Radio hoax exposes anti-Muslim racism

[Balta1701]

So, I think this is a pretty interesting story. Radio host decides to go on an anti-Muslim rant in response to the Imam's who were pulled off that plane last week. He starts demanding that Muslims should be tattooed, forced to wear armbands, etc. Then, after about an hour of taking calls, he reverses course, admits it was a hoax, and says that every one who called and agreed with him should be ashamed of themselves.

 

Link

WASHINGTON (Reuters)- When radio host Jerry Klein suggested that all Muslims in the United States should be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, the phone lines jammed instantly.

 

The first caller to the station in Washington said that Klein must be "off his rocker." The second congratulated him and added: "Not only do you tattoo them in the middle of their forehead but you ship them out of this country ... they are here to kill us."

 

Another said that tattoos, armbands and other identifying markers such as crescent marks on driver's licenses, passports and birth certificates did not go far enough. "What good is identifying them?" he asked. "You have to set up encampments like during World War Two with the Japanese and Germans."

 

At the end of the one-hour show, rich with arguments on why visual identification of "the threat in our midst" would alleviate the public's fears, Klein revealed that he had staged a hoax. It drew out reactions that are not uncommon in post-9/11 America.

 

"I can't believe any of you are sick enough to have agreed for one second with anything I said," he told his audience on the AM station 630 WMAL (http://www.wmal.com/), which covers Washington, Northern Virginia and Maryland

 

"For me to suggest to tattoo marks on people's bodies, have them wear armbands, put a crescent moon on their driver's license on their passport or birth certificate is disgusting. It's beyond disgusting.

 

"Because basically what you just did was show me how the German people allowed what happened to the Jews to happen ... We need to separate them, we need to tattoo their arms, we need to make them wear the yellow Star of David, we need to put them in concentration camps, we basically just need to kill them all because they are dangerous."

Full audio of the show, comments from the host, and a statement/Press Release from the Council on American-Islamic Relations can be found at WMAL's web page.

Edited December 3, 2006 by Balta1701

[Texsox]

We are a country of followers. It's sad.

[YASNY]

We are a country of followers. It's sad.

 

What he said.

[Texsox]

What he said.

No what you said

[YASNY]

No what you said

 

I'll go along with that.

[Texsox]

I'll go along with that.

 

I'm in, if urine.

[YASNY]

I'm in, if urine.

 

Piss on it. I'm outta here.

[Texsox]

Piss on it. I'm outta here.

 

Well, just remember, no man is an island, but when you piss, urination.

[Rex Kickass]

It's always better to be pissed off, than pissed on.

[YASNY]

Texsox ... You'll always be 'number 1' in my book.

[Texsox]

Texsox ... You'll always be 'number 1' in my book.

 

I have to go see a man about a horse . . .

 

 

Interesting timing

 

Urban Word of the Day

www.urbandictionary.com

 

December 04, 2006: hatriotism

 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?...p;defid=2114310

 

Proving your patriotism by hating the people the government tells you to hate.

 

Well, I guess they've added a new country to the list of our enemies. I better hate them, too, if I'm going to prove my hatriotism.

[southsider2k5]

No big shock here. Racism is still plenty alive and well in this country. To be honest I think if you would have done that exact experiement with any number of races/women, you would have gotten the same basic result.

[Texsox]

No big shock here. Racism is still plenty alive and well in this country. To be honest I think if you would have done that exact experiement with any number of races/women, you would have gotten the same basic result.

 

Mega mega dittos* Southsider, you are a true American for saying that.

 

 

*come on, I'm joking, I realize this covers all areas of ideology.

[EvilMonkey]

Mega mega dittos* Southsider, you are a true American for saying that.

*come on, I'm joking, I realize this covers all areas of ideology.

The sad thing is he is probably right. Substitute Mexican, Jew, black or Republican for Muslim, and you would probably get the same response.

[Soxy]

The sad thing is he is probably right. Substitute Mexican, Jew, black or Republican for Muslim, and you would probably get the same response.

Or Democrat, right? I mean, the prejudice against Republicans and democrats is easily on par with what Muslims, Jews, Latinos and other minorities encounter everyday.

 

Please.

[EvilMonkey]

Or Democrat, right? I mean, the prejudice against Republicans and democrats is easily on par with what Muslims, Jews, Latinos and other minorities encounter everyday.

