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Conservative Radio Talk Show Host Makes a Death Joke About Latino Students Fasting for Dream Act Passage

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Jul 9, 2007, 5:44 PM

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Have shock-jock radio DJs not learned anything from Imus’ example?

Don Imus
(Source: wikipedia.org)
It would appear not since the latest contributor to the Hall of Fame of Beyond Bad Taste thinks it’s okay to wish death upon a group of Latino kids who only want to go to school.


(Extremist) Conservative radio talk show host, Michael Savage, referenced the news story about some California Latino college students who have gone on a fast to get Congress’ attention to pass the part of the immigration reform bill that will let them work legally and attend school. It is known as the Dream Act.

Michael Savage
(Source: usatoday.com)
Savage, in particularly savage remarks, said:

“I would say, let them fast until they starve to death then that solves the problem. Because then we won’t have a problem about giving them green cards because they’re illegal aliens, they don’t belong here to begin with.”

Obviously, Savage doesn’t know what he’s talking about – but that’s how these so-called conservative radio talk show hosts earn their living.
Otherwise, he would know that of the 65,000 children who are undocumented and attend US schools, a good number of them only know life in this country.

Rodrigo, a UC Berkeley sophomore who also declined to give his last name because he is undocumented, said he barely remembers the village in southern Mexico that he left as a 6-year-old after the death of his father, a peasant farmer.
“I can’t go back; I don’t know anything about Mexico,” said Rodrigo, 19, who speaks flawless English and hopes one day to become a lawyer. “The DREAM Act will benefit students like me who are ready to go to college, ready to help their community and invest in the economy.”
(Source: sfgate.com)

Rodrigo is only one example of a child who is fully indoctrinated as an American that to send him back to the country of his birth would feel like exile from the only home he has known.
Savage’s remarks were unwarranted and demeaning and he deserves to be disciplined as such.
It is reported by Media Matters that Savage’s show reaches 6 million listeners a week.
Any broadcaster that can claim an audience of more than one has a responsibility not to convey hate over the airwaves.
We already know that for people who are extreme in their thinking and their actions, comments such as Savage’s can be the spark that ignites reckless and harmful behavior, leaving behind victims.
It’s one thing to voice disagreement but it’s quite another to abuse a privileged platform to reach the masses with comments that can be construed to mean that a certain group of people have no value to society, and therefore aren’t worth living.
And to say that specifically about children who only want to go to school so they can work and have a future — it’s a hate comment, plain and simple.
There should be sanctions and penalties for comments such as these from whomever makes them over the airwaves.
The only way to stem the rising tide of hate in this country, and it is rising, is to make sure that it is not fueled by people like Savage who has only one agenda — himself.
But these kinds of comments are not new with Savage. In 2003, he was fired by MSNBC for making anti-gay comments. Back then, he wished death on all the gays.
It’s obvious the only thing worth killing is this guy’s access to the airwaves.
Thankfully, a group of people are spearheading action be taken against Savage. They call themselves the Comite de Padres Unidos.
The Comite de Padres Unidos has drafted a petition to get Savage disciplined.
The text of the petition is as follows:

