Who's ready?...

[misanthrope]

...You say you want to pitch in? You say you want to make a difference? Well, this is it; step forward and be counted.

After consultation with the ACLU, we have determined that we have no grounds for a case. What everything hinged upon was the fact that WHIL, while publicly supported, is actually a private entity. Yes, they are associated with "public radio," per se, but are no more publicly-owned than United Cerebral Palsy or the Sierra Club.

What we need next is your help and support to let the nation know that the days of bullying and coercion wielded by some in this country will not go unanswered anymore.

So start writing. Write anyone you can think of, media wise, to get this story out. The more emails that pile into the boxes of Pacifica, Air America, Michael Moore, Howard Stern, whomever, then the more likely it is that this story (and similar others that have gone unheeded to date--some of which are still unfolding) will reach the ears of America.

Compose one really good letter, then email it to as many as possible. The more of us that do this, the more likely they are to stand up and take notice. Email every show on Air America. Email CNN and CBS. Email NPR, who actually had nothing to do with the actions of this affiliate.

Regardless of what particulars you mention, make sure that you keep your tone respectful and civil. You attract more flies with sugar...

I do feel compelled to state that any call to action you may express is of your own volition. We chiefly want to get the story out there. Anything people decide to do as a result of hearing about it is their choice.

This is a critical time in a crucial year. There is a lot more at stake about the future of this nation, and subsequently the world, than many realize. It is going to be up to us, the people, to take back the public airwaves, to keep those who marginalize dissent or even doubt on THEIR guard, as opposed to the other way around.

This is the time, the moment, the clarion call. Answer with your actions.

My access to the web has temporarily been impeded by meteorological intervention. Until I can get things back in order, perhaps those of you leading the charge on this would like to begin listing below the email addresses that need to be targeted.

Don't just say you'll do this and let it pass by. Prove democracy can work.

Thanks

A little background: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1755097

[swag]

1. by the way, i think this is the guy who was shit-canned by freeper

intervention

[mistertrickster]

4. Yes, you're right.

[NMDemDist2]

2. ahhhh a capsule version of the story we are writing about would help

and links to the threads in addition to emails and addresses

[misanthrope]

5. I would...

...have it for you but my PC with all of that on it had a tussle with an electrical storm a few days ago. I'm trying to repair it at the moment. I'm on a library computer for right now.

If anyone else could post links to the original threads (the first entitled "What a dillemma," and the second entitled "It is done") which are archived by this point, it would certainly help matters.

[Hoping4Change]

3. No grounds for what case? Please explain.

[Speck Tater]

6. Don't have a clue what you're talking about. Hints?

[mistertrickster]

7. Okay, frankly I thought it was a long-shot to get the job back.

Under Alabama law, the power is all with the employer, the bastards.

What's up with you now? Can you get unemployment? Are you able to relocate for a new job? Do you have any leads?

I'm up for the letter writing . . . count me in.

[NMDemDist2]

8. here's a link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1755097


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1764027

[misanthrope]

9. Thanks...

...you beat me to it.

[mistertrickster]

10. Here's the first post that started it all . . . "what a dilemma"

from Misanthrope (June 11)
...I work in public radio as an announcer. I arrived at the station today to find a directive that we are to announce an hourly notice about Reagan's death, the nat'l day of mourning on Friday, and where listeners can go for blow-by-blow coverage. While we are at least foregoing NPR's coverage of Friday's events, we have been instructed to program a "reflective, respectful piece by an American composer" into each hour of our programming on Friday to honor the departed criminal.

I don't want to do it. Were it syndicated coverage, or something coming in via satellite, I would just let it play and mind my own business. However, when an announcer programs his show, the selections he chooses are as much part of "who he is" as his voice. I think it's hypocritical for me to act as if I'm respecting someone I loathed.

So, I'm left with several choices, among which are: ignore the directive altogether; program the shortest possible "memorial" piece (down to 10 or 15 seconds, if possible); program upbeat music; program things that focus in some fashion on minorities and the rest of Reagan's unwanted citizenry; program things whose titles stress negative images about character; or any combination of the above.

Anyone know of any public radio stations in the civilized world that needs a good jazz deejay?

On edit--in the ensuing discussion, the post-er revealed enough information that a lurking FReeper narc-ed him out to the post-er's boss. He was immediately fired without any kind of discussion.

The FReeper's name by the way was "FreedomFlynnie"--real name Lawrence Harrison "Lane" Flynn who graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2004, engineering and is a proud alumnus of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He also appears to be a pilot and a member of a Porsche club.