 

Please.

Soxy, call up an Air America show, if you can still get one, and have a host start a similar discussion, and you will get worse. I am referring to the sheep mentality that some people have in regards to radio shows, people who will call in a parrot whatever a host says, and then some, just 'because'. And it isn't limited to 'ditto'. But I will say, I haven't heard callers on Medved call for anyone to be assassinated or killed just for their politics, like I have on Randi Rhode's Air America show.

[Soxy]

Soxy, call up an Air America show, if you can still get one, and have a host start a similar discussion, and you will get worse. I am referring to the sheep mentality that some people have in regards to radio shows, people who will call in a parrot whatever a host says, and then some, just 'because'. And it isn't limited to 'ditto'. But I will say, I haven't heard callers on Medved call for anyone to be assassinated or killed just for their politics, like I have on Randi Rhode's Air America show.

I don't have any of those stations.

 

And I'm sorry, but I don't believe for ONE second that even on Air America people would phone in support for the branding of republicans (ALL republicans) or support their banishment. Comparing the current attitude towards republicans to the rampant anti-muslim sentiment in this country is just ignorant. There is absolutely NO WAY that is a relevant comparison. None whatsoever.

[EvilMonkey]

I don't have any of those stations.

 

And I'm sorry, but I don't believe for ONE second that even on Air America people would phone in support for the branding of republicans (ALL republicans) or support their banishment. Comparing the current attitude towards republicans to the rampant anti-muslim sentiment in this country is just ignorant. There is absolutely NO WAY that is a relevant comparison. None whatsoever.

You are right, they didn't say they wanted to brand all republicans. That is also not what i said, if you would just tone down your venom for a sec and read. I said that if an AA host started a similar rant, you would get the same type of responses. And then i said that I DID hear some AA callers express a desire to kill Rumsfeld and Bush over whatevere the slight of the day was. I have heard them wish for Chaney's heart to go so the country could be rid of him, and many other things like that. If AA callers would advocate killing our goverment leaders because they disagree with their politics, how far of a leap is it for branding or banishment? And if you don't believe it, find a way to tune in for an hour or so. They may still be streaming online somewhere, if that hasn't gone under as well. I haven't listened for over a month, so after the election, maybe they have mellowed without a cause. Randi Rhodes was the worst of the ones I heard.

[mr_genius]

I don't have any of those stations.

 

And I'm sorry, but I don't believe for ONE second that even on Air America people would phone in support for the branding of republicans

 

 

you're right soxy. Republicans are racist as Democrats are so tolerant of all views and people. that radio show obviously proves you correct. well done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

not

[sox4lifeinPA]

you're right soxy. Republicans are racist as Democrats are so tolerant of all views and people. that radio show obviously proves you correct. well done.

not

 

 

that suit is black....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

not

[Soxy]

you're right soxy. Republicans are racist as Democrats are so tolerant of all views and people. that radio show obviously proves you correct. well done.

not

My comment was not at all about that. My comment was saying that Republicans aren't discriminated against like muslims are.

 

I'm not even sure how republicans being racist came into this.

[EvilMonkey]

My comment was not at all about that. My comment was saying that Republicans aren't discriminated against like muslims are.

 

I'm not even sure how republicans being racist came into this.

I said, 'substitute Mexican, black, republican, etc instead of Muslim, and start the same type of show, you would get the same type of responses" You then took it as me saying Republicans are discriminated against like Muslims. If one were to start a radio show on a liberal station with the same type of rant that the host here did, yes, you would get similar responses. There is an element of society that will say/do anything to get on tv or radio, so you would get similar responses almost with any group put in there.

[Soxy]

I said, 'substitute Mexican, black, republican, etc instead of Muslim, and start the same type of show, you would get the same type of responses" You then took it as me saying Republicans are discriminated against like Muslims. If one were to start a radio show on a liberal station with the same type of rant that the host here did, yes, you would get similar responses. There is an element of society that will say/do anything to get on tv or radio, so you would get similar responses almost with any group put in there.

I understand the point, and I think that's valid. But I imagine the volume of calls would be a LOT less if Republicans were the subject of the rant. I also imagine there would be a lot more calls of support FOR republicans if the tirade was against them.