PLEASE SHARE
From: Mark Silverman I am forwarding this emergency sign-on letter from El Comite de Padres Unidos located in San Francisco, California, which condemns Michael Savage’s comments wishing that students fasting in support of the DREAM Act would die. Here is the URL which you can click on to see Savage’s truly savage and horrible comments. We are sending this letter to you again because you can access the full text as reported on the Media Matters URL below.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200707060009
DECLARATION AND SIGN ON LETTER FROM EL COMITE DE PADRES UNIDOS
We of el Comite de Padres Unidos are asking that other organizations and individuals to sign on to this letter as soon as possible. You can sign on for your organizacion by replying to Leticia Zamora at zamoraleticia112727@yahoo.com with the name of your organization. Please indicate if you wish to “sign on” to the entire letter or just the two paragraphs. If you don’t specifically indicate a preference, we will assume that you are signing on to the entire letter.
Here is a quote from Michael Savage’s July 5th broadcast when he discussed a fast organized by students from across California to show their support for the DREAM Act.
“I would say, let them fast until they starve to death then that solves the problem. Because then we won’t have a problem about giving them green cards because they’re illegal aliens, they don’t belong here to begin with.” You can find more information by googling Media Matters – Savage on immigrant students’ hunger strike
Declaration:
On the 5th of July of this year, Mr. Savage whose show is carried by a Bay Area radio station as well as many more throughout the country, said the following about students from all over California who have been fasting to support the DREAM Act. “I would say, let them fast until they starve to death then that solves the problem. Because then we won’t have a problem about giving them green cards because they’re illegal aliens, they don’t belong here to begin with.”
We feel offended by Mr. Savage’s comments, that are only promoting hate among his listeners, to the point of wanting the death of these young people.
We believe that this person is promoting hate against immigrant communities. We think that it is horrible that a person who is listened to by so many people, is saying something so barbaric, wanting the death of these young people who are very dedicated to their studies and whose only sin is that they are children of immigrants who had no say in coming to the U.S. when they were brought here by their parents when they were very young.
In addition, they are dedicated to be good students, and among them there are many who have a 4.0 GPA (Grade Point Average), and they are sacrificing so much for what they believe is a just cause.
We are also supporting the DREAM Act because it is fair for these young people and good for our economy since many Americans will be retiring very soon and we will need these students to help pay our Social Security. The Dream Act will also benefit all the American people.

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Comment(10)

  • Michael Johnson
    July 14, 2007 at 12:42 pm

    give me this idiot for fish bait
    tell him be careful of hommies
    from El Salvador
    these types are best to go away
    but then also the 6 million idiots that listen to his crap

  • Michele Gutierrez
    July 17, 2007 at 4:50 pm

    RESIST RACIST RADIO!
    Join the Youth Media Council and others in a LETTER TO THE EDITOR ACTION (http://youthmediacouncil.org/actions/sign/mailout/16) to protest conservative talk show host Michael Savage. On his daily news show on KNEW, Savage suggests immigrants and immigrants rights advocates fasting should die.
    CLICK HERE to Take Action Now!
    Write a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle editor. Demand that KNEW not only fires Savage, but that the FCC hold outlets accountable for hate speech and that local outlets institute standards for fair and balanced content!
    On July 5, Savage said on his radio show “The Savage Nation”: “I would say, let them fast until they starve to death then that solves the problem. Because then we won’t have a problem about giving them green cards because they’re illegal aliens, they don’t belong here to begin with.”
    In one part of the broadcast, Savage said the students, who were striking in support of the DREAM ACT, were stealing education from the United States and added: “Go make a bomb where you came from.”
    Such insidious remarks have the dangerous potential to incite violence and hate crimes against immigrant communities. We must not only challenge such comments, but the consolidated corporate media system that promotes such behavior.
    In an article (http://youthmediacouncil.org/stories/view/337) on Friday, July 13, The San Francisco Chronicle printed an article about immigrant advocates demanding that Savage be fired (“Immigrant Advocates Demand Radio Station Fire Host for Remarks,” July 13, 2007). We can use this article as a hook to shape the way people think about this important media justice issue.
    Please join us in sending out a letter on Tuesday, July 17 or sign on to the letter below. Please bcc Michele@youthmediacouncil.org and send to letters@sfchronicle.com.
    Click here for tips on how to write a letter to the editor.
    http://echo.youthmediacouncil.org/stories/view/13
    Transform the Media. Change the Debate!
    —-
    SAMPLE LETTER TO THE EDITOR
    Firing Savage not enough
    Editor-Immigrant advocates are right for demanding radio host Michael Savage be fired for his appalling remarks saying that supporters of an immigration bill who fasted should starve to death (“Immigrant Advocates Demand Radio Station Fire Host for Remarks,” July 13). Such demeaning comments fan the flames of anti-immigrant sentiment into full-blown violent attacks on immigrant communities.
    Here we are again. It was only a few months ago that CBS fired Don Imus for racist and sexist remarks against Rutger University’s women’s basketball team. This time, Savage not only promotes hatred against a particular group of people, but goes as far as suggesting they should die. The firing of an individual is not enough. This latest incident is not the first, nor will it be the last, unless we challenge a media system that promotes such behavior as a widespread practice.
    Let’s demand the FCC hold media outlets and their corporate owners accountable by imposing heavy fines for hateful content that incites violence. If outlets do not comply, the FCC should revoke their broadcasting licenses altogether. Allowing violence-inciting hate speech on any station is an abuse of our public airwaves. Our local outlets must adopt and enforce standards that serve the interests of the Bay Area’s diverse communities.
    {Your Name]
    [Your Organization, if any]
    [Your address]
    [Your Phone number]

