Uncensored - S.F. Human Rights Commission And Michael Savage
By Michael Nevin (08/07/04)
In a letter from the San Francisco Human Rights Commission to San Francisco Police Officers’ Association (POA) President Gary Delagnes, the commission chastised the association for promoting tickets to its membership offered by radio station KNEW to the “Michael Savage Uncensored” event this past May. The POA, representing labor interests of dues-paying cops (not the city or police department), was taken to task for accepting tickets from the radio station for an event that the commission finds repugnant. “By choosing to promote this event to its membership, the POA lent its name and credibility to one of the foremost promoters of hate in the United States,” cites the letter.
Michael Savage is a Bay Area resident and host of “The Savage Nation,” one of the country’s most popular talk-radio programs with over 350 radio stations. He has ostensibly aroused the ire of the S.F. Human Rights Commission. This should come as no surprise, because he has a storied history of offending people from every end of the political spectrum. From his gripe about the melodramatic coverage of the Ronald Reagan funeral to his description of liberalism as “a mental disorder,” Savage hardly fits into an easily described stereotype. He is fiercely independent and probably not on any Democratic or Republican Party mailing list. While we can debate the myriad opinions Savage expresses, we cannot debate his popularity, even here in the Bay Area.
The commission’s letter cites several examples of “Savage’s daily hateful rantings.” Michael Savage can defend himself and his comments, but this begs the question—what is more alarming: Michael Savage uncensored or a governmental body attempting to dissuade members of the POA from seeking tickets to an off-duty, public event?
What went unmentioned in the commission’s letter but has not gone unnoticed among many San Francisco cops is the fact that Michael Savage stood up for the rank and file during the days following the killing of Officer Isaac Espinoza in April. When the San Francisco Board of Supervisors were passing resolutions supporting the decision of District Attorney Kamala Harris not to seek the death penalty for the accused killer of Espinoza, Savage was rallying support for the cops on his national radio show. POA President Gary Delagnes was invited on “The Savage Nation” to express the outrage that many cops felt. It was during these trying times that local radio station KNEW made an offer to POA members wishing to attend the Savage event.
The commission ends the letter with this disturbing undertone: “And while we acknowledge Mr. Savage’s right to his opinions, we are concerned that POA support of his performance suggests that the City and the police force share or otherwise support his views.” Should current cops and future applicants be given a litmus test regarding what talk shows they listen to? Now that would be a concern because it wouldn’t end with Savage, and background checks would take on a whole new meaning.
The commission has chosen a dangerous path bordering on the proverbial slippery slope. Who is to decide when one’s opinion crosses the line from free speech to hate speech? Columnist and radio talk show host Julianne Malveaux spewed invective when talking about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas when she said, “You know, I hope his wife feeds him lots of eggs and butter and he dies early like many black men do, of heart disease. Well, that’s how I feel. He is an absolutely reprehensible person.” NAACP Chairman Julian Bond routinely attacks conservatives. Bond gave a speech in June stating, “Their idea of equal rights is the American flag and the Confederate swastika flying side by side,” Bond told a cheering audience. He continued, “They draw their most rabid supporters from the Taliban wing of American politics.” Michael Moore is no stranger to controversy and polarizing rhetoric. Case in point: “The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not ‘insurgents’ or ‘terrorists’ or ‘the Enemy.’ They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow – and they will win.” Many Americans find it highly offensive by comparing the barbarians in Fallujah to the Minutemen at Bunker Hill. Would the S.F. Human Rights Commission dare to censure any of these speakers? It’s fair to ask whether or not a double standard exists.
It is unfortunate that a governmental body rebuked the POA President and his association for allowing the distribution of tickets to a lawful assembly. The issue isn’t about supporting or opposing Michael Savage. Some cops love Savage, some cops hate him. The issue is that the POA should feel free to distribute tickets to a Michael Savage or Michael Moore event with impunity.
The police department is not unlike any other place of work. Fill a room with five cops and you’ll get seven opinions. The marketplace will determine the fate of “The Savage Nation.” Firebrands exist on both sides of the aisle, and Americans can decide for themselves which ones are worthy of their attention. It should be obvious that the battle for hearts and minds will not be won by censorship; it will be won by ideas.
San Francisco prides itself as a beacon of tolerance and freedom of expression. It cuts both ways. Either everyone has freedom of speech and association or no one does. It’s that simple. Becoming a San Francisco police officer should not entail leaving self-evident rights at the doorstep of the academy. French philosopher Voltaire famously stated, “I may not agree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” American cemeteries are filled with people who understood this old adage, and it still applies today.
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