As you can see, our POS lurker is a real charity case.

[JDPriestly]

11. I did a lot of research on this in law school.

The U.S. First Amendment applies only to government actions. To the contrary, at least in the mid-90s, German law, for example, enforced or enforces free speech rights against private parties such as employers. Now you see why American governments at all levels want to outsource so much work.

We need to change employment laws in this country to protect employees' rights generally. Free speech, however, is the most important right we need to protect. A person who cannot state his opinions publicly without fear of economic reprisal has no right to free speech.

[JDPriestly]

12. Legislatures have to change the employment laws.

Courts can interpret laws, but they generally can't enact them. Liberals became lazy during the Warren Court era. At that time, the Supreme Court interpreted the U.S. Constitution to provide certain rights that had previously been denied.

Now, we have to elect legislators to change laws. That is more work, but we have to do it.

[Catherine Vincent]

13. I thought someone forwarded your story to someone at Air America?

I didn't hear if they heard a response.

[gottaB]

14. misanthrope, have your feelings about NPR changed?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1674344#1675891

[misanthrope]

18. Not at all...

...NPR had nothing to do with my incident. It was completely local, save the involvement from Lane Flynn.

[doni_georgia]

15. Check out Symbolman's thread too

About his case pending in Alabama - it's a free speech issue as well. ACLU has been no help on his end. Are they afraid in this environment as well? Saturday night we're going to see Fahrenheit 911. Two friends of mine (another teacher and an assitant principal) are going with me. We're driving to the other side of town to see it, because we know what the ramifications would be if the wrong person saw us going into the theater to see it in our district would be. This is what America is coming to - people afraid to put a John Kerry bumper sticker on their car for fear of someone vandalising it, people afraid to see a movie near their home, because some right wing parent might see them going in, a man facing jail because his exwife illegally recorded his phone conversation and the judge did like his "tone" (never mind the judge allowed the guy's web site in as evidence - a web site dealing with the Bush administration), a guy loses his job for refusing to pay homage to a man who was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians. What's next? Mass censorship? Secret detention camps for enemies of the state? Oops, yes, both of these are already in full swing.

As a history teacher, I have asked the question many times, in reference to Nazi Germany, how did it happen? This is how it happened. People let fear and hatred drive their lives until they were willing, bit by bit, to give away their freedom in exchange for a moment of security and national pride. What makes us any different? Read my signature. It's there for a reason. Too many Americans are willing to give up their personal freedoms - why? Because they are scared! This government has made sure to keep the American people scared since 9/11. It's their greatest tool to victory. There are many people out there planning on voting for Bush even though they think Kerry is more trustworthy and honest. The reason they give is they feel Bush is better able to handle the terrorists - in other words - FEAR! Franklin Roosevelt once said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." The fear of fear is ruling America. People are so afraid and blinded by their fear and hatred for terrorists, that they do not even register that they are losing their freedoms - that we are becoming that which we fear.

If we do not speak out, we are part of the problem. I think this says it all:
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.


Pastor Martin Niemöller

[mistertrickster]

16. Wow, good post, Doni--are you a member of the NEA?

You should join ASAP. They will hire a lawyer for you if you are wrongfully terminated--your cost, $0.

And let's kick this thread . . .

[doni_georgia]

17. Yeah, I'm a member of the NEA

My schools system is pretty good. We just have a lot of wingnut parents in our school. You can't believe the crap they complain over. Last year, I had a parent pull her kid to homeschool her because "I was teaching witchcraft." The supposed witchcraft I was teaching was a unit on fairy tales. Yes, we read the several versions of that satanic tome - "Snow White," and a few versions of the evil "Cinderella." My principal totally backed me and later said in private "Thank God we're rid of those nuts!"

[misanthrope]

20. Nice post...

...Judging from your rhetoric and passion about this, I would like to see the emails you sent off to media outlets blowing the whistle on all of this. Sounds like you're doing a good job deciding to lead instead of follow.

Thanks for standing up to be counted and letting others know we're not going to take all of this lying down.

By the way, I don't know about the particulars involving symbolman's case, but the ACLU did everything could to help me with this. They were quick to jump on it and get things moving at the national office. In fact, they are still trying to help us get word to the media. The problem was in the "public versus private" arena, and the fact that the ACLU can't supercede state employment law.

From conversations with some of the attorneys in this case I can tell you this much: this type of censorship is happening elsewhere in the country, in cases extraordinarily similar to mine. This type behavior has got to stop now as the more momentum it gains, the harder it will be to halt in the future.