  • eric
    August 10, 2007 at 7:19 pm

    I heard Mr. Savages comments, and whether or not I agree with them I must put forth that in the United States we are guaranteed free speech by the constitution. Doesn’t that mean even for him? What’s next after “hate speech”? “hate thought”? Who will the regulators be? Will I need to be implanted with a thought monitoring device in order assure my thoughts are “correct”? It sounds chillingly Orwellian. Let the man say what he wants. It’s his show.

  • Tom Harrington
    August 10, 2007 at 7:40 pm

    GO HOME!!! YOU ARE NOT WANTED HERE. I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT. YOU BREAK OUR LAWS AND COMMIT CRIMES. I WAS HIT HEAD- ON IN A CAR ACCIDENT BY AN ILLEGAL AND I SUFFERED LOSS. THAT TOUGHT ME A LESSON I WILL NOT FORGET. YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY HERE. I STAND IN YOUR WAY!!!

  • marilyn patton
    August 13, 2007 at 4:21 pm

    do not even try to compare michael savage’s comments about illegal aliens to what imus said…. the huge difference here is that illegals are felony criminals…. if illegals do not like our “free speech”… they are more than welcome to take their illegals butts back to mexico or wherever… where they probably will starve to death considering current conditions in mexico!!! how dare anyone be so arrogant!!! get legal, or go away!!! Americans will not take this anymore from a bunch of criminals!!! we are taking back our country…make no mistake!!!

  • Jerry Herrera
    August 16, 2007 at 1:04 am

    I am a US citizen of Latino descent and I for one do not agree with what these illegal immigrants are asking for. These people are here illegaly and they expect me and all other american citizens to pay for their education out of our tax dollars and yet my children have to pay for everything and nobody is offering them any type of assistance. It is time to help our own citizens and not those who are here illegaly and want to live of our hard work. There is a great number of latinos in this country that do not support them. We work hard to acheive our dreams and I for one am tired of this mentality that we should provide them with rights and assistance that we as US citizens do not have.

  • Jose Herrera
    September 17, 2007 at 3:27 pm

    People who break our laws, and then use their illegal children to try and win the right to continue living here illegally are equally if not more wrong than anyone who in free America who voices his or her opinion about it.
    Illegal Alliens are ILLEGAL. They have NO RIGHTS! Send them home, kids and all, and have them come (welcomed) to Americal Legally.

  • Bill
    September 20, 2007 at 1:44 pm

    Mr. Savage assumed all of the of the protesters were illegal immigrants, which he cannot verify, making his entire statement invalid.
    Mr. Savage routinely makes comments like this about every race, from whites to blacks, to latinos, to asians and yes even jewish people, it is his personality. He is in the radio business to make money, not to be rational or balanced.
    This is the problem with todays for-profit media; they aren’t in the business to be fair and balanced rather to get as many listeners or viewers as possible. This implies that entertainment trumps fair and balanced analysis.
    I agree illegal immigration is a problem, but what is an even bigger problem is that many illegal immigrants have children that are US citizens. If you send them back you will have literally millions of orphans.

  • Jim
    September 26, 2007 at 9:39 pm

    GO BACK TO MEXICO…..

  • STEPHEN SALIGA
    October 1, 2007 at 4:49 am

    GO HOME YOUR ILLEGAL, HELP YOUR COUNTRY, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE HERE TO START WITH. STOP SUCKING THE SOCIAL SYSTEM DRY, GO TO WORK TAKE YOUR MONEY HOME AND GET A EDUCATION THERE .ITS TIME YOU LEARN ABOUT YOUR CORRUPT COUNTRY ,THAT SENT YOUR PARENTS TO THE U.S. IN THE FIRST PLACE. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TAKE A SPOT IN SCHOOL THAT A AMERICAN SHOULD HAVE OR A JOB THAT MY BROTHER OR SISTER SHOULD HAVE, INSTEAD OF YOUR ILLEGAL PARENTS.

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