Posted on 08/24/2005 11:08:41 AM PDT by Tatze
How to get fired
Michael Graham
August 23, 2005
If I had called the Catholic Church a haven for pedophiles because I believed their doctrine of priestly celibacy caused pedophilia, I would still have my talk-radio job today.
If I had called the Christian faith a terror-sponsoring organization because of abortion-clinic and Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph, I would still be an employee of the ABC Radio Company. I know, because I hear these arguments made in the media nearly every day.
But instead, I made the one move certain to endanger my career: I told the truth about a minority group. And in the politically correct nation we live in today, that's the fast track to the unemployment line.
I was fired, according to the termination letter I received from ABC Radio, for "offensive" comments I made on the air regarding Islam and terrorism. Coincidentally, all of the comments deemed offensive by the Council of American-Islamic Relations were listed in my ABC disciplinary memo.
I was also fired, according to ABC management, for my refusal to apologize for said comments. They further ordered me to agree to "additional outreach efforts" to those “offended” by my opinions. Would I be flipping burgers at the local mosque? Singing "Kumbaya" with CAIR? Hugs for Hamas? Management wouldn't say.
Obviously, I refused this generous offer to throw my principles out the window. What kind of talk-radio host goes on the air and apologizes for giving his honest opinion? Who wants to hear the views of a pundit who agrees to change his opinions just to keep his job?
And given that the vast majority of my listeners supported me – my former radio station was flooded with some 15,000 supportive emails and phone calls in 48 hours – what kind of moron would then slap his supporters in the face by telling them on the air "You know what? I'm a bigot, and all y'all are, too!"
When I was suspended without pay a month ago, my smartest and closest friends told me, "Graham, relax. This is all going to blow over. They are never going to fire you over this. C'mon-this is CAIR we're talking about!"
And it's true that few public advocacy groups have as little legitimacy or credibility as the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Some of their members have been jailed for terrorism. Others have been deported. They are still reluctant to criticize Hamas and Hezbollah, and it took them three weeks after 9/11 to condemn Al Qaeda!
Getting drummed out of talk radio by CAIR is like being chased out of your junior-high teacher's job by the guys at the North American Man-Boy Love Association.
But here I am, looking for another job.
Here's the bizarre part: I started my on-air conversation about the unique, tragic relationship between Islam and terrorism on the day of the second London subway bombing. No one at ABC Radio objected to my comments.
I repeated the comments on Friday. Again, no problem. Same thing on Monday. Tuesday, I spent my entire three-hour show – at the request of ABC management – talking about modern Islam as a terrorist organization.
And for that, I was suspended and fired. What happened? How did the words that were insignificant one Thursday suddenly become unforgivable the next?
It was all about CAIR. Late that Monday they sent out press releases, called advertisers, complained of my "hate radio" to ABC. By Thursday, ABC had capitulated and suspended me, and CAIR immediately sent out a press release insisting ABC hadn't gone far enough and I had to be fired. Eventually, I was.
Meanwhile, more listeners stood by me, not a single advertiser pulled their ads, and I had more positive press coverage than Hillary at a National Organization of Women convention. In a business that depends on listeners, advertisers and publicity, you'd think we'd be talking bonuses, not termination.
But this is the trick to getting fired while doing your job well. All you have to do is offend members of those special castes we have declared un-offendable. No other groups will do.
For example, to lose your radio gig for offending Catholics, you have to go so far as to having a couple engaged in on-air, non-immaculate conception in the back of a cathedral (Opie and Anthony). To get chased off the radio waves for offending families with kids riding in the car, you have to have explicit, "how-to" conversations involving lesbians, vegetables and petroleum by-products (Howard Stern). To get fired for offending Christian evangelicals, you have to…
Actually, that's not possible. You can publicly dismiss all evangelicals as people of limited intellect who are easily led, and you'll be defended on the New York Times editorial page.
But point out obvious, indisputable facts about Islam, and you might as well log on to Monster.com and start sending out resumes.
Think about this: Dan Rather went on the air with a story based on a fake Air National Guard memo, lied about the steps taken at CBS to "authenticate" it, and after he was caught dead in a lie, still maintained that the bogus story was true…and he kept his job!
I gave an honest, reason-based opinion about the challenges facing Islam, quoted facts, polls and public comments accurately – and I was fired.
This is the new, mainstream media standard for employment: You are far more likely to get fired for telling the truth than you are for telling a lie.
Radio-talk host Michael Graham is a political commentator and author of Redneck Nation.
©2005 Michael Graham
Ping! Pass it on!
Thanks very much. This is great news indeed!
It doesn't do individual, decent Muslims any favor to hide the fact that terrorism comes from Islam.
Words against Christians, especially Catholics, are always acceptable to the media. What isn't acceptable are words against black, gay or Jewish people. Now he found out that words against Islam are also a no-no. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
All I had to do to get fired is show up to work in a blackout and tell my boss the job sucked and so did he.
"This is the new, mainstream media standard for employment: You are far more likely to get fired for telling the truth than you are for telling a lie."
Michael is absolutely right about this. The MSM is ruled by the left and the left is ruled by propaganda. Without it they whither and die, and, they know this.
So, to insure their own existence they must stamp out any truth that directly challenges their dogma. For them it's life or death.
I love the guy. Of course, he'd probably be annoyed by someone liking him, but I do. He shoots straight and calls it the way he sees it, deals with issues others avoid, and he's usually right.
Borders, language, culture.
That's a relief. It would be hard on a guy to get fired from two places in such a short period of time. :p
The msm will continue with these antics as long as we continue to buy the papers and magazines and watch the network news. We need to start turning that crap off and stop buying the magazines. I've cancelled all subscriptions news publications, and don't get any news from my TV anymore. I get it on FR.
You're quite right except that I do not believe that Catholics are more singled out than "fundamentalists" (whatever that expandable word really means). They are castigated for their rigid adherence to scripture as they read it.
CAtholics have only been criticized in the last very few years. Before that they were about as inviolate as Jews because pc dictated it.
Maybe we should pick a day and all of us call (202) 432-9625 about this issue. They can't keep every caller off the air.
I agree
anyone without intelligence
or any sense of humour
could not possibly like Michael Savage.
CAIR
Consistent
Affront to
Intelligence and
Reason
Ill take a bombastic and "unlovable" but comparatively honest and consistant Savage over a insipid and waffling liberal lover like halfwit Hannity any day.
Will look forward to listening in - he starts Monday.
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