By Glen Gardner
Madison, WI (YourNews) - The national debate that is raging concerning what influenced the Arizona shooter to go on a rampage that left death and sorrow in its wake is putting new focus on talk radio and the “temperature” of the national political debate.
Having been a talk show host, radio program director, general manager and radio station owner for the better part of 30 years, I have a unique perspective on this debate. So, did the right-wing nut-bags who spew their radicalized entertainment “cause” that young man to gun down a congresswoman and all those other people at that shopping center? As usual, if you ask the wrong question you will get the wrong answer.
There is no way anyone will ever know the answer to that question. I think the better question is, could the steady drumbeat of twisted logic and hate motivate someone to act in that fashion? There is no doubt in my mind.
Simple fact of the matter folks is radio (and television) works. If you repeat a message enough times to the right people, it will motivate them to act. I find it more than amusing that these talk show hosts and the companies that profit from their brand of free speech claim that they don’t wield that kind of power and influence.
In the next breath they send their sales departments out to tell potential clients that they most certainly can motivate behavior. Their entire business model is based on the fact that these people can motivate others to act in great numbers. I’m surprised that no one is calling them out on this point.
When I listen to these folks spew their crazy conspiracy theories and outright hatred for people like President Obama and Nancy Pelosi, I have a hard time accepting the fact that anyone buys what they are saying. Obama wasn’t born here, he’s not a Christian, and on and on it goes. I’m sure similar malarkey comes from the other side too, but the voices on the right are louder and more numerous.
Then I listen to the commercials that are in these shows and realize that the brand of hate these people are peddling without a doubt could motivate someone to act. People selling special seeds that you can plant after the world falls apart, magic crème to make your “petzel” bigger and instructions on how to hoard gold to better survive the impending collapse of world order that is right around the corner.
Boys and girls let me tell you, people do act on these messages. People buy this junk in great numbers. I know it for a fact. I have seen it from the inside. People call those 800 numbers and go to web pages and spend lots of money on stuff most of us would call crazy.
So, to these hosts and their companies that want you to believe that someone couldn’t be motivated to do something crazy by simply listening to a repeated message, over and over, think again. They really can’t have it both ways. To hear them talk you’d think that their message is “radio doesn’t work.” The ability of radio to motivate behavior provided me with a very comfortable living for many years.
Just because the First Amendment gives you the right to do something, doesn’t make it right. The flipside of freedom is responsibility.
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