Hispanic Group, Democracia Ahora, Tells to CNN to Rein in Lou Dobbs

I applaud the Hispanic community for coming out in full force against the hatred being spewed by Lou Dobbs on a daily basis on CNN. Democracia Ahora is kicking off an effort Friday with the release of a report based on interviews with 100 Hispanic leaders about the impact of Dobbs’ evening show. They are calling on CNN to rein in Dobbs. Better yet, they should just fire him and that goes for people like Glenn Beck and yes, the leader of the Republican Party, Rush Limbaugh, who have been making divisive and inflammatory comments on a daily basis. I am glad that the Latinos and many African Americans are taking a stand against such bigotry and obvious racism. We should be moving forward and being a beacon of hope for the world to emulate, not stepping backwards into the darkest periods in American history.

According to the report, 90 percent of the people interviewed believe Dobbs is helping create a negative image of Hispanics, with his frequent criticisms of illegal immigration. But Democracia Ahora is hoping the report inspires a grassroots movement aimed at executives at CNN’s parent company, Time Warner, to draw attention to what the group calls “frequent negative portrayals of Hispanics on the Lou Dobbs show.” It is using its release to start a national campaign, “Enough is Enough!” that will be carried out through www.TellCNNEnoughisEnough.com, that goes live Friday.

“We’re asking CNN, the alleged ‘most trusted name in news,’ to really hold Lou Dobbs to the journalistic standards he should be held to,” said Jorge Mursuli, president of Democracia Ahora, who expressed frustration with Dobbs’ reports that immigration contributed to thousands of new reported cases of leprosy and of a ‘superhighway’ from Mexico to Canada.

“CNN needs to take responsibility for what he’s saying,” he said, adding, “We want CNN to insure that Lou Dobbs is going to stick with the facts. He can have his opinions but he can’t present his opinions as facts.” Mursuili said Democracia Ahora will be coordinating petitions and encouraging other Hispanic groups to make phone calls and write letters to CNN asking the news station to “to cease the daily drum roll of misinformation and offensive commentary about the Latino community on the Lou Dobbs Tonight show.” Source: Politico

We should hold these media outlets accountable for the content of their broadcasts, just as much as we should hold our elected officials accountable for their actions. People like Lou Dobbs, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Michael Savage, Laura Ingraham, Pat and Bay Buchanan, and all the other hatemongers must be held accountable for their actions. There is a big difference between being fair and balanced and pushing hateful rhetoric. The reality is that there are many people who believe the garbage they are spewing and we are seeing many on the fringe acting on the lies they are hearing in the media. It could turn violent and get really ugly if something drastic isn't done.