You told the truth about Islam? Tsk-tsk. Shoulda consulted the definition of Political Correctness first! ;o)
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
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1467941/posts
Call in or send an email to all of WMAL's other talk radio hosts that you will no longer be able to listen to them as long as they are carried by WMAL Contact WMAL advertisers to protest the decision to fire Michael Graham and to urge them to switch their advertising dollars to 570 AM or 1160 AM.
Contact 'em:
http://www.wmal.com/contactus.asp
CONTACT: Mr. Randall Bloomquist Program Director WMAL 4400 Jenifer Street NW Washington DC 20015 Switchboard: 202-686-3100 Direct: 202-895-2327 To be on a WMAL talk show, call 202-432-WMAL, toll free 888-630-WMAL E-Mail: randall.bloomquist@abc.com, ernie.fears@abc.com, chris.j.berry@abc.com
E-MAIL: testad@tcicomm.com, routhierd@tcicomm.com, tcimail@tcicomm.com, sales@pohankalexus.dealerspace.com, mandelle@pepperlaw.com, bbroullire@comcastsportsnet.com, jcreech@melwood.com, fedgov@1igsi.com, info@fairoakschurch.org, admissions@regent.edu, emba.coordinator@business.wm.edu, combsa@fmmc.army.mil, redelman@ricedelman.com, rmalone@fbw.com, cbraudis@mutualfundstore.com, trock@erols.com, crricchi@aol.com, chef47@msn.com, fodebbie@aol.com, midatlantic@basements.com, Roofdog@aol.com, sales@solatubeskylight.com, sales@sjroof.com, info@heartcheck.com, tony1winkler@yahoo.com, pumphrey@pumphreyfh.com, sfrazier@bgf.org, bill@1031.us, StewartTeam@PointingYouHome.com, info@annhand.com, cuttingedgekiosks@yahoo.com, pottenritter@jordankitts.com, jmack@gutterhelmetsystems.com, vabeach@procraftcoatings.com, info@thompsoncreek.com, smiles@bethesdasedationdentistry.com, info@theeyecenter.com, jay@rosenbergmedia.com, customerservice@tni.com, info@tonyandjoes.com, pr@1800gotjunk.com, gloriag@manorworks.com, fodebbie@aol.com, suggestions@merrifieldgardencenter.com, schapman@offenbachers.com, info@regionalpestmanagement.com, info@cabinetdiscounters.com, info@getstyle.com, etessel@croppmetcalfe.com, out2dry@nomorewater.com, jwingert@alexandriabuickpontiacgmc.com, mcarroll@brownscar.com, ernie@smithgifford.com, ehill@cherner.com, gsm@cowlesford.com, jeffdoughty@moorecadillac.com, elliot@roiadvertising.com, wanda@radialtire.com
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1467891/posts
http://abcradio.com/index.cfm?bay=comm.contact
includes links to their ad sales execs.
WMAL's on-air number: (202) 432-9625 (432-WMAL.)
Some other WMAL numbers: (202) 686-6100; (202) 686-3010; (202) 686-3018; (202) 686-3020.
