage comes to mind. n/t

[Seldona]

19. Unless the station considers this proper discourse,

in which case there is an even bigger problem, than yes he should be. The public airwaves shouldn't be used to deliver hatred like that.

[TuxedoKat]

20. Definitely

he should be fired. Just sent them an email advising of same.

[Skittles]

22. I know a lot of Mexican folk here in Texas

and they are all far better people than this asshole

[Kajsa]

24. He absolutely should be fired!

There is no reason to keep him on the air.

K&R

[CherylK]

26. Bump!

[OhioChick]

27. Evening Kick

[Sandrine for you]

28. Wow ! In Québec this guy will have so much pursuit again t's himself that he will lost everything.

[classysassy]

30. The american image

continue to be lowered by those hateful,greedy,evil bastards.

[navarth]

31. kick