CAIR Adopt-a-Street, Davie Florida, Jeff Katz Show
I was listening to 850AM radio on the way home from work today, and Jeff Katz (conservative, pictured above) was ranting about CAIR being allowed to adopt a street in Davie, Broward County, Florida. Quick background: CAIR = Council on American-Islamic Relations, the group that handily defeated Michael Savage by taking sponsors away from him and won the copyright infringement case. Jeff Katz = former PA cop, fired from last NC talk show, nickname is “Mr. Right”.
After Katz was ranting for so long (the equivalent of masturbating to your own voice), a caller named Tim got through the phone lines and respectfully disagreed with Jeff Katz. Tim said that “it’s not the end of the Republic” if CAIR adopts a street in Davie. (I love when a real caller gets through to these right wing feat mongers on the Florida AM dial, like Joyce Kaufman.) Tim said it’s not a big deal, CAIR represents a difference of opinion when it comes to Palestine, and they are entitled to freedom of speech.
You should have heard how defensive Jeff Katz got. I mean, Katz was really working up this whole story- it was an orgasm of hate, and now here Tim comes and interrupts his local broadcast and actually brings up another opinion. Katz went into “bad cop” mode and interrogated Tim- very disrespectfully, by the way, although Katz would deny it when he reads this- and put Tim on trial. He made Tim admit that it would be OK for the KKK to adopt a street, and that Davie supports terrorism.
Another caller came on and ripped Tim. But this guy was…overboard. He brought up how the Koran is a book of violence, so Katz didn’t even have a chance to comment- he just cut the call because Katz knows that’s crossing the line.
Anyway, according to Katz:
1) The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice says CAIR is an Islamic front for the terrorist organization Hamas
2) CAIR is a hate group
3) CAIR funds terrorism and is subverting the United States
4) DoJ lists CAIR as an “un-indicted co-conspirator” in a case
Now, I was under the impression that no matter how shady CAIR is, and no matter what common sense tells you, that they were not designated as a terrorist organization (or found to sponsor terrorism) and is still a civil rights organziation. Granted, they may be in the ahem Al Sharpton civil rights league, but I didn’t think that these allegations were PROVEN, even though Katz made it like they were.
I recently worked with a Muslim- she had to be home schooled because of the hate she received at public school in good old Florida. I bring this up because CAIR represents people like her. If Rush Limbaugh had a rant against Jews like Michael Savage had against Muslims (which lead to the CAIR lawsuit), I’m not quite sure Rush would have still have his radio show, since Jews are in law, entertainment, and in the judiciary much more than Muslims in the U.S..
So I went online and did some research- I thank Jeff Katz for at least bringing this to my attention as a news story.
The first thing that was brought to my attention was a press release (great internet marketing technique, by the way, can’t wait to start mine):
(Davie, FL) On noon Friday, December 18th, Americans Against Hate (AAH), the anti-bigotry, terrorism watchdog group, will be holding a rally against the Broward County government for giving a public street sign to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Hamas-associated organization.The sign, which is located in Davie, Florida just outside Broward Community College andNova Southeastern University, is part of Broward’s “Adopt-A-Street” program.CAIR was created by Hamas operatives in 1994 and was recently named by the U.S. Justice Department a co-conspirator for a Hamas financing trial taking place in Dallas, Texas. Since the trial, the FBI has refused formal contact with CAIR.The demonstration will take place toward the end of Hanukkah, a fact whose symbolic nature is not overlooked by AAH.AAH Chairman Joe Kaufman stated, “On Hanukkah, millions of people around the world celebrate the triumph of the Jewish people over those who wished to destroy them. We want Broward County to recognize the fact that those involved with Hamas, like the Greeks 2000 years before them, have a similar goal to destroy the Jews. And we want Broward County to know that it allowed a sign to be ‘adopted’ by a group connected to Hamas.”AAH is calling on the Broward government and the city of Davie to remove the sign immediately.AAH had previously protested Broward County for allowing CAIR to place offensive messages on Broward’s public buses.Speakers at the rally against the street sign will include Kaufman, Rabbi Andrew Jacobs of Ramat Shalom – Plantation, and TulyWultz, co-founder of the Daniel Cantor Wultz Foundation.When: Friday, December 18, 2009, 12:00 NoonWhere: Outside the Broward County Commission building, at 115 S. Andrews Ave., in Downtown Fort Lauderdale.Please bring your American flags. All signage will be provided by Americans Against Hate.
Next, I went on Wikipedia, since it’s neutral and a good starting point. Turns out the neutrality of the CAIR article is disputed and flagged. But the basic thing I got from it was: CAIR is still a legitimate organization, although they don’t pass the common sense smell test, since the evidence is damning. I went to CAIR’s site- they go out of their way to say they are not like hate group (unlike the KKK, which boasts about racial inequalities) and they try to combat everything guys like Michael Savage and right wingers say. Unfortunately, CAIR’s site comes off as an ACLU site- the whole gimmick is about suing organizations and people who offend Muslims, but…to each his own.