Here is my email:
To: randall.bloomquist@abc.com ; Cccore@aol.com ; chriscore@630wmal.com ; info@talkers.com ; ernie.fears@abc.com ; chris.berry@abc.com ; mail@michaelgraham.com ; seanshow@abc.com ; hannity@foxnews.com ; rush@eibnet.com ; dittosrush@rushlimbaugh.com ; Marc.J.Horine@abc.com ; Irma.N.Aviles@abc.com ; Tammy.Blake@abc.com ; customerservice@abc.com ; George.Mayer@abc.com ; Lisa.Dunleavy@abc.com ; Dennis.Glynn@abc.com ; Wendy.Figliuolo@abc.com
Cc: wanda@radialtire.com ; elliot@roiadvertising.com ; jeffdoughty@moorecadillac.com ; gsm@cowlesford.com ; ehill@cherner.com ; ernie@smithgifford.com ; mcarroll@brownscar.com ; jwingert@alexandriabuickpontiacgmc.com ; out2dry@nomorewater.com ; etessel@croppmetcalfe.com ; info@getstyle.com ; info@cabinetdiscounters.com ; info@regionalpestmanagement.com ; schapman@offenbachers.com ; suggestions@merrifieldgardencenter.com ; gloriag@manorworks.com ; pr@1800gotjunk.com ; info@tonyandjoes.com ; customerservice@tni.com ; jay@rosenbergmedia.com ; info@theeyecenter.com ; smiles@bethesdasedationdentistry.com ; info@thompsoncreek.com ; vabeach@procraftcoatings.com ; jmack@gutterhelmetsystems.com ; pottenritter@jordankitts.com ; cuttingedgekiosks@yahoo.com ; info@annhand.com ; StewartTeam@PointingYouHome.com ; bill@1031.us ; sfrazier@bgf.org ; pumphrey@pumphreyfh.com ; tony1winkler@yahoo.com ; info@heartcheck.com ; sales@sjroof.com ; sales@solatubeskylight.com ; Roofdog@aol.com ; midatlantic@basements.com ; fodebbie@aol.com ; chef47@msn.com ; crricchi@aol.com ; trock@erols.com ; cbraudis@mutualfundstore.com ; rmalone@fbw.com ; redelman@ricedelman.com ; combsa@fmmc.army.mil ; emba.coordinator@business.wm.edu ; admissions@regent.edu ; info@fairoakschurch.org ; fedgov@1igsi.com ; jcreech@melwood.com ; bbroullire@comcastsportsnet.com ; mandelle@pepperlaw.com ; sales@pohankalexus.dealerspace.com ; tcimail@tcicomm.com ; routhierd@tcicomm.com ; testad@tcicomm.com ; joxley@wtopnews.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2005 1:09 PM
Subject: Islamofascism Runs Rampant in America: Terrorists Get Graham Fired
It is with great sorrow that I see WMAL cave in to the pro-terrorist organization CAIR. CAIR is a spin-off of a group described by two former FBI counterterrorism chiefs as a "front group" for the terrorist group Hamas in the U.S. Several CAIR leaders have been convicted on terror-related charges.
Isn't it interesting that a Saudi prince who has invested large amounts of money in CAIR also came up with millions to help support Euro Disney?
CAIR will keep upping its demands as long as Chris Berry keeps going along with them. They won't be happy until Michael is crucified.
CAIR has the right to freedom of speech but Mr. Graham does not?
Bob Grant got canned by WABC for a minor joke about Ron Brown after his plane crash death. Disgraceful treatment for such a legend who made them a fortune in ad revenue. But ABC/Disney is always looking to undermine conservatives.
Chris Berry has made the statement that "we make our decisions independent of external pressures or third parties." I assume that is why Mr. Berry has done eactly what CAIR wanted in this situation all along the line.
WMAL wouldn't have been asking for an apology if CAIR hadn't insisted on one. You may claim otherwise, but the fact is that each demand CAIR has made has been accepted.
After Graham was suspended (at CAIR's insistence) , CAIR issued a press release demanding that Graham be fired. Now he has been. He has been fired for making remarks offensive to terrorists. If anyone is owed an apology, it is the moderate, Muslim community who have been failed once again by the mainstream media.
If CAIR and other radical organizations are able to shut down any criticism of their anti-American agenda this way, then there is a chilling effect on free speech that will do damage to all of us and to the American way of life. But at least it will keep pressure groups off your back.
This is what the once-great WMAL has come to. It is shameful.
Getting fired for telling the truth? What has this country come to these days? While I do not agree that all Muslims are the enemy, the statement that Muslim leaders (most of them anyway) are complicit in terrorism is accurate. Perhaps they support it, perhaps they are scared, but they do nothing to condemn it or to stop it. (There was one brave Imam in Spain who put out a fatwa on Osama bin Laden, but he is the rare exception.) All Muslims are not terrorists. However, so far all the terrorists have been Muslim.
