On July 25th, the Council on American-Islamic Relations demanded that I be “punished” for my on-air statements regarding Islam and its tragic connections to terrorism. Three days later, 630 WMAL and ABC Radio suspended me without pay for comments deemed “hate radio” by CAIR.
CAIR immediately announced that my punishment was insufficient and demanded I be fired. ABC Radio and 630 WMAL have now complied. I have now been fired for making the specific comments CAIR deemed “offensive,” and for refusing to retract those statements in a management-mandated, on-air apology….I refused. And for that refusal, I have been fired. (Source)
I support Michael Graham but disagree with the implication that his First Amendment rights were violated. The amendment protects citizens from government suppression of speech. It’s a “debate” I’ve had with people who actually thought they had a right to comment on this blog. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Most got it, but some were too dimwitted to grasp the concept.
ABC Radio is a private entity and within its rights to fire Graham for “cause,” however it’s stipulated in the employment contract. I do think ABC’s actions are un-American and cowardly. To capitulate to this group, especially an Islamic organization, while we’re in the middle of a war with Islamofascists, is detestable.
Imagine it’s 1941 or thereabouts, and a CAIR-like group of Americans of German descent dared to control “anti-German” speech like this. What would have happened to the group? I’ll have much more to say on Graham’s firing later.
Others blogging: Radio Equalizer, HCS’s and Gen’s Place, Booker Rising, Tel-Chai Nation…
Related post: Radio Talk Show Host Michael Graham Suspended
Also see Graham’s web site.
Update: Paul Mirengoff:
It seems to me that WMAL unwisely has knuckled under to pressure exerted by a group, members of which have themselves been linked to terrorism, and whose top officials reportedly have expressed the desire that Islam be the “highest authority” in of the United States.
Well, what do you know? The professor agrees with me.
La Shawn Barber’s Corner
Pingback by HCS’s and Gen’s Place — 08.22.05 @ 7:22 am
MICHAEL GRAHAM FIRED
Confirmation of WMAL/Washington talk host Michael Graham’s removal from the ABC station has been made with his just-released statement.
Trackback by The Radio Equalizer — 08.22.05 @ 9:28 am
LA SHAWN BARBER OP-ED: WMAL Fires Michael Graham
For arguing that Islam was akin to a terrorist organization, and refusing the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ demand to ABC Radio that he retract the statements in a management-mandated, on-air apology. The conservative blogger writes: “I supp…
Trackback by Booker Rising — 08.22.05 @ 12:26 pm
Knuckling under
WMAL, a radio station in Washington, D.C., has fired conservative talk show host Michael Graham. The station did so under pressure from the group Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)…
Trackback by Power Line — 08.22.05 @ 1:37 pm
ABCradio host fired for speaking out against Islam
Through the Radio Equalizer (and also Michelle Malkin), we find out that freedom of speech was villified again
Trackback by Tel-Chai Nation — 08.22.05 @ 3:59 pm
(W)MAL-ODOROUS TWISTS AND TURNS
Perhaps the only real way to contain my irritation with Washington’s WMAL radio situation, where host Michael Graham has apparently been fired after a fringe Islamist group’s pressure campaign, is by resorting to a bit of silliness. After all, MAL…
Trackback by Michelle Malkin — 08.22.05 @ 4:56 pm
Not Right At All
Michael Graham has officially been fired. This really stinks.
Trackback by The Gunn Nutt — 08.22.05 @ 9:56 pm
Michael Graham
The story is hitting the blogosphere: Michael Graham was fired from his job as a radio talk-show host on ABC Radio affiliate WMAL, Washington D.C., for saying “Islam is a terror organization” (the context will be discussed in a moment)….
Trackback by Atlas Blogged — 08.22.05 @ 10:35 pm
Freedom of Speech
La Shawn Barber has this as a side comment about the limitations Freedom of Speech…
Trackback by Grinding Gears — 08.22.05 @ 11:12 pm
Walt Dhimmi Makes It Official
Disney-owned ABC directed ABC-owned WMAL radio in Washington, D.C., at the insistence of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, to make radio host Michael Graham’s suspension for telling the truth about Islam into a formal termination:
On July…
Trackback by Hard Starboard — 08.23.05 @ 3:14 am
Talk show host fired over Islam remarks
Washington radio station WMAL-AM fired talk show host Michael Graham yesterday after he refused to soften his description of Islam as “a terrorist organization” on the air last month.
Graham had been suspended without pay from his daily three-ho…
Trackback by Pajama Hadin — 08.23.05 @ 3:49 am