You may not have ever actually watched Keith Olbermann's show on MSNBC (Countdown with Keith Olbermann), but you have probably seen clips of him attacking Bill O'Reilly. In fact, it seems that Olbermann's entire show centers around a bizarre hatred of O'Reilly. Anyway, here's a letter the Anti-Defamation League sent to Olbermann:
Keith Olbermann
Countdown with Keith Olbermann
MSNBC
July 28, 2006
Dear Mr. Olbermann,
We are deeply dismayed by your ongoing use of the Nazi "Sieg Heil" salute, both on your program and in public appearances -- including the recent Television Critics Association press tour -- while holding up a mask of Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly.
While we understand that your aim is to entertain your audience by taking pot shots at Mr. O'Reilly, your repeated use of the Nazi salute has resulted in many complaints from our constituents, including Holocaust survivors and their families who find the use of this gesture offensive and repugnant in any context.
The Nazi salute is more than just a remnant of history, but serves as a calling card for modern-day neo-Nazis and white supremacists. We believe that the use of gestures and imagery associated with the Nazis – even in jest – only serves to trivialize the Holocaust and denigrate the memory of the six million Jews and others who died as a result of Hitler's Final Solution.
As a respected and well-known media personality, your actions have consequences and can set a standard for others to emulate. We are especially concerned that young people viewing your program might take their cues from your free use of the "Sieg Heil" salute.
In light of these concerns, we hope that you will reconsider your use of the Nazi salute in the future.
Sincerely,
The Anti-Defamation League
I'm not going to argue about the appropriateness of the salute. Personally, I think it's tacky, but it's not worth getting mad about. Then again, I'm not Jewish and I don't have relatives who died in concentration camps. That kind of changes your perspective, methinks.
One question, though: if the situation were reversed and it was Bill O'Reilly (or Rush Limbaugh or Laura Ingraham or Anne Coulter) doing the salute, do you think it would be front page news? You bet. Let me remind you of what happened when Mississippi Senator Trent Lott tried to compliment Strom Thurman. His innocent statement was made out to be in praise of segregation; he lost his seat as Majority Leader because of it. Former KKK member Robert Byrd has said worse during his ramblings on the Senate floor, but he's treated like some sort of honorable scholar instead of the base, racist country hick he really is.
Biased media? Of course not.
Posted by Matthew at August 8, 2006 10:13 PMTrackBack URL for this entry:
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