Michael is right that most Muslim leaders seem to be intimidated and afraid to criticize the terrorists. They need to be more outspoken.
Here are a few stories about one of the few Muslim leaders with the courage to speak out publicly, one of the chief Imams in Spain, who issued a fatwa against bin Laden:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,150066,00.html
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/03/11/madrid.anniversary/
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1274981,00050003.htm
Yet Ibrahim Hooper of CAIR credited 'criticism from talk radio' in part for the recent fatwa against terrorism issued by a group of U.S. Muslim scholars. Guess when that fatwa was issued? The day before Graham was suspended!
Here is the truth about CAIR from WorldNetDaily.com:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45887
In April, the founder of the Texas chapter of CAIR, Ghassan Elashi was found guilty of supporting terrorism. Elashi, along with two brothers, was convicted in Dallas of channeling funds to a high-ranking official of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Mousa Abu Marzook. Elashi was the third CAIR figure to be convicted on federal terrorism charges since 9-11.
CAIR is a spin-off of the Richardson, Texas-based Islamic Association For Palestine, or IAP, which was founded by Marzook. Former FBI counterterrorism chief Oliver Revell has called the IAF "a front organization for Hamas that engages in propaganda for Islamic militants."
Marzook, deputy chief of Hamas' political bureau in Syria, founded the IAP in 1991. At its conferences in the U.S., the IAP hosted leaders of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Marzook was deported in 1997.
It was not the first conviction for Elashi. As chairman of the Holy Land Foundation charity in Dallas, Elashi was convicted last year of making illegal technology shipments to two countries on the U.S. list of terrorist-sponsoring states, Libya and Syria. Four brothers, including Bayan and Basman, also were convicted.
Other CAIR figures convicted since 9-11 are Randall Todd "Ismail" Royer, a former communications specialist and civil rights coordinator, and Bassem Khafagi, former director of community relations.
Royer was sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges he trained in Virginia for holy war against the United States and sent several members to Pakistan to join Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Kashmiri terrorist group with reported ties to al-Qaida.
In a plea bargain, Royer claimed he never intended to hurt anyone but admitted he organized the holy warriors after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S.
After his arrest, Royer sought legal counsel from Hamas lawyer Stanley Cohen, who said after 9-11 he would consider serving as a defense lawyer for Osama bin Laden if the al-Qaida leader were captured.
Khafagi, was arrested in January 2003 while serving with CAIR and convicted on fraud and terrorism charges.
Current CAIR leaders also have made statements in support of Hamas and the domination of the U.S. by Islam.
WMAL's sales pitch to advertisers promotes a " High Percentage of Loyal Listeners: Loyal listenership equals results for advertisers."
Many loyal listeners are staying away from your station until Michael Graham is reinstated. Now that he has been fired, they are turning off your station entirely. This is bound to hurt your sales. Loyal listeners are letting the advertisers know what they think about Graham's suspension. Do you really want to lose loyal advertisers?
To fire Graham for doing just what you hired him to do -- express controversial opinions -- undermines the very foundation of talk radio. Perhaps you should go back to playing standards. There's much less controversy.
Graham should be brought back immediately, and I am not listening to WMAL or supporting your advertisers until that happens. (I can get Rush and Sean elsewhere if I so choose.) AM 630 is off my dial. That hurts the advertisers because they will have a lot fewer people listening to their advertisements. If I were an advertiser, I would be seriously reconsidering whether I wanted to be on a station that caves in to pro-terrorist organizations. Certainly, I, for one, will not patronize these advertisers as long as they advertise on a station that acquiesces to the demands of a terrorist front.
http://www.wmal.com/contactus.asp
We welcome your comments and concerns at 630 WMAL.
You can send us mail at 4400 Jenifer Street NW, Washington DC 20015.
Switchboard: 202-686-3100
Sales: 202-895-2344
Programming: 202-895-2327
News Room: 202-686-3020
To be on a 630 WMAL talk show, call 202-432-WMAL, toll free 888-630-WMAL, or #630 on Cingular Wireless.
