I was at the Washington screening of the new CNN series, “Latino in America” last night and was, well, not too happy when I left the building.  I’ll get into the details about that in a minute, but what really set me over the edge was when Laura Esquivel, from Media Matters, came up to me and asked if I had heard the latest from Dobbs.  I hadn’t, so she read me a transcript from his radio show earlier that day.  He was talking about a black Chicago community activist who was upset about the President’s trip to Chicago the other day.  And Dobbs had some advice for the black community about issues in their community:

It’s a black community problem.  And part of the problem is the black community is not being responsible and I mean turning Heaven and Earth to protect our children.

He went on to castigate black parents and churches:

I don’t want to hear your excuses, I don’t want to hear your lame nonsense about how much money you need to save the next life.  you have it in your power, the black churches, the black school leaders, the black community leaders, the black community organizers, the black parents of that community.  Fix the problem.  Quit whining, quit looking to someone else for the solution, and by God, let’s move ahead.

Thanks, Lou.

What else does this guy have to do to get fired from CNN?  The network broadcasts 260 hours a year – primetime coverage every day to a man antagonistic to people of color.

He calls himself a journalist and asserts that CNN is accountable every day, yet he spent 45 hours railing against comprehensive immigration reform and leprosy carrying, criminal, revolutionary aliens during the Senate debate in 2006 and then celebrated its defeat.  The most trusted name in news?  CNN executives should be ashamed.

So, back to the 4 hour CNN series, “Latino in America.” At the premier, I asked CNN suit, Mark Nelson, vice president and senior executive producer of CNN Productions, whether the series included any description of the role of the media and CNN specifically in propagating negative stereotypes about Latinos.  His answer was that the world needed more Eva Longorias and Edward James Olmos’.

We’ve got a campaign to air an ad calling out CNN for dedicating their primetime coverage to a race-baiter and dangerous propagandist:

www.AmericasVoiceOnline/DropTheHate.

Check it out and give a dollar or two if you can.

Pushing CNN executives on Dobbs has gotten us a four hour special.  So, we’re changing targets.  Asking Wolf Blitzer, Soledad O’Brien, Anderson Cooper, and John King what they think about their journalistic integrity being tarnished by a man who gets more primetime air time than most of them.

Thanks for the four hour special, CNN.  The beautiful family stories are touching.  But CNN already airs a show called “Latino in America;” 260 hours, every year.  It’s called Lou Dobbs, and the picture he paints of Latinos ain’t pretty.

Cross-Posted at America’s Voice, Daily Kos, Huffington Post, and The Sanctuary.

I’m Adam Luna, political director for a group called America’s Voice – a campaign set up to pass comprehensive immigration reform.  I’ve known Cheryl for many years, love J&J and have been looking forward to the chance to share some musings about the irrational politics of improving the lives of people of color – and if all goes well I’ll stir up a  conversation or two.

Consider me the guy who reads Nazi blogs so you don’t have to.  A Latino canary in the coalmine, watching out for opportunities to fight back or just laugh at those who are terrified of a more beautifully diverse America.

As a part of my day job  I’ve gotten to know our immigration reform adversaries – and as my friend Stacy Burdett at the Anti-Defamation League told me a while ago: “It’s not like the white nationalists hate black people, Jews or gays any less – they’ve just found a way to get their views some primetime coverage.” 

The number of hate groups has skyrocketed, hate crimes are on the rise, fascist revolutionaries are considered “balance” on the news, and talking points from neo-Nazis and vigilantes who cavort with the Klan flow seamlessly from their chat rooms to CNN to militia meetings to Congress and back again.  And interestingly, notorious racists have become crusaders for black people with bogus claims that Latinos are taking your jobs.  Crusading against the “illegals” has become cover for a vote against healthcare, housing, education, you name it.

So thanks for reading and I welcome you to join with us to kick the extreme back to the fringe where they belong. Check out our site and let me know what you think.

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