I then checked out some court records, active lawsuits, criminal investigations, and online magazine articles and finally message board forum posts (mostly hate mongering against Islamic Americans and Muslims abroad).
There was only one level headed forum poster I came across with CAIR:
The FBI does not have the final say on CAIR, the American courts of law where claims, even those made by the FBI are weighed against the evidence do. You need to go back to school and sign up for a crash course on our justice system. Secondly, the FBI never charged CAIR with anything. They were listed as “unindicted” together with over 300 of America’s top Muslim organizations in a politicized lawsuit driven by the right-wing Bush administration…The fact that you do not like Muslim enfranchisement does not mean that this is not so. It just means that you are sour grapes. Could you post “the evidence” that CAIR is a terrorist group? Thought so. Hot empty rhetoric is a staple of the shrieking harpies that love to sling mud at successful minority groups. It’s clear you’re burning with envy. I pity you.
Also, I read today that CAIR helped the FBI finger terrorists overseas after their families reported them missing.
My conclusion: CAIR has every right to adopt a street. Look, I “know” what CAIR is in real life, okay? CAIR is probably worse than Chicago’s other group, ACORN when it comes to bookeeping and accounting. But it has to be proven that CAIR sponsored terrorism, lest we truly become a Savage Nation and ban Muslims from having the same entitlements to due process and representation. If it was proven in a court of law (not from the opinion on an ex-FBI agent’s newpaper interview) CAIR would have been shut down already.
Once you can wrap your head around this- that CAIR hasn’t been shown legally to be a terrorist league- it’s a no-brainer that Davie let them adopt a street. IF Davie said “no”, Davie would be SUED and CAIR would launch a marketing campaign against Davie. On what legal basis does Davie have to say “no”? Keep in mind, Davie is WASP territory, as well. You’d think of all South Florida towns, Davie would have rejected CAIR.
Again, there are two sides to every story, and many more angles. Common sense may dictate that CAIR- at the very least- was guilty of association (just like Obama has been guilty of this LaME crime for his entire life), but like Lex Luthor in John Byrne’s 1986 Superman reboot- is not guilty. Again- listen- if you read about CAIR you will form an opinion, and it will likely be negative. CAIR fails the court of public opnion’s test, but not the legal system’s.
And this brings me full circle to what passes as “conservatism” on the radio, TV, and message board forums these days. This new age, Earth-Flush herd-mentality intolerant conservatism is close-minded, judgmental, bigoted, and trying to hold on to their ever-shrinking social status. Each new generation (from Baby Boomers to Generation X to Generation Y) gets more and more liberal- and with good reason.
With so many different races, religions, immigrants, cultures, sexual preferences, and beliefs in the United States, there is a super pluralism that our Founding Fathers never dreamed about. Everyone’s opinions are equal and everyone has a right to express them. Every group demands justice; we get it every year: first there were Christmas trees in town square, then in recent years Hanukkah bushes, then Islamic symbols, and then a bunch of other religions or pseduo-religions, until we have now reached the point where some towns have “Holiday Trees” to avoid the pluralism and to avoid lawsuits. But–it is what it is! Who draws the line? Conservatives always want to draw that line and say “Christmas trees ONLY”.
Yes, politically correctness rules. It’s a fairly modern invention with good intentions but usually absurd results. It really stems from Nietzsche when he deconstructed God and the concept of good and evil in the 1800’s. Heck, Nietzche invented the word “values”- he retconned virtues, which originally meant timeless morals. “Values” means that you’re right, I’m right, we’re all right, and that pisses a lot of people off, although liberals believe that (as long as you aren’t right-wing).
My problem with right wingers in the MEDIA and Internet is that they truly want the world to go back to the mythical 1950’s to a USA with the nuclear Christian white family, which is impossible in 2010 and beyond. I wonder if Jeff Katz realizes he as a Jew would not be welcomed in 1950 USA if he lived in most of the states back then.
Look, I like patriotism, civic duty, caring about society, having standards, being proud to be an American and to support our troops. I hate when people are politically correct. I’m first in line to say that things are falling apart when it comes to the United States as having a united culture. I think President Obama is a perfect symbol of the cultural diversity and moral ambiguity of politically correctness. But the truth is the CAIR = bogeyman reeks of McCarthyism, and there is an anti-Muslim trend in this country- big time.
Similar Posts:
- Florida handyman
- Florida home repair, Mr Fixit, Broward Dade Handyman
- CCB3 Arrested in Online Bee Sting
- Street Fighter 4
- Yankees Killer
DailySkew RANDOM Posts:
- Florida home repair, Mr Fixit, Broward Dade Handyman
- Hulk Hogan totally understands O.J.