Do we want to FReep WMAL offices on Jenifer Street???
"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."
That's it?! Sheesh... some people just can't take a joke!
I couldn't agree with you more.
I can't listen to Hannity anymore. He's gone PC.
TBP,
This is really very, very well done.
I personally appreciate the time, effort and attention to detail.
A very, very useful post...greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
More advertisers need to hear from us. I sent this out a few days before the hatchet job:
Dear WMAL Advertiser;
I am writing to you as a listener of WMAL and a potential customer of yours. As you probably know WMAL has given in to pressure from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and “suspended” it’s morning host Michael Graham for having the audacity to tell the truth about Islam. What was supposed to be an absence of one week has now stretched into three with no end in sight.
You are probably asking, “Why does this concern me?” The answer is I, the listener. In response to WMAL/ABC suspending Michael, I have “suspended” my listening to the station. That means that I am no longer hearing your advertisements and I know I am not alone. I am also disinclined to purchase products and services from advertisers that continue to buy airtime on WMAL.
For now I have transferred my listenership to another station lower on the AM dial and am enjoying hosts like Laura Ingraham, Glenn Beck and Michael Savage in place of Michael, Sean and Chris. For news and traffic, I have found another station at the high end of the AM dial that also simulcasts on FM. May I suggest that you consider transferring some of your advertising budget to these other stations.
Thank you for taking time to read this letter and to reconsider your radio advertising strategy.
Sincerely,
A “suspended” WMAL listener
This is a very well-reasoned argument. So many things are "fair game," but once you step on the wrong toes, you are gone...
Yeah, occasionally his names for people are good, but they're too often sophmoric. Sean Vannity is pretty good though. I have to admit though, Hannity and Limbaugh have both become pretty tame, O'Reilly too... they'll spike stories they think are too hot, like they wouldn't touch able danger or the expulsion of the Jews last week. Hannity has become Greta Lite which is pretty pathetic. Rush is still quick witted and insightful, but not very daring, IMO. So that leaves Savage. He is putting up big numbers, and he is the talk show host that the competition dares not speak his name. I think he attacks them just trying to call them out. People are wanting that. People are attracted to that. People are feeling very edgy and they want talk that's on the edge, not "fair and balanced". Tony Snow is pretty good too, in a genial way, he too tells it like it is, but has more fun doing it. A "happy warrior". I like those. Glenn Beck screws around too much. Laura Ingraham is good, but maybe a little too flippant... I don't know... she's good. She is good. Maybe she is too laid back I don't know, she doesn't get me riled up the way some of the other ones do.
You told the truth about Islam? Tsk-tsk. Shoulda consulted the definition of Political Correctness first! ;o)
Hannity's been nothing but a set of timed catchphrases for months. I lost interest in him in late 2004.
Sending kids to a public school is abuse.
john838 wrote: "People don't realize it but this IS the Soviet Union Lite, with better TV and better Music. Sort of a Bird in a Gilded Cage kind of arrangement."
Back, in the USS, back in the USS, Back in the USSR... you don't know just how lucky you are, boy.... (Soviet Light.... you speak truth here, dude)
Agreed.
Is it fair to say let the street's of our nation's capital run like rivers with red ink? Or might that be offensive to CAIR?
Good point. I've never heard of him before this happened. But, I'm interested now. The powers that be don't need to be messing with talk radio. We are allowed our side too.
Sheesh.
Yes, I firmly believe that. They will continue this crap as long as they can get away with it. Cancelled my subscription to our local paper yesterday. I found I only read three pages out of the whole thing anyway. A waste of money and time. My $26 a month might actually matter to them.
I disagree. I think Hannity made a big impact on the election with his Freedom Concerts. I also think he's made a big difference on the border issues. We are starting to hear some noise now.
Rush and Hannity make a big difference. I haven't seen anything like that from Savage.??
Good point. I've never heard of him before this happened. But, I'm interested now. The powers that be don't need to be messing with talk radio. We are allowed our side too.
Sheesh.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.