[crossroads]

42. Excellent Post... Bravo!

You said it all...
:eyes:

[Fear]

19. kick + provide me with email addresses and more information please

in this thread. To what companies etc. etc.

Keep it kicked.

[misanthrope]

28. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

29. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

32. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

34. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

36. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

37. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

38. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

47. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

48. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

55. kick**nm

nm

[StopThief]

56. I just don't like the look of the arrow. . .

nfm

[misanthrope]

54. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

53. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

52. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

51. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

49. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

21. First Group: Salon.com...

...Here's a list of possibly interested parties at Salon.


Editorial

Vice President of Content/Executive Editor
Gary Kamiya
[e-mail]

Senior Vice President of Editorial Operations/Managing Editor
Scott Rosenberg
[e-mail]

Senior Vice President, News/Managing Editor
Joan Walsh
[e-mail]

New York Editorial Director
Kerry Lauerman
[e-mail]

Associate Managing Editor
Ruth Henrich
[e-mail]

Director of Editorial Operations
Max Garrone
[e-mail]

- - - - - - - - - - - -

News / Politics

Senior Editor
Geraldine Sealey
[e-mail]

Senior Writer
Eric Boehlert
[e-mail]

Senior Writer
Michelle Goldberg
[e-mail]

Senior Writer
Tim Grieve
[e-mail]

Associate Editor
Mark Follman
[e-mail]

Associate Editor
Michal Keeley
[e-mail]

----------------------------------

Columnists

Joe Conason
[e-mail]

[misanthrope]

25. BIG TIP...

...These people scan numerous amounts of email daily. The subject of your email needs to work like a headline, giving them a reason to read it and not just delete it.

My suggestion would be something like "Public Radio Announcer Fired In Free Speech Abridgement" or "Public Radio DJ Canned for Off-Air Political Remarks," you get the drift.

[misanthrope]

22. Air America contact...

http://www.airamericaradio.com/pub/resContactUs.htm

[misanthrope]

23. Pacifica Network...

THE PACIFICA RADIO FOUNDATION
THE NATIONAL STAFF



Verna Avery-Brown,
Washington Bureau Chief
[e-mail]


Dan Coughlin,
Executive Director
[e-mail]


Lailoni Duarte,
Executive Assistant
[e-mail]


Pete Korakis,
Web Worker
[e-mail]

[misanthrope]

24. Michael Moore...

News department of Michaelmoore.com
[e-mail]

Micheal Moore
[e-mail]

[misanthrope]

26. Howard Stern...

Write to the Howard Stern Radio Show at: [e-mail]

Write to the Webmaster at [e-mail]

Very strange seeing all the political and First Amendment stuff on his web site.

[misanthrope]

27. Village Voice...

http://www.villagevoice.com/aboutus/letters.php

and Mother Jones
e-mail [e-mail]

[hippiegranny]

30. thanks for the update

i was wondering about your case. i will draft a letter. thanks for all the contact info.

:kick:

[grasswire]

31. CNN direct contact info

CNN NEWS CHIEF Eason Jordan. 404.827.5111. fax: [phone]. [e-mail]
CNN NEWS DIRECTOR Kim Bondy. 404 827 1500. fax. [phone]
CNN NEWSROOM 404.827.1500 . 404.827.1500. [e-mail]

[misanthrope]

33. Related material...

...Ever been to www.tjcenter.org?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

35. Kick

:kick:

[kimchi]

39. Kick.

Speak now, or forever hold your speech.

[newyawker99]

40. kick

:kick:

[calimary]

41. THE contact list. Actually it's a DU "master thread" here.

LOTS of good, usable contact info for email, fax, and snail mail - that numerous people here have found and contributed. Like YOURS, here, too.

Enjoy! And HAVE AT IT!!!

And finally, PLEASE NOTE MY SIG LINE – TO CALL YOUR REPS, TOLL FREE!!!

OR, TRY (877) – 762 – 8762. It’ll get you there, too! (Thank you, DUer redqueen!)


Please note, here, The World's Greatest Lists of Media Contacts – updated May 5, 2004– in the following thread:

LINK:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1533796#


IF THEY THINK WE DON’T CARE, THEY WON’T, EITHER!

[misanthrope]

46. Thanks...

However it appears as if your link doesn't quite work as intended.

[crossroads]

43. KICK...

:kick:

[crossroads]

44. kick...