- WarGames and other 1980’s movies
- Walter Cronkite Dies
- Hillary/Obama: Earth Never
Vahl here:
What a blog post! Whew!
I'd just like to add a couple of links. There was one blog post that had data from gallup showing that Muslims in the U.S. are more satisfied than French Muslims.
There was a Gallup Video that shows American attitudes towards Muslims have pretty much not changed since 2002.
Just wanted to add that living in the South really sucks sometimes.
Also: local AM conservative talk show hosts are so LAME it's not even funny. They take their cues from the national guys.
God bless you, Damian, for carrying that burden today. I can't even do it. We have a local morning gal who is a southern Rush clone … her show is sooooo bad I ignore it entirely. I would rather listen to Mike and Mike LaMEspin while NPR is on sponsored break.
Can you imagine a talk show that has honest opinions … where the host isn't trying to be Rush Limbaugh? Imagine no more, folks. It's right here: DailySkew Radio.
Stats for those who didn't click:
21% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Muslim countries
39% say they have an unfavorable opinion of Muslim countries
41% of American Muslims say they are thriving
56% of American Muslims say they are struggling
I fully endorse that Podcast….I may not see eye to eye with Vahl on all of the issues but he has an open mind and covers the angles, does his research.
I run my comic shop during the day and can't call in, but I do listen it.
When Jeff Katz said "THAT'S FINE" to the caller, he didn't say it relaxed like Barry Bonds.
He said it cold like a parole officer in the most condescendingly way possible.
Then he went straight into "answer my question: YES or NO- would it be okay if the KKK adopted a street?"
When the caller attempted to clarify, Katz did the YES or NO? attack.
He totally belittled the guy after the guy said, "I don't know why you're making a whole big thing about such a minor news article."
Read the whole thing.
well said.
people in "the media" and various talk radio hosts dont usually check facts like you did because its not as entertaining to the audience I guess.
People sure like simple and easy answers to support their labels and pre-conceived notions, usually base emotions against a group.
Ive become very post-political psychologically because I think politics as we know it is flawed at the very base.
right and left debates seem to me to be outdated.
the real threats that the average american faces seem to come at least equally from both the government and private sectors.
we are witnessing a culture war not unlike the culture war that took place at the beginning of the renaissance between religious and secular institutions.
only this time its taking place between traditional government powers and corporate ones, and the corporations seem to own all of the airwaves and get to skew the debate as they see fit.
whether its right or wrong I think the corporations will win in the end because they are the ones who really own everything including the airwaves of america.
the role of what government is supposed to do versus what is profitable to the powerful within the private sector will be at odds for quite a while.
how fighting a "culture war" against the influence of islam within our country factors into all of this is a bit more nebulous and confusing to me, other than to promote wars against people who dont believe in what we do for the benefit of halliburton, blackwater and the like.
who knows?
I can only say that I think the airwaves only belong to "we the people" on the internet where nothing seems to be controlled and we have to take the good with the bad.
just like I do on my blog everyday.
godspeed and good luck.
Great points…
By the way I checked out your blog this morning and my stomach started to hurt.
Anyway, here are some views about
anti-Islam roots.
Islamophobia
all fine except the numerous cair employees in jail for terrorism related offenses…
and what is islamophobia? after it is the koran that requires muslims not to be friends with jews & christians
were you defending john gotti before the feds finally nailed him?
Lemme guess – you are originally from NY. Due to our world ending on 9/11 you no longer believe in due process or rule of law.
There is no way Davie can deny CAIR without getting sued.
re: John Gotti- Yes, a prearrested Gotti would have the right to sponsor a street sign.
As far as the history of Judeo-Islamic relations: before the 20th century they got along just fine for hundreds of years.
A corporation is a separate entity.
Davie Councilwoman Susan Starkey. Today's Inglorious Basterd!
What is up with politicians from Central Broward County? They sure do like to run out the Anti-Semitism bit… A lot.
About a year ago, madman John Sims, Commissioner of Cooper City, dropped the Hitler 'stache on a picture of his colleague Mayor Debbie Eisinger. Oh, he also tossed in the words "Nazi Bitch".
A big bro-haha ensued. BSO called in to investigate "hate crimes". A round of subpoenas to Google. But in the end, much ado about nothing, though Sims blamed it on his kid. Sha right. I hear that Sims and the truth aren't often found in the same sentence.
Sidebar: No need to reach out to anyone if BSO wants to investigate me for a hate crime. I take full responsibility and don't hide the pansied ass Sims behind my monitor. Oh, and also, should it be necessary, please forward all complaints to the ACLU. In care of the Department of my 1st Amendment Rights.
A recent replay of a similar kind just took place in Davie where Councilwoman Susan Starkey dropped a similiar type of Nazi bomb on some local folks.
So, that got our award winning Art Department thinking… What Would Sims Do if he got ahold of Starkey's picture. Wadda think?
http://www.myactsofsedition.com
Chaz Stevens, Genius