:kick:

[Tight_rope]

45. kick

[JohnLocke]

50. Kick

[Suzi Creamcheese]

57. I'll write to Air America for you

Those dorks already got a piece of my mind a month ago, their seats are so damn uncomfortable and we waited, get this, three hours! on the ground during a simple crossover flight through Chicago. I was never so angry in my life.

What exactly should we be saying. Did they fly Bush around for free or something? You know those corporate big shots get away with a lot.

[misanthrope]

59. LOL!

No, but their parachutes suck!

[PaDUer]

58. KICK...n/t

[Cronus Protagonist]

60. A small quibble

You attract more flies with rotting meat or excrement. Sugar is not odoriferous enough to attract as many flies.

:)

Drop Bush Not Bombs - Fuck Bush - Who Would Jesus Bomb?
http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13

[misanthrope]

61. Yes, but...

...the comparison in the platitude is between sugar and vinegar.

[misanthrope]

62. kick*8nm

nm

[AspenRose]

63. kick

[kerry-is-my-prez]

64. Other DJ that got fired -

http://slate.msn.com/id/2097717/
Kalamazoo Kapitulation!
A talk-radio host who helped expose the Medicare bribe loses his job.
By Timothy Noah
Posted Tuesday, March 23, 2004, at 4:00 PM PT

-snip-

Shaking off its hangover from the nasty partisan scandalmongering of the late 1990s, the House ethics committee has finally begun an investigation into Rep. Nick Smith's allegation that a member of the House leadership tried to bribe him into supporting the Medicare drug bill. According to Roll Call, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the matter, too. But a Kalamazoo talk-radio host whose scoop made it impossible to sweep Smith's allegations under the rug is out of a job.

Kevin Vandenbroek, formerly of WKZO radio, should have gotten a raise for his contribution to the Smith story, which was picked up by Slate and subsequently by just about every other national publication covering the Medicare bribe. Instead, Vandenbroek was fired last month, apparently for political reasons.

The whole saga, you'll recall, began when Nick Smith, a conservative Michigan Republican who will retire at the end of this year, came out against the Bush administration's Medicare drug bill on the grounds that it was too expensive. (The Bush administration's refusal to share honest budget figures about the measure's cost is the subject of at least one separate investigation.) On the late-November night of the vote and for about a week afterward, Smith told various people that someone in the House leadership, whom he declined to name, had offered to procure $100,000 or more for the congressional campaign of Smith's son Brad, who wants to succeed his father in Congress. All Smith had to do was change his vote to "yes." Smith refused the offer and voted against the bill, which passed by a narrow margin. But Smith was so steamed—there had also been a threat to withhold money from Brad's campaign if Smith didn't play ball—that he spread the word about the House leadership's perfidy. It does not appear to have occurred to Smith that the offer of $100,000 met the statutory definition of a bribe, and that he was therefore calling one of his own party leaders a crook.


-snip-


Vandenbroek did himself no particular good at WKZO by providing evidence that the House GOP leadership may harbor a felon. "While there are some people at the station who seem to be quite proud of my coverage of Nick Smith," Vandenbroek told Chatterbox, "I think there were others that might have been uncomfortable that it was focusing on a member of the Republican Party." There was no blowback on Smith, but soon afterward, a Vandenbroek broadcast pointing out a few dubious claims in President Bush's Feb. 8 Meet the Press interview prompted a complaint to the station from the local Republican Party headquarters. The Bush broadcast "made the owner of the station very uncomfortable," Vandenbroek said. "I got called in and told to stay away from politics." Strike 3 was a mildly intemperate e-mail Vandenbroek sent to the Christian right author Jefferson Scott after Scott declined to appear on Vandenbroek's show to discuss Be Intolerant: Because Some Things Are Just Stupid. Be Intolerant is a manifesto Scott co-authored with Ryan Dobson, son of James Dobson, chairman of the powerful Christian right organization Focus on the Family. "The straw that broke the camel's back was their contention that I violated e-mail policy," Vandenbroek explained.

[misanthrope]

66. Scary times...

...I heard about another announcer that got fired not too long ago for attending an anti-war rally in a different town and region than his own.

[misanthrope]

67. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

68. kick**nm

nm

[misanthrope]

70. kick**nm

nm

[northofdenali]

65. Kick from a DU'er who has been way out of touch!

I couldn't even get the damn Satellite phones to work in Atigun Pass on the Haul Road!!

Keep those cards and letters coming, DU!

[GoneOffShore]

69. Try Harry Shearer

at Le Show.
He loves these sorts of things
He's at KCRW and you can email him at